Reading the reference price: what the DMO and VDO mean on a bill

The reference price is the regulator's annual bill for a benchmark household on each network: on Ausgrid the DMO 2026-27 is $1,899 a year at 3,900 kWh, and at that same usage today's cheapest published plan is Tango Energy Everyday Easy at $84 a month ($1,014 a year) with the median plan at $143 a month, read 8 November 2026.

Rory Davis · Perth

Updated today · 8 November 2026, 11:02 am AEDT · published 31 October 2026

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Two regulators, one idea

The Australian Energy Regulator sets the Default Market Offer (DMO) each year for New South Wales, south-east Queensland and South Australia; the Essential Services Commission sets the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) for Victoria. Each is the price a household pays if it never chooses a plan, and each is published as an annual bill for a benchmark usage on each distribution network. The 2026-27 determinations took effect on 1 July 2026. The ACT, Tasmania and regional Queensland have no DMO or VDO in these determinations, so their networks show no reference line here.

The reference price on each network, against today's cheapest and median plan at the same usage

Ausgrid (New South Wales): DMO 2026-27 $1,899 a year at 3,900 kWh ($158 a month); cheapest published plan Tango Energy Everyday Easy $84 a month, median $143, 292 plans. CitiPower (Victoria): VDO 2026-27 $1,481 a year at 4,000 kWh ($123 a month); cheapest published plan GloBird Energy GloBird FULLHOUSE Residential (Flat Rate With Controlled Load)-Citipower $84 a month, median $109, 322 plans. Energex (Queensland): DMO 2026-27 $1,988 a year at 4,600 kWh ($166 a month); cheapest published plan AGL Residential Three for Free $101 a month, median $145, 334 plans. SA Power Networks (South Australia): DMO 2026-27 $2,334 a year at 4,000 kWh ($195 a month); cheapest published plan iO Energy Sustainable Home (Electrify) $129 a month, median $172, 241 plans. Read 8 November 2026.

Ausgrid: DMO 2026-27$1,899 a year; cheapest plan Tango Energy Everyday Easy $1,014 a year
CitiPower: VDO 2026-27$1,481 a year; cheapest plan GloBird Energy GloBird FULLHOUSE Residential (Flat Rate With Controlled Load)-Citipower $1,010 a year
Energex: DMO 2026-27$1,988 a year; cheapest plan AGL Residential Three for Free $1,210 a year
SA Power Networks: DMO 2026-27$2,334 a year; cheapest plan iO Energy Sustainable Home (Electrify) $1,552 a year

Go to Tango Energy Prices by network and state

How to read a plan against it

Retailers in the DMO states must state a plan's price as a percentage against the reference, which only means something if the plan is priced at the benchmark usage. The figures above do exactly that: every published plan is priced at the regulator's own benchmark kilowatt-hours for the network, so the cheapest and median can be read straight against the reference bill. A plan below the reference is cheaper than the default for that benchmark household; whether it is cheaper for you depends on your kilowatt-hours, which the bill check prices directly.

What the reference is not

It is not the cheapest price and not a cap on every plan. Tonight the median published plan is below the reference on every network listed. Plans above the reference are published too and the network pages list them.

Questions this guide answers

What is the DMO or VDO on the Ausgrid network?

DMO 2026-27: $1,899 a year for a household using 3,900 kWh, from the regulator's determination.

How many plans beat the reference price?

Ausgrid: 284 of 292 published plans are below the DMO 2026-27 at 3,900 kWh; CitiPower: 314 of 322 published plans are below the VDO 2026-27 at 4,000 kWh; Energex: 325 of 334 published plans are below the DMO 2026-27 at 4,600 kWh; SA Power Networks: 236 of 241 published plans are below the DMO 2026-27 at 4,000 kWh, read 8 November 2026.

Does every state have a reference price?

No. The DMO covers New South Wales, south-east Queensland and South Australia and the VDO covers Victoria; the ACT, Tasmania and regional Queensland have none in these determinations.

Sources

AER Default Market Offer 2026-27, final determination https://www.aer.gov.au/system/files/2026-05/AER%20-%20Final%20determination%20-%20Default%20market%20offer%202026%E2%80%9327.pdf
ESC Victorian Default Offer 2026-27, price determination https://www.esc.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Victorian%20Default%20Offer%202026-27%20Price%20Determination.pdf
Energy Made Easy plan data (Australian Energy Regulator) https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au/
Victorian Energy Compare register (Essential Services Commission) https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/
Every plan or policy figure: the provider's own page or the regulator's release as read on the date shown, linked from each row; how each market is read.

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