The running-cost questions, actually answered
State-by-state comparisons, the “is it cheaper to…” questions people actually ask, and the maths behind every figure. Each guide runs on the same registry and reference-rate data as the calculator it sits under.
Cheapest 8kg Washing Machines to Run in Australia (2026)
The 10 cheapest plain 8kg front loaders on the government's appliance register, priced for every state: $29.29 to $40.72 a year to run the top-ranked one.
Read the guideIs it cheaper to leave the aircon on all day?
No, not for most Australian homes: the state-by-state numbers for running a 5kW split system all day versus 6…
Portable vs split system: which costs less to run?
A split system costs less to run than a portable of the same cooling size, and it isn't close.
The cheapest way to heat a room this winter
Reverse cycle air conditioning heats a room for about a third of what any plug-in heater costs.
Gas vs reverse cycle: heating costs compared
A reverse cycle split heats a room for about a third to a seventh of what a gas space heater costs, state by…
When to lay turf: the best window in every state
Spring is the safest window almost everywhere, and early autumn is a close second, because both hit the one…
DIY turf laying vs hiring a professional: is it worth doing yourself?
Laying your own turf on our calculator's 66 m² worked example saves $400–$790 in labour, with no tool hire…
DIY concrete vs hiring a concreter: the real cost comparison
Pouring a 12 m² shed slab yourself in ready-mix costs roughly $380 to $480 in materials.
How long before you can drive on new concrete?
New concrete is walkable in 24–48 hours and safe for a car at 7 days, but that's only about two-thirds of its…
Timber vs composite decking: which actually costs less over 10 years?
Composite costs $4,200–$6,600 installed against treated pine's $2,400–$3,360 for the same 12 m² deck.
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DIY decking vs hiring a carpenter: the real cost comparison
Building your own 12 m² treated pine deck saves roughly $1,780–$2,740 in labour over hiring a carpenter to…
What a shower actually costs, per minute
A standard showerhead costs 6–8¢ a minute to heat, depending on your state's electricity rate.
Heat pump vs electric hot water: running costs
A family of four saves roughly $700 to $1,000 a year switching an electric storage tank for a heat pump…
Bark vs sugar cane mulch: which actually costs less over time?
Bulk bark or wood chip costs $60–$113 a load and lasts 12–18 months.
How deep does mulch need to be to actually stop weeds?
Under 50mm of mulch is cosmetic only, weeds germinate through it within weeks.
Gravel vs concrete vs pavers: which driveway is cheapest over 10 years?
A basic gravel driveway installs for $1,080–$1,800 on an 18 m² strip, cheaper than concrete's $1,620–$1,980…
DIY paving vs hiring a paver: the real cost comparison
Laying your own pavers on a 21 m² patio saves roughly $945–$1,260 in labour over hiring a paver to supply and…
What pavers actually cost after they're laid
Resanding a 21 m² patio with polymeric sand costs about $133, sealing runs $168–$315 every couple of years…
How many coats of paint do you actually need?
One coat only covers a same-colour touch-up. Two is the standard for any real colour change.
DIY painting vs hiring a professional painter: how big is the saving really?
Painting our calculator's 48 m² worked room yourself costs $42–$162 in paint, against $960–$1,680 to hire a…
Is a heat pump dryer worth the extra money?
At 4 loads a week on registry-median kWh figures, a heat pump dryer saves about $196 a year over a vented…
Vented, condenser or heat pump: which dryer type actually suits your home?
A vented dryer needs a hole through an outside wall.
What the beer fridge in the garage really costs
An old fridge exiled to the garage costs $183–$255 a year more to run than a dedicated bar fridge doing the…
What a worn door seal quietly costs your fridge
A fridge with a worn or gappy door seal can use up to 20% more power, roughly $18 a year extra on a modern…
How many hours should your pool pump run?
SPASA and Zodiac Australia both put pool pump run time at 8–10 hours a day in summer, 4–6 in winter, aimed at…
Is a variable speed pool pump worth it?
A variable speed pool pump uses about 68% less power than a single speed pump doing the same job, worth $450…
What your console burns while it just sits there
An Xbox left on its factory-default ‘Instant-On’ standby draws about ten times the power of ‘Energy saving’…
Does picture mode change what your TV costs to run?
Yes: Vivid draws 37% more than Standard on a 65-inch OLED; switching to Filmmaker saves $29 to $40 a year at…
Does OLED cost more to run than LED?
What's on screen matters more than the panel type: on the standard test the gap is a few dollars a year, and…
Does a bigger TV cost more to run?
Yes: a 75-inch TV’s registry-median wattage runs 5.6 times a 32-inch’s, about $70 to $97 a year against $12…
What standby power quietly costs Australians
A wireless router left on standby costs $17 to $33 a year, up to 80% of Canstar Blue's entire whole-house…
The Room-by-Room Standby Power Walkthrough
Walk your home once and tally the real standby cost: router, lounge and kitchen, using this site's own…
The Standby Census: what every registered TV actually draws
We pulled the government's own energy rating registry and checked every one of the 4,723 TV models currently…
What uses the most electricity in an Australian home?
Heating and cooling, hot water and the fridge do most of the damage, usually well over half a typical…
Does home solar still save money in 2026?
