The Australian government has announced a new electricity initiative, the ‘Solar Sharer’ programme, which will provide households with free solar energy for at least three hours every day, regardless of whether they have rooftop solar panels.
The programme, which is set to launch in July of next year, will see energy firms offer free electricity to households when solar generation is at its peak, and will initially be available to all households in New South Wales, South-East Queensland, and South Australia, before a potential further rollout to other states in 2027.
In a statement, the government said that Solar Sharer is a ‘uniquely Australian’ solution that reflects the country’s ‘world-leading rooftop solar status’, with over four million installations in place across Australia.
This means that Australia has more rooftop solar capacity than the entire network of remaining coal fired power stations across the country, with solar generation regularly outstripping energy demand in the middle of the day.
Direct benefits
“Our Solar Sharer Offer means more Australians can be part of our world-leading rooftop solar take up,” commented Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen.
“People who are able to move electricity use into the zero cost power period will benefit directly, whether they have solar panels or not and whether they own or rent, and the more people take up the offer and move their use, the greater the system benefits that lower costs for all electricity users will be.”
DMO reform
In parallel, the government has announced plans to reform the Default Market Offer (DMO) framework, a pricing ‘safety net’ for consumers, to strengthen consumer protections and reduce unnecessary costs. A new objective will ensure the DMO delivers a ‘fair, trusted, and reasonably priced electricity option’, with marketing and competition-related costs to be reviewed or removed.
Bowen added that making daytime electricity free for households is proof that what is good for the planet can also be good for consumers’ pockets.
“Australians deserve a fairer go when it comes to their energy bills,” he said. “We’re getting on with delivering reform to ensure that no household or business pays more than they should. Reform to the DMO will strip out unnecessary costs and expand protections to all standing offer customers and small customers in embedded networks, including renters and apartment dwellers.”
Public consultation on the DMO reform is now open through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s consultation hub. Read more here.
Like this:
Like Loading…
Related