Dearest
Ireland
€0.39 per kWh, the highest in the EU
Cheapest to earn
Ontario
About 3.9 hours of minimum-wage work for 350 kWh
Biggest swing
Australia
43.2c to 58.4c per kWh, depending on region
How we compared electricity prices across countries
Comparing power prices internationally usually goes wrong in one of two ways: someone converts everything into US dollars on a single day's exchange rate, or compares unit rates while ignoring daily charges. We did neither. For each country we took the most recent official figure that already blends unit rates and fixed charges into an all-in average price per kWh, priced one 350 kWh month (a modest household; actual use varies a lot), and divided it by the country's adult minimum hourly wage. The result tells you how long a worker on the wage floor must work, before tax, to keep the lights on for a month.
The data behind each row:
- UK (Great Britain): Ofgem price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026, Direct Debit average: 26.32p per kWh plus a 54.83p daily standing charge, with no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
- Ireland: Eurostat's household electricity price for the first half of 2026, €0.39 per kWh, the highest in the EU against an EU average of €0.28 and up 19.8% year on year, as reported by RTÉ on 30 October 2026.
- Australia: the Australian Energy Regulator's Default Market Offer for 2026–27. We used the Ausgrid (Sydney) flat-rate annual price, $1,899 for 3,900 kWh, which works out at 48.7c per kWh all-in.
- Canada (Ontario): the Ontario Energy Board's prices from 1 November 2026. The OEB says the Ontario Electricity Rebate of 15.7% cuts a typical 700 kWh bill by about $23 a month, which implies a pre-rebate, pre-tax bill of roughly $146.50. After the rebate and 13% HST, our estimate is about 20c per kWh all-in.
- New Zealand: MBIE's Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices to 15 August 2026: 42.1c per kWh including GST, for a home using 8,000 kWh a year.
The big electricity comparison table
| Country | All-in price per kWh | 350 kWh month | Minimum wage | Work hours | Data date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | €0.39 | €136.50 | €14.15 | 9.6 | Jan–Jun 2026 |
| UK | 31.1p | £108.80 | £12.71 | 8.6 | Oct–Dec 2026 |
| Australia (Sydney) | 48.7c | $170.42 | $26.44 | 6.4 | 2026–27 |
| New Zealand | 42.1c | $147.35 | $23.95 | 6.2 | 15 Aug 2026 |
| Canada (Ontario) | ≈20c* | ≈$70 | $17.95 | 3.9 | From 1 Nov 2026 |
Each currency is local (GBP, EUR, AUD, NZD, CAD). Minimum wages: UK National Living Wage from 1 April 2026; Ireland from 1 January 2026; Australia national minimum wage from 1 July 2026; New Zealand adult minimum from 1 April 2026; Ontario general minimum from 1 October 2026. *Ontario is our estimate derived from OEB figures. All-in prices are averages at each source's reference usage; smaller homes pay more per kWh everywhere because fixed charges are spread over fewer units. Work hours are before tax.
Hours of minimum-wage work to pay for 350 kWh
Round by round: what the numbers say about each country
Ireland: the dearest unit, and getting dearer
Ireland tops the table on both measures we can check. Its household price was 39% above the EU average in the first half of 2026, and it rose almost a fifth in a year. A higher minimum wage (€14.15) softens the blow but nowhere near enough: nearly 10 hours of work for a modest month. Help this winter leans on targeted welfare. Budget 2027 raises the Fuel Allowance by €5 to €43 a week, while in September the Taoiseach said he could not see capacity for a return of universal energy credits (Irish Times). If you are in Ireland, the month-by-month plan in our electricity price rise Ireland 4-week plan and the dates in 15 dates that decide your winter bills are the practical next step.
UK: a capped price with a standing-charge sting
Britain's unit rate looks moderate, and the removal of VAT on electricity until 31 March 2027 helps. But the 54.83p daily standing charge is about 15% of our 350 kWh bill before you switch on a single light, and a bigger share still for low users. The minimum wage rose to £12.71 in April, yet the UK is still second-dearest by work hours. The Warm Home Discount takes £150 off eligible households' electricity bills, applied by the supplier. Ofgem's next cap starts 1 January 2027; our January 2027 price cap forecast shows what it could mean by household size.
Australia: high cents, high wages, and a regional lottery
Australia's per-kWh prices are the biggest headline numbers in this table, but its $26.44 minimum wage is the highest too, which pulls it to mid-table at 6.4 hours. Region matters enormously: across the five DMO zones, the all-in price runs from 43.2c in south-east Queensland to 58.4c in South Australia. On the same 350 kWh, that is 5.7 hours of work in Brisbane's network area versus 7.7 hours in Adelaide's. Prices fell in four of the five zones for 2026–27, but the federal $150 bill rebates ended after 2025, as the Treasurer confirmed in December 2025. Our electricity bills Australia scripts give you the exact words to ask your retailer for a better offer.
