Electricity, Gas & Water: Cost Forecasts

Latest Edition

NEXT EDITION DUE

June 2024

About the report

What is the outlook for costs in Australia’s electricity, gas and water sectors?

Will the elevated inflation persist, and for how long?

How strong will wage increases be, in operations and new construction?

How will cost escalation in each material type impact overall costs?

What will be the impact of commoditiy prices, shipping costs, exchaneg rates and equipment costs?

In one report, we provide comprehensive, detailed data and forecasts for all inputs to electricity, gas & water sector. This is an essential resource for all businesses operating in the utilities sector in Australia.

We provide cost indexes in both nominal and real terms. The data and forecasts in real terms follow the guidelines provided by regulators for the treatment of inflation.

The report coverage is outlined below:

Nominal and Real Cost Indexes, covering the following material categories:

  • Plastic pipe, conduit and fittings
  • Steel pipe & tube
  • Copper pipes
  • Iron & steel products
  • Fabricated metal products
  • Aluminium products
  • Wood poles
  • Concrete poles
  • Readymixed concrete
  • Sand & aggregate
  • Concrete pipes, fittings & culverts
  • Bolts, nuts & screws
  • Wire & spring
  • Electrical cable
  • Electrical lighting equipment
  • Other electrcial equipment
  • Taps & valves
  • Insulation
  • Paint
  • Chemical products
  • Rubber products

Nominal and Real Wages, covering the following segments:

  • Electricity, gas and water wages – by state and territory
  • Construction wages – by state and territory

Total Electricity Costs, including:

  • Macromonitor total input cost index
  • ABS total implicit price deflator for Non-Hydro Electricity Engineering Construction

Total Water & Wastewater Costs, including:

  • Macromonitor total input cost index
  • ABS total implicit price deflators for Sewerage, and for Dams

Total Gas Pipelines costs, including:

  • Macromonitor total input cost index
  • ABS total implicit price deflator for Gas Pipelines

As supporting information, and as important context to the outlook for costs, we also provide detailed information on the outlook for construction activity, including:

  • Ten years of forecasts for construction activity in each of the gas, water & wastewater and electricity sectors
  • Detailed breakdowns of activity by sub-sector and type of work (e.g. dams, treatment plants, distribution, transmission, renewals etc.)
  • Detailed lists of projects, with year-by-year assumed timing of each project
  • Data for all variables are broken down by each state and territory
  • Detailed historical data and ten years of forecasts