Household bills · 1 min read

bill shock survival guide for rate rises

A month-by-month checklist for your mortgage, power, internet and mobile, so rate rises and price hikes don't catch you off guard.

By Agent Bill team · 4 November 2026

Agent Bill banknote sticker beside the headline: bill shock? the survival guide, for rate rises and price hikes

When rates or prices go up, every bill feels it. We wrote about what you can actually do when interest rates rise. This is the practical bit.

One bill a month. Six months. Then you're sorted.

your month-by-month checklist

Month 1: mortgage

Call your lender and ask for a rate review. Or consider a broker: brokers facilitated a record 81.6% of new home loans in the June 2026 quarter, according to the MFAA. (We don't compare home loans ourselves.)

Month 2: power

Check how old your plan is. Households on the same plan 3+ years pay $221 a year more on average, according to the ACCC. Then ask your retailer for their best offer: the ACCC found an average $291 available just by moving to it.

How to pick a power plan

Month 3: internet

On the same plan 3+ years? 43% of Aussies are, according to WhistleOut. Run the NBN check.

Run the NBN check

Month 4: mobile

Compare what you pay with what you use. Finder estimates the average spend is $54 a month, vs about $42 for a plan covering typical use.

Haggle scripts

Month 5: gas

Check your usage rate and daily supply charge. Ask your provider whether there's a better offer for your household, and check when any discount ends.

Month 6: subscriptions

Run the subscription audit. Two minutes, one cuppa.

Run the subscription audit

Then: repeat every year

Do it again each year, a few weeks before your renewals come up.

quick wins this week

Run the subscription audit and cancel one thing you forgot about.
Check your power plan's age. If it's 3+ years old, use our haggle scripts to ask for a better offer.
Pop your numbers into the loyalty tax calculator. Then try the NBN check.