What the Solar Sharer Offer is
The Solar Sharer Offer is a federal scheme built into the Default Market Offer. Rooftop and large-scale solar now produce so much power around midday that wholesale prices often fall to zero or below. The offer passes that cheap power on to households by making a daily window free.
Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in each area must offer it. It is a standing offer, priced by the Australian Energy Regulator alongside the Default Market Offer.
Free hours and where it applies
Outside the free window, usage is charged at regulated time-of-use rates on the offer.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Start date | 1 July 2026 |
| Free window | 11am to 2pm in NSW and south-east Queensland, 12pm to 3pm in South Australia |
| Daily limit | 24 kWh of free usage a day |
| Who must offer it | Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in the area |
| Who can get it | Households with a smart meter who opt in. Small businesses and embedded network customers are not eligible. |
| Other prices | Time-of-use rates outside the free window, plus a daily supply charge |
Regional Queensland is outside the Default Market Offer. The Queensland Competition Authority sets a Solar Sharer price for regional customers instead. Victoria has its own version, the Midday Power Saver, from 1 October 2026.
Who the Solar Sharer Offer suits
Likely to save
- Someone is home during the day
- A battery that can charge for free at midday
- An EV that can charge between 11am and 3pm
- Pool pump, hot water or laundry on a timer
- Savings depend on keeping those habits
Best for: Flexible homes, battery owners and EV drivers.
Likely to pay more
- A flat rate plan is simpler
- Out all day with most usage after 4pm
- Little you can move into the free window
- Already on a cheap market offer
Best for: Stay on or compare flat rate market offers.
Solar homes: do the sums
Your panels already cover much of your midday usage, so free grid power may add little. The other prices and the feed-in rate on the offer matter more for you. Compare them with your current plan before switching.
How to get the Solar Sharer Offer
Check for a smart meter
Your bill shows your meter type, or ask your retailer. If you do not have one, you can ask for one. See our smart meter guide.
Look at when you use power
Your retailer can give you half-hourly data from your smart meter. The more you can move into the free window, the better.
Ask your retailer to switch you
Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in your area must offer it. Ask for the full price list, not just the free hours.
Compare with a market offer
Use Energy Made Easy to check whether a flat or time-of-use market offer would cost less for your usage.
Questions about the Solar Sharer Offer
A federal electricity offer that gives households at least three hours of free power in the middle of every day. It started on 1 July 2026 in NSW, south-east Queensland and South Australia, and is priced by the AER as part of the Default Market Offer.
From 11am to 2pm in NSW and south-east Queensland, and from 12pm to 3pm in South Australia, every day of the week. Free usage is capped at 24 kWh a day.
No. The name refers to sharing the cheap power that solar produces across the grid at midday. Any eligible household with a smart meter can opt in, with or without panels.
No. It covers the Default Market Offer areas only. Victoria has its own Midday Power Saver with free power from 11am to 2pm from 1 October 2026. In WA, Synergy sells its own Midday Saver plan with a cheap, not free, midday rate.
Only if you can move enough usage into the free window to outweigh the time-of-use prices at other times. Households that are home during the day, own a battery or charge an EV at midday tend to gain. Households that use most of their power in the evening may pay more.
No. Customers in embedded networks are not eligible, and neither are small businesses. It is for residential customers billed directly by an authorised retailer.
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.