Australia is rich in natural resources, including coal, oil, gas, and uranium. These have helped Australia become one of the world’s leading energy producers and suppliers. 

In recent years, however, Australia’s energy mix has been changing. These Australia energy statistics will help you understand its current energy landscape.

Keep reading!

General Energy Statistics in Australia

1. Australia is one of the biggest exporters of coal, uranium and LNG.

(International Energy Agency)

Fascinating Facts & Stats

  • Australia is one of the biggest exporters of coal, uranium and LNG.
  • An Australian study showed that 45% of participants would reduce their energy use during the hot periods, even without a financial incentive.
  • Thanks to renewable energy, Australia has one of the lowest electricity prices in the world.
  • Tasmania is the country’s leader when it comes to renewable energy.
  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, residential energy consumption in Australia grew, and business energy consumption dropped.

Coal exports have reached massive growth, and are among the most vital exports in Australia. The key energy statistics from 2020:

2. In 2020,  energy consumption in Australia was 25% higher than the average of OECD countries.

(Enerdata)

Electricity consumption per capita was 9.2% MWh, whereas energy consumption per capita was relatively steady since 2010, reaching 4.9 toe in 2020.

3. Coal has the second-largest share in energy consumption by source in Australia, accounting for 28.4% of the total.

(Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources)

Oil is the leading source of Australia’s energy consumption. Other sources of energy consumption include:

4. In the last 110 years, the average winter temperature in Australia has increased by around 1°C due to climate change and the burning of fossil fuels.

(Climate Council)

The burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), which are the greatest sources of Australian energy, has had a direct impact on Australia’s climate. Their burning contributed to Australia’s average winter temperature rising by around 1°C in the last 110 years. 

5. In 2017, the Australian electricity sector was the one responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions. 

(Climate Council) (Clean Energy Council)

2021 reports show that the percentage of greenhouse gas emissions is expected to drop, as  Australians largely seem to be turning towards using renewable sources of energy. However, in 2017, Australia’s electricity sector was responsible for 35% of the total number of greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy Usage Statistics

6. In 2019-20, oil was the greatest source of primary energy consumption in Australia.

As expected, oil remained Australia’s largest source of primary energy consumption, at 37% of the total.

7. In 2021, electricity usage across Australia was estimated to be around 188.6 terawatt-hours.

(Statista)

When it comes to electricity usage in Australia, the country consumed around 188.6 TWh in 2021, which is a significant decline compared to the previous year, when Australians consumed a total of 251.35 TWh in electricity. Amongst these numbers, it’s good to know that renewable energy pushed down electricity prices in Australia sometime in September 2021.

8. Australia creates $324 million in GDP for every petajoule of energy consumed.

This is over $50 million more than it was a decade ago. Australia now uses 17% less energy per dollar of economic output and 11% less energy per person than it did 10 years ago.

9. An Australian study showed that 45% of participants would reduce their energy use during the hot periods, even without a financial incentive.

(Energy Consumers Australia)

The participants also stated these appliances help them control their energy costs:

  • A smart thermostat (88%)
  • A home energy management system (86%)
  • Other smart control devices (84%)
  • A standalone digital voice assistant (78%)
  • Digital/smart metre (51%)

AU Renewable Energy Statistics

10. Thanks to renewable energy, Australia has one of the lowest electricity prices in the world.

(ABC News)

An average residential bill in 2020-2021 was $1,434, which is 8% lower than the year before.

11. The main source of renewable energy was wind, making up over 35% of the total share.

(Clean Energy Council)

These technology types formed the renewable generation in AU in 2020:

  • Wind (35.9%)
  • Small-scale solar (23.5%)
  • Hydro (23.3%)
  • Large-scale solar (10.9%)
  • Bioenergy (5%)
  • Medium-scale solar (1.4%)

12. Tasmania is the country’s leader when it comes to renewable energy.

This state produced more renewable energy than it consumed. The percentage of penetration of renewables by state looks like this:

  • Tasmania – 99.2%
  • South Australia – 59.7%
  • Victoria – 27.7%
  • Western Australia – 24.2%
  • New South Wales – 21%
  • Queensland – 16.6%
  • Northern territory – n/a

13. Around 60% of Aussies think new-build rentals should have solar installed, one study showed.

Moreover, 73% support the Government in installing solar panels on housing, both public and community.

COVID-19 Impact on Australia’s Energy Supply Statistics

14. One study from Australia showed that almost 50% of all participants were concerned about paying their bills since the pandemic started.

Moreover, 73% of participants named electricity bills their top concern as a cause of COVID-19.

15. Data from 2021 show that Australian gasoline imports fell by 42% MOM and almost 5% YOY due to COVID-19 restrictions.

(S&P Global Commodity Insights)

However, due to the loosening of restrictions, the gasoline demand in Australia is expected to grow by 5% in Q1 2022.

16. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, residential energy consumption in Australia grew, and business energy consumption dropped.

(KPMG)

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the growth of residential energy consumption, which rose by 24%. However, it also caused a decrease in business energy consumption, since most businesses were at least temporarily closed. This caused a 13% drop in energy consumption in small businesses, and 9% in large businesses.

Who is the best energy provider in Australia?

17. When it comes to electricity providers, Enova Energy has the best overall score of 86%.

(CHOICE)

The other best-rated providers are:

  • 85% AGL
  • 85% Energy Locals
  • 85% Powerdirect
  • 84% Quenergy
  • 84% Covau

18. According to customer reviews, Kleenheat was the best energy provider in Australia in 2021.

(Product Review)

Other than that, the following providers are also among the Aussies’ favourites:

  • Enova Community Energy
  • CovaU
  • Click Energy
  • Energy Locals

Bottom Line

In the next few years, we can expect some big changes in the Australian energy sector. With renewables on the rise, coal-fired power stations shutting down, and a growing population, it will be interesting to see how the energy landscape shifts over the coming years.

We’ve outlined some key Australia energy statistics that will help you make more informed decisions about your energy consumption. Happy saving!

  • ABC News
  • CHOICE
  • Clean Energy Council
  • Clean Energy Council
  • Climate Council
  • Climate Council
  • Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
  • Enerdata
  • Energy Consumers Australia
  • International Energy Agency
  • KPMG
  • Product Review
  • S&P Global Commodity
  • Insights
  • Statista