From 1 July, households in Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia with a smart meter can opt into the Solar Sharer offer, providing three free hours of electricity daily. The free power period runs from 11am to 2pm in NSW and Queensland, and from noon to 3pm in South Australia. A daily cap of 24kWh applies, which the Australian Energy Regulator says is equivalent to a day's usage for a five-person household. Any usage above that amount will be charged.
What is the Solar Sharer offer?
Solar Sharer is a government-regulated energy offer that energy companies must provide in the three states from 1 July. Victoria will have a similar scheme, the Midday Power Saver, from 1 October. Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated that the scheme allows more households to benefit from Australia's cheap and plentiful solar energy, regardless of whether they have solar panels. "When the sun is shining at its brightest and power is negative or at its cheapest, then consumers, whether they have solar panels or not, whether they be renters or not, should be able to benefit from that," Bowen said.
Who can access Solar Sharer?
Customers need a smart meter to opt in. Homes without one can typically request a free installation from their retailer. Retailers with fewer than 1,000 customers are not required to offer the deal. It is not available in other states or territories, nor to customers on embedded networks (private electricity systems in some apartment blocks, retirement villages, or shopping centres).
Who will benefit most?
The Australian Energy Council says Solar Sharer is most useful for households with batteries, electric vehicles, or large shiftable loads. It may also suit people who work from home. Renew, a not-for-profit advocating sustainable living, advises filling home batteries, topping up electric cars, and programming hot water systems to run during the free window. "Run your heating or cooling during those hours to pre-heat or pre-cool your home. This way you’ll use far less power later in the day," the organisation says. They also recommend using timers for dishwashers, dryers, and washing machines.
Will Solar Sharer reduce bills?
Solar Sharer is part of the default market offer framework, acting as a benchmark price rather than a competitive plan. Retailers may charge higher rates outside the free window to recoup costs. Energy Consumers Australia (ECA) supports the scheme but warns customers must understand the trade-offs. "We don’t want to have people signing up to these plans assuming it will decrease their bills, when in fact it could do the opposite," ECA says. Independent energy consultant Tim Forcey notes that simply running appliances during the day may not be enough. "People need to assess if they can get their money’s worth during the free period," he says, as they may end up paying more at other times.
Broader grid benefits
The regulator says shifting demand to the middle of the day could lower electricity system costs for all consumers by reducing the need for generation and infrastructure to meet evening peaks.
Other ways to save
Many retailers already offer free power period plans, such as GloBird Energy's Four4Free and AGL's Three for Free plan in South Australia. An AGL spokesperson says, "The common thread across all of these products is giving customers more control and more ways to lower their bills." The regulator encourages consumers to shop around and check if they are on their retailer's best plan, as retailers must notify customers every 100 days if a better plan is available. Federal and Victorian government comparison sites can help find the cheapest deal. With many retailers updating plans after 1 July, it is a good time to compare offers.