New Zealand: average nationally, unequal locally
At 42.1c and a $23.95 minimum wage, New Zealand lands at 6.2 hours, just ahead of Australia. The national number hides a wide spread: in MBIE's survey, Wellington City pays 37.2c and Balclutha 51.0c, and most of that gap comes from lines charges you cannot shop around. We ranked all 42 centres in NZ power prices by region. The Winter Energy Payment ($20.46 a week single, $31.82 for couples and families) ran from 1 May to 1 October and is now finished for the year.
Canada (Ontario): the cheapest to earn, with a shrinking cushion
Ontario wins this showdown comfortably, thanks largely to its hydro and nuclear-heavy system and a government rebate on the bill. But that cushion is getting thinner: the Ontario Electricity Rebate falls to 15.7% from 1 November 2026, worth about $23 a month on a typical 700 kWh bill. Ontario also has the most dramatic time-of-day pricing here: on the ultra-low overnight plan, power costs 3.7c per kWh from 11pm to 7am and 37.7c on weekday evenings, a tenfold difference. Shifting laundry and dishwashing can matter more than any other trick. Our Ontario hydro rates November 2026 plan walks through the plan choice.
Help with electricity bills this season, country by country
| Country | Main help right now | Who it reaches | Where to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | No VAT on electricity (1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027); Warm Home Discount £150 | VAT cut: every household. Discount: eligible households | GOV.UK, Citizens Advice |
| Ireland | Fuel Allowance rising €5 to €43 a week (Budget 2027) | Eligible social welfare recipients | Citizens Information, MABS |
| Australia | Federal bill rebates ended after 2025; state concessions continue | Concession card holders, depending on state | Your state government, Moneysmart |
| New Zealand | Winter Energy Payment (paid 1 May–1 Oct, now ended) | NZ Super and main-benefit recipients | Work and Income, Sorted |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Electricity Rebate 15.7% on the bill; Ontario Electricity Support Program for lower incomes | Rebate: most residential customers automatically | Ontario Energy Board, your utility |
What each country can learn from the others
Ireland should copy the UK and Australia
Both publish a regulator-set reference price that every household can measure an offer against. Irish households compare dozens of supplier tariffs with no official yardstick, which makes "am I overpaying?" hard to answer.
The UK should copy Ontario
Ontario's regulated time-of-use and ultra-low overnight prices let any household cut costs by moving usage. In Britain, cheap overnight rates exist but depend on choosing a specific tariff.
Australia and Canada should copy New Zealand
MBIE's quarterly town-by-town survey prices the same household in 42 places and splits network costs from retail costs. It shows people exactly which part of their bill they can shop around.
Everyone should copy the UK's bluntness on fixed charges
Ofgem publishes the standing charge in plain pence per day. Fixed daily charges punish small households hardest, so seeing them clearly is the first step to judging whether a plan suits you.
Run your own showdown in 10 minutes
- Find the total of your last electricity bill and the kWh used.
- Divide the total by kWh: that is your all-in price. Compare it with your country's row above.
- Divide your monthly bill by your own hourly pay after tax: that is your personal "work hours" figure.
- If your price is clearly above the benchmark, compare plans, or ask your supplier for a better offer before the next bill.
Bills are easier to challenge when they live in one system instead of five inboxes. Step III: Own the System is a digital workbook for setting up exactly that kind of household money system, with bills, due dates and review points in one place.
Your questions about electricity prices by country
Which country has the highest electricity prices in Europe? Eurostat's figures for the first half of 2026 put Ireland highest in the EU at €0.39 per kWh, ahead of Germany and Belgium at €0.36, according to RTÉ's report of the data.
Is electricity cheaper in Australia or the UK? In local cents, Australia looks dearer (48.7c in Sydney's network area vs 31.1p all-in in Great Britain for our example month). Measured against minimum wages, Australia is cheaper: 6.4 hours of work vs 8.6 hours for 350 kWh.
Why is electricity so cheap in Ontario? Regulated prices, a large hydro and nuclear generation base, and the Ontario Electricity Rebate, which itself drops to 15.7% from 1 November 2026, all keep household bills lower.
For a wider look at how pay compares across the same five countries, see our minimum wage 2027 showdown. If bills are weighing on you more than the numbers suggest they should, the free 7-Day Money Anxiety Reset journal is a gentle place to start.
Sources
- Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, Ofgem, 2026
- Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026, Ofgem, 2026
- Ireland had highest EU electricity prices in first half of 2026 – Eurostat, RTÉ, 2026
- Default Market Offer 2026–27, final determination, Australian Energy Regulator, 2026
- Ontario Energy Board announces changes to electricity prices, Ontario Energy Board, 2026
- Quarterly Survey of Domestic Electricity Prices, 15 August 2026, MBIE, 2026
- National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, GOV.UK, 2026
- National Minimum Wage increases to €14.15 per hour, Ibec, 2025
- Fair Work Commission increases minimum wage rates, Mondaq, 2026
- Minimum wage set for 2026, MBIE, 2025
- Minimum wage changes effective October 1, 2026, University of Waterloo, 2026
- When Budget changes kick in and how to claim them, The Irish Times, 2026
- Energy bill rebates to be axed in cost of living relief shift, SBS News, 2025
- Winter Energy Payment, Work and Income NZ, 2026
Educational content only. Not personalised financial advice.