{"id":752029,"date":"2026-06-22T03:06:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T03:06:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/752029\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T03:06:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T03:06:12","slug":"3-hours-of-free-power-the-new-solar-sharer-offer-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/752029\/","title":{"rendered":"3 hours of free power? The new Solar Sharer Offer explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

The government\u2019s new plan promises free daily electricity \u2013 here’s what you need to know and watch out for.<\/p>\n

Last updated: 22 Jun 2026<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\"Model\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Fancy three hours of free electricity every day? Well, that\u2019s the \u2018offer\u2019 in the federal government\u2019s new Solar Sharer Offer (SSO), which starts on Wednesday 1 July.<\/p>\n

Designed to capitalise on Australia\u2019s daytime solar surplus, this new initiative\u00a0stipulates that electricity retailers must now offer at least one residential plan that includes three hours of free power daily, capped at 24 kilowatt-hours (kWh).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s available to home owners and renters alike, and you don\u2019t need your own solar panels or battery to opt in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s just one rather large catch at the moment\u2026<\/p>\n

The SSO only applies to some areas (for now)<\/p>\n

Before we all get too excited, the SSO will only be available to residents that live in New South Wales, South Australia and South East Queensland.<\/p>\n

Why? Because they are the areas covered by the Federal Government\u2019s Default Market Offer (DMO) framework, which is administered by the Australian Energy Regulator.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, there are plans to expand the SSO nationally at a later date<\/p>\n

Other states and territories are not part of the DMO and have their own systems (for a myriad of complicated historical reasons) so are not included.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, there are plans to expand the SSO nationally at a later date.<\/p>\n

Why is the Solar Sharer Offer being introduced?<\/p>\n

Australia is the world leader in rooftop solar generation, with the most installed solar capacity per capita and over four million photovoltaic (PV) systems now in operation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s great news for clean renewable energy use, but it\u2019s also resulted in a glut of surplus electricity being fed back into the grid during the day. <\/p>\n

\"\"A solar panel owner\u2019s app shows the daytime solar surplus (orange) going into the grid (blue).<\/p>\n

Residents with home batteries can store it for later, but currently a lot of this excess power is being under-utilised, with wholesale prices dropping very low or even into negative.<\/p>\n

By forcing retailers to give it away for free, the government aims to:<\/p>\n

make this glut available to everyone on an SSO plan<\/p>\n

encourage residents to shift their energy usage to these free windows, which will lower power bills<\/p>\n

reduce electricity demand on the grid at night, which will hopefully reduce peak prices over time<\/p>\n

ultimately share the benefits of the solar boom with more people (not just with those who can afford to install panels and batteries, which has been a criticism of the government rebates in the past).\u00a0<\/p>\n

.<\/p>\n

Why we’ve partnered with SolarQuotesWe’ve partnered with SolarQuotes to help you find and buy the right solar, battery, heat pump and EV charger. While we make money if you use SolarQuotes to find an installer, this doesn’t influence our ratings. 100% of the money we make goes directly back into our nonprofit mission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How do you get free electricity?<\/p>\n

To access the Solar Sharer Offer, you need to:<\/p>\n

live in NSW, South Australia or South East Queensland<\/p>\n

opt into a retailer\u2019s SSO plan \u2013 it\u2019s not automatic<\/p>\n

have a smart meter installed at home, as a SSO plan requires time-based billing \u2013 if you don\u2019t have one, talk to your energy retailer.<\/p>\n

\"\"You\u2019ll need a smart meter at home to join a Solar Sharer plan. Photo: Yourhome.gov.au<\/p>\n

When are the free power time periods?<\/p>\n

Calculated on peak solar generation for each region, the 3-hour free windows are:<\/p>\n

11am\u2013 2pm for NSW and SE Queensland<\/p>\n

12\u20133pm for South Australia\u00a0<\/p>\n

Catches to watch out for<\/p>\n

While free electricity sounds amazing, it\u2019s important to keep the following in mind and evaluate whether an SSO electricity plan works for you and your home.<\/p>\n

Remember, you\u2019ll still be paying daily connection fees, electricity charges outside the free window (such as peak, shoulder or controlled load rates) and any green-offset fees.<\/p>\n

Before you dive headlong into a SSO plan, it\u2019s vital to compare its rate charges against your current plan as they could actually be higher. <\/p>\n

Yes, you might enjoy three hours of power on the house, so to speak, but if you\u2019re paying more for peak rates or daily connection fees, you could be worse off when your bill rolls in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to do the maths first (as it is when considering any new plan).<\/p>\n

Is a Solar Sharer Offer plan right for you?<\/p>\n

Well, it depends \u2013 largely on the retail plan fees as discussed in the previous section, but also on how much you can practically shift your electricity consumption to these three-hour windows.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you can change your routine and run energy-hungry appliances such as dishwashers or washing machines, or charge your EV or e-bike, during the free-power window, you\u2019ll definitely benefit. Using timers and\/or smart appliance settings can also help \u2013 and save you \u2013 a lot.<\/p>\n

\"usingRunning a dishwasher in the day instead of at peak times can save you a lot of money over time.<\/p>\n

For example, a dishwasher uses around one kWh per cycle, on average. Run it with free power and it\u2019ll cost nothing, compared to a peak rate of, say, 35 cents per kWh at night (as an example). That might not seem like much a day, but over a year, you\u2019ll save $127.75 by running a dishwasher load during the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Of course, the big handbrake on time-shifting your energy use is if your work or other commitments mean you\u2019re not home much during the day. Yes, appliance timers are handy, but it\u2019s not the same as being home in person to fully optimise your energy use.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over a year, you\u2019ll save $127.75 by running a dishwasher load during the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a result, Solar Sharer plans will probably best benefit people who are retired, or at home working or on caring duties.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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