Unexpected High Electricity Bill during International Trip

[GeorgeZ]

Hi AGL Support,

I have recently received an electricity bill of approximately $513 for 1,021 kWh of usage during the Apr-Jul 2026 billing period. This amount appears unusually high compared with my normal electricity consumption.

I live alone in a unit, and my typical quarterly electricity usage is approximately 400–600 kWh. However, I was overseas for 30 days during this billing period and was not in Queensland. Despite this, the usage data appears to show several hundred kilowatt-hours of electricity consumption while I was away.

Before leaving, I switched off most electronics and power points in the unit. I have also previously measured the electricity consumption of the appliances in my home, and their power usage appeared to be within normal ranges.

I have submitted a manual meter reading through the AGL website, but this did not significantly change the bill. The meter reading itself also appears to indicate an increase of approximately 1,000 kWh since the previous quarter.

Given my usual consumption and the period during which the property was unoccupied, I am concerned that there may be an issue with the meter or an unauthorised connection to my electricity supply.

I have postponed the bill at this moment. Is there anything else I can do with that?

[ChrisE_AGL · Accepted solution]

Hi GeorgeZ,

I can understand the concern about getting a higher-than-expected bill. 

If you have a digital meter, we'll be able to take a look at the break down of when our usage was done, this is also visible on the AGL App or your My Account. As you mention that you provided a meter read this is unlikely, and as the bill didn't change much it would indicate that any discrepancy that was there was corrected with the meter reading you provided.

We have our Help Article on unexpected high bills on our website as there can be multiple factors that can contribute to this. 

I'm also going to send you a Private Message to collect information to look into this further for you. 

Thank you, Chris