2026-27 rates are live. DMO, VDO and solar feed-in tariffs updated for July 2026. See what changed

Solar feed-in tariffs

Solar Feed-in Tariffs in Australia by State for 2026-27

What retailers pay for the solar power you send back to the grid in every state for 2026-27, where a regulated minimum still exists, and how to get more value from your panels as export rates fall.

Checked against regulator sources, October 2026

Highest regulated
18.66c
NT Super FiT, 3pm to 9pm
NSW benchmark
3.4-6.5c
IPART, all day
States with no minimum
3 + SEQ
VIC, SA, ACT and South East QLD
Regional QLD
6.006c
down 31% on 2025-26

Solar feed-in tariffs by state for 2026-27

Solar feed-in tariffs by state, 2026-27
StateRateType
Northern Territory9.33c at any time, or 18.66c for exports between 3pm and 9pm with a smart meter (Super FiT).9.33-18.66cRegulated rate
Western AustraliaSynergy DEBS buyback: 10c for exports between 3pm and 9pm, 2c at other times. Last confirmed by Energy Policy WA; check Synergy for any change.2-10cRegulated rate
TasmaniaRegulated minimum set each June by the Tasmanian Economic Regulator.9.276cRegulated rate
New South WalesIPART all-day benchmark range. A guide only: retailers set their own rate and are not required to stay inside it.3.4-6.5cBenchmark only
QueenslandRegulated rate for regional Queensland (Ergon area), down 31%. In South East Queensland retailers set their own rate.6.006cRegulated rate
VictoriaVictoria has had no regulated minimum feed-in tariff since 1 July 2025. Each retailer sets its own rate.Set by retailerNo minimum
South AustraliaSouth Australia has no regulated minimum feed-in tariff. Each retailer sets its own rate.Set by retailerNo minimum
Australian Capital TerritoryThe ACT has no regulated minimum feed-in tariff for new customers. Retailers set their own rate.Set by retailerNo minimum
Regulated or benchmark rates. Retailers can pay more on their own plans.

A regulated rate is a minimum your retailer must pay, or in the NT and WA the rate the government retailer pays. A benchmark is guidance only. Where there is no minimum, the rate is whatever your plan says, and some plans pay nothing at certain times of day.

How a feed-in tariff works

Your solar panels power your home first. Anything you are not using at that moment flows back into the grid through your meter, which records it as exports. Your retailer pays you for each exported kWh at the feed-in rate on your plan, and the credit comes off your bill.

Exporting 300 kWh in a quarter at 5c earns $15. Using that same 300 kWh yourself, instead of buying it from the grid at the Ausgrid reference rate of 33.14c, saves about $99. That gap is the single most important number for anyone with solar.

Why feed-in tariffs keep falling

Australia has more rooftop solar per person than almost anywhere. On sunny days it produces so much power at midday that wholesale prices drop very low, and sometimes below zero. Feed-in tariffs are meant to reflect what your exports are worth, so as midday power gets cheaper, so do the rates.

  • IPART lowered its NSW benchmark from 4.8 to 7.3c in 2025-26 to 3.4 to 6.5c in 2026-27.
  • The QCA cut regional Queensland's rate by 31%, from 8.66c to 6.006c.
  • Victoria stopped setting a minimum feed-in tariff from 1 July 2025.

Tasmania is the exception. Its regulated rate rose to 9.276c for 2026-27 because of higher wholesale costs, loss factors and market fees in its formula.

Flat versus time-varying feed-in tariffs

Flat feed-in tariff

  • Same rate whenever you export
  • Simple to compare
  • Usually low
  • No reward for evening exports

Best for: Homes without a battery and north-facing panels.

Time-varying feed-in tariff

  • Much higher evening rates
  • Rewards batteries and west-facing panels
  • Little or nothing at midday
  • Harder to predict

Best for: Homes with a battery or panels facing west.

In the Ausgrid area, IPART benchmarks exports between 4pm and 9pm at 17.2 to 18.7c, but exports between 10am and 3pm at 3.9 to 4c. See the full breakdown on our NSW feed-in tariff page.

Getting more from your solar

  1. Use more of it yourself

    Run the dishwasher, washing machine, pool pump and hot water heat pump during the day. Each kWh you use saves far more than it would earn as an export.

  2. Compare the whole plan

    A high feed-in rate often comes with higher usage rates. Price the plan on your own usage and exports, not the headline feed-in figure.

  3. Consider a battery

    A battery stores midday solar for the evening peak. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program takes roughly 30% off the cost of the first 14kWh.

  4. Look at free midday power

    The Solar Sharer Offer and Victoria's Midday Power Saver give free grid power in the middle of the day, which changes the maths for homes with and without solar.

Check your export limit

Many networks limit how much a home can export, especially on busy suburban streets and small grids. A bigger system does not always mean bigger credits if exports are capped.

Questions about solar feed-in tariffs

It depends on your state. The NT pays a regulated 9.33c/kWh, or 18.66c between 3pm and 9pm with a smart meter. Tasmania has a regulated 9.276c, regional Queensland 6.006c and WA pays 2c to 10c through the DEBS. IPART suggests 3.4 to 6.5c in NSW. Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and South East Queensland have no minimum.

The Northern Territory, where Jacana Energy pays 9.33c/kWh at any time and 18.66c for exports between 3pm and 9pm on its Super FiT. Tasmania's regulated 9.276c is next. In states without a minimum, some retailers pay more than these figures on specific plans, usually with higher usage rates.

Because there is so much solar on the grid at midday that wholesale power is worth very little at that time. Feed-in tariffs track what that exported power is worth. IPART cut its NSW benchmark from 4.8 to 7.3c in 2025-26 to 3.4 to 6.5c in 2026-27, and the QCA cut regional Queensland's rate by 31%.

For most homes, yes, but the value now comes from using your own solar rather than exporting it. Every kWh you use yourself avoids buying power at 25c to 42c, while exporting it earns only a few cents. Running appliances during the day and adding a battery both lift the return.

A feed-in tariff that pays different rates at different times of day. Most pay little or nothing at midday and more in the late afternoon and evening, when the grid needs power. It rewards west-facing panels and batteries that export after 3pm.

It can. The Solar Sharer Offer gives free grid power from 11am to 2pm, or 12pm to 3pm in SA, but plans can have different feed-in rates and other prices from your current plan. Compare the whole plan, including the feed-in rate, before you switch.

Households generally do not. GST only comes into it if you are registered for GST and export as part of a business. Jacana Energy, for example, notes that GST applies to its feed-in rates only for GST-registered ABN holders.

Sources

Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.