How much an extra adult really costs
According to the data, even a low-usage adult adds roughly 1,800 kWh to a household’s yearly consumption. At current SA rates, that’s in the ballpark of $436 extra per year.
Medium usage lifts that figure to nearly $700, and high-usage behaviour, the long showers, nightly gaming sessions and frequent appliance use, can push the cost towards $1,061 annually.
These routine habits often go unnoticed, but they are some of the biggest drivers of bill increases:
- Long hot showers can exceed $350 per year
- Kettles, lighting and other essentials can cost more than $550
- Gaming PCs and consoles can add up to $85 annually
- Air fryers average around $56 per appliance
- Even the humble clothes dryer, used sparingly, still contributes
While small electronics barely register on the bill, high-usage household activities accumulate fast.
SA vs the rest of Australia
The same scenario costs far less in other states. In Victoria, currently the cheapest state for electricity at around 26 cents per kWh, an extra adult adds about $586 to a home’s annual bill. Compared with South Australia, that’s around $423 in savings for the exact same behaviour.
This gap explains why many South Australian families feel their bills rising even when their routines haven’t changed.
Rising interest in storage as households look for control
As bills continue to climb, more families are exploring ways to stabilise costs and reduce reliance on the grid, particularly homes with multiple adults using a lot of power after sunset.
Local renewable energy company SunEnergy reports a steady increase in enquiries from families who already have solar but now want more control over their evening usage.
Storage is becoming a major part of that shift. Larger batteries, in particular, are attracting interest because of their ability to handle heavier household loads. The Hiconics 30kWh battery has been one of the standout options for big homes, offering enough capacity to cover most peak periods and limit exposure to SA’s premium electricity prices.
Combined with the federal Cheaper Home Batteries subsidy, the system has become an appealing choice for households trying to offset the extra energy consumption of adult children or additional family members.
Why your bill may feel higher than it used to
If your most recent bill felt unusually steep, the reason might be something simple: more people using more power in small, everyday ways that are easy to overlook.
In South Australia, where every kilowatt-hour costs significantly more, those small habits translate into bigger jumps on the bill, especially when multiplied across a household.
For families trying to understand their true usage or considering ways to bring bills under control, it’s worth taking a closer look at both consumption patterns and long-term energy solutions that reduce grid dependence.
What next
With prices continuing to climb and extra household usage becoming the new norm, more South Australians are looking for practical ways to protect themselves from ongoing bill shocks. Solar combined with a high-capacity battery, such as the Hiconics 30kWh system, is quickly becoming one of the most effective ways to stay ahead. If you’re considering a solution that gives your home more certainty and lower evening energy costs, SunEnergy can help you understand your options.
