Energy prices moved in a household’s favour at the last reset, with most New South Wales (NSW) standing offers dropping from 1 July 2026. Despite that, many households are still on an energy deal that costs more than it should. The Default Market Offer (DMO) resetting lower doesn’t automatically mean every plan on the market got cheaper too, since market offers are priced independently by each retailer.
Overpaying often happens gradually, for example when a discount expires or a rate falls behind the market. Running a proper search for the great energy deals currently available is the most reliable way to see where your plan actually sits.
1. You Can’t Remember the Last Time You Checked Your Plan
If you haven’t compared your plan against the market in more than a year, that alone is a warning sign. Most market offers include a benefit period, often 12 months, after which the discount may lapse or the plan may revert to a higher rate. Loyalty rarely earns better pricing in this market. Retailers generally reserve their most competitive offers for new sign-ups, while existing customers on older plans need to spot the gap themselves. Retailers are also required to tell customers at least once every 100 days if they could offer them a better plan.
2. Your Rate Sits at or Above the DMO Benchmark
The DMO is designed as a safety net maximum, not a competitive price. A market offer priced close to or above the DMO for your region is generally not competitive, as better plans are usually priced meaningfully below it.
| DMO segment | Change from 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| New South Wales residential flat rate | Down 3.4% to 5.0% |
| South East Queensland time-of-use | Down up to 10.7% |
| Small business (across regions) | Down 6.8% to 20.9% |
If a plan’s rate hasn’t moved in the same direction as these changes, it’s worth checking the Energy Price Fact Sheet to see exactly where it stands relative to the new benchmark.
3. Your Bill Is Climbing Even Though Usage Hasn’t Changed
A rising bill with flat or similar usage to the same period last year points to a rate increase rather than a usage increase. This is one of the clearest signals that a plan needs to be checked, because it rules out the common assumption that higher usage is to blame. Comparing the kWh figure on a recent bill with the same quarter of the previous year is a quick way to distinguish a genuine increase in usage from a price increase.
4. You’re Missing Out on Discounts Over a Single Late Payment
Many market plans advertise a discount that applies only when specific conditions are met each billing cycle, such as paying on time or remaining on direct debit. Missing a single payment date can mean losing the discount for that cycle, and some households don’t realise the implications until they compare a few bills side by side. If a bill looks higher than expected despite an advertised discount, checking whether that discount was actually applied is a fast way to find out.
5. Your Solar Feed-In Tariff Hasn’t Been Reviewed Since You Signed Up
For solar households, feed-in tariffs are reviewed annually and vary significantly between retailers and plans. A rate that looked reasonable when a system was first installed can fall behind the market within a year or two, since retailers aren’t required to proactively move a household onto a better export rate. Checking the feed-in tariff against the state regulator’s current benchmark range is worth doing at the same time as reviewing the usage rate.
The Bottom Line
None of these signs require a detailed audit to spot. A quick look at how long it’s been since you compared your plan, where your current rate sits relative to the DMO, and whether a bill has climbed without a change in usage will cover most indicators of overpaying. The fix is usually the same either way: compare your current deal against what’s actually available now, rather than assuming last year’s good deal is still a good deal today. New options keep arriving too, including the federal Solar Sharer scheme, which requires retailers to offer households free daytime electricity from July 2026.
