South Australia Energy Affordability Amendment Bill to adjust Adelaide household electricity costs

The South Australian Energy Affordability Amendment Bill passed the state legislature on 6 July 2026. It directs the Essential Services Commission to apply quarterly rebates of up to $180 for households using less than 2000 kilowatt hours per quarter and caps retail price increases at the consumer price index rate for two years. The changes apply to all residential customers supplied by SA Power Networks in the Adelaide metropolitan area and the outer northern and southern suburbs.

Household budget implications for Adelaide residents

Adelaide households currently pay an average of $1850 a year for electricity according to the 2025-26 state budget papers. The rebates are calculated to reduce that figure by between $120 and $240 annually for most meter types once they begin in July 2027. Renters in suburbs such as Enfield and Morphett Vale will receive the credit automatically through their retailer, while owner-occupiers in areas including Unley and Prospect can claim it on their quarterly statement. Local advocates note that the cap on price rises will apply uniformly regardless of whether a household holds a fixed-rate or market contract.

The bill also requires retailers to publish a single annual comparison price on all bills starting in January 2027. This requirement follows recommendations in the Productivity Commission’s 2025 review of retail energy markets. Families with solar systems in the western suburbs will see the feed-in tariff floor raised by two cents per kilowatt hour, a change the legislation states will be funded through the existing renewable energy target levy.

Implementation timeline and next steps

The legislation establishes a new monitoring unit within the Department for Energy and Mining to report quarterly compliance data to parliament beginning in September 2027. Retailers must update their billing systems by 31 March 2027, and the Essential Services Commission will conduct public consultations on the exact rebate calculation formula in August this year. The government has allocated $142 million over three years in the 2026-27 budget forward estimates to cover the rebates and administrative costs.

Further amendments to the bill are scheduled for debate in the Legislative Council next month. Any changes passed there will return to the House of Assembly before the bill receives royal assent, which the government expects by the end of August 2026.