Yes, for most owner-occupiers with a decent roof, but the maths has shifted.
Charging at home vs public chargers
Charging at home costs about $4.82 to $6.71 per 100 km.
EV vs petrol: what each kilometre costs
Our EV charging calculator compares one EV against one petrol car.
EV vs petrol: what the car itself costs to buy
Our EV vs petrol running-cost guide keeps flagging the purchase price gap without ever pricing it.
Cents-per-km vs logbook: which method actually claims more?
The ATO's cents-per-kilometre method caps out at $4,550 a year.
Why You Can't Just Subtract 10% From a GST-Inclusive Total
A $110 total including GST comes to $100 excluding GST, not $99, the number a flat 10% subtraction gives.
Quote vs Estimate: Which One Actually Locks In the Price
Call a $1,760 job a quote and the price is locked in once the client accepts it.
Fixed Quote or Hourly Rate: Which One Protects Your Margin
A job quoted at $1,760 stays $1,760 even if it runs four hours over, the real hourly rate drops to $56.67.
Does the Petrol Price Cycle Still Save You Money in 2026?
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide's petrol cycles have mostly stopped since Feb 2026.
Do You Need Council Approval to Build a Fence?
Side and rear fences can go up to 1.8 to 2.3 metres without council sign-off, depending on the state.
What Happens If Your Neighbour Won't Pay for a Dividing Fence?
Every state has a notice-then-apply process for a fencing dispute, but the venue differs: Local Court or NCAT…
Fixed Rate vs Actual Cost Method: Which WFH Claim Wins?
The ATO's 70¢ fixed rate is the simple option for a work-from-home deduction.
How to read the Energy Rating Label
The stars only rank appliances of the same size.
Does a Higher Star Rating Mean a Cheaper Wash?
The Energy Rating star count only compares machines of the same size.
Front Load or Top Load: Which Washing Machine Actually Costs Less to Run?
Across the whole registry a top loader uses 58% more energy per load than a front loader, worth $30 to $42 a…
How Much More Does a Warm Wash Really Cost Than Cold?
The Australian Government puts the gap at 50% for a front loader and 85% for a top loader, not the flat…
Gas vs induction vs ceramic: which cooktop costs least in your state?
Gas wins on efficiency-adjusted cost in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and SA; induction wins in WA, Tasmania, the…
Air fryer vs oven: which is cheaper to run?
Three frozen-snack trays a week in an air fryer instead of the oven saves about $35 to $48 a year, the…
Is a slow cooker cheaper to run than an oven?
Depends on the model: CHOICE's cheapest slow cookers beat an hour of oven use in every state; its priciest…
Does a Higher Star Rating Mean a Cheaper Dishwasher Cycle?
The Energy Rating star count only compares dishwashers of the same place-setting count.
Eco vs Normal Dishwasher Cycle: What Switching Actually Saves
Switching from normal to eco saves between $23.57 a year in the ACT and $32.78 in South Australia, a cut of…
Cheapest Dishwashers to Run in NSW (2026)
The cheapest 14-place-setting dishwasher in the government's own appliance registry costs $25.34 a year to…
Cheapest 8kg Dryers to Run (2026)
The cheapest 8kg dryer in the government's own appliance registry costs $120.96 a year to run in NSW.
Cheapest 400-500 L Fridges to Run in Australia (2026)
The cheapest 400-500 L fridge in the government's registry costs $49.57 a year to run in NSW.
Cheapest 55-Inch TVs to Run in Australia (2026)
The cheapest 55-inch TV on the government's register costs $20.74 a year to run at four hours a night.
Does a Bigger Freezer Cost More to Run?
Yes, in raw kWh. But per litre of storage, the registry shows a large chest freezer costs about half as much…
Do Mesh WiFi Satellites Cost More to Run Than a Single Router?
Yes, roughly another router's worth of running cost per extra satellite.
Does a Gaming PC Cost More to Run Than a Console?
Yes, by a wide margin: a gaming desktop and monitor draws roughly twice what Digital Foundry measured for a…
Does Reversing a Ceiling Fan Save Money in Winter?
Two Australian government energy bodies confirm the physics: a reversed fan on low pushes warm air back down.
Is a Hot Water Bottle Cheaper to Run Than an Electric Blanket?
AGL's own advice says a hot water bottle uses less energy than an electric blanket.
Does Ceiling Insulation Pay for Itself?
Typical case, using Sustainability Victoria's own "up to 20%" savings claim: R4.0 batts pay back in 6.8 to…
Is a weed membrane worth it under a gravel driveway?
A cheap non-woven weed mat for our 18 m² gravel driveway example costs $29 but needs relaying every 2 to 4…
Cheapest 10kg Washing Machines to Run in Australia (2026)
The cheapest plain 10kg front loaders on the government's appliance register cost $42.23 a year to run in…
Cheapest 9kg Washing Machines to Run in Australia (2026)
The cheapest plain 9kg front loader on the government's appliance register costs $37.17 a year to run in NSW.
Does a Premium Brand Cost Less to Run?
V-ZUG holds 6 of the 10 cheapest dishwashers in our registry ranking, but the 10 cheapest washing machines…
Does a Bigger Washing Machine Cost More to Run?
Usually not: the median 10kg front loader on the government's register costs $55.75 a year and the median 6kg…