Solar Sharer and Midday Power Saver calculator
By Sithum Imarsha Last reviewed
Is 3 hours of free power worth it for your home? Only if you move use into the free hours. The AER and the ESC priced these plans so a home that changes nothing pays about what it pays on the time-of-use default. In the example below (Ausgrid, 3 people, flat default offer) the Solar Sharer costs $33 less a year if nothing moves, and $127 less a year once the dishwasher runs at midday.
Your result
The free plan costs
$127 lessa year
$2,711 your plan − $2,584 Solar Sharer, Ausgrid
Switch: the Solar Sharer plan costs less for this home. You move 0.5 kWh a day into the free hours, out of hours that cost about 51.63c a kWh on this plan.
- If you change nothing
- $33 less a year. About the same by design: the plan is priced to match the time-of-use default for a home that changes nothing. Your flat plan differs a little.
- Break-even move
- None: it costs no more as it is
- Moved to the free hours
- 0.5 kWh a day
- Solar in the free hours
- — kWh a day of your use
- Without the battery
- — a year
- Without the EV
- — a year
- Over the daily cap
- — kWh a day at 27.56c/kWh
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Midday Power Saver. —
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How we calculated this
Split your day into the plan's hours
A typical home's use, split over the clock the way the regulators measured it: the AER's half-hour usage pattern for NSW, south-east Queensland and SA, and the ESC's shares for Victoria. The free hours, the peak hours and the rest of the day each get their share of it.
17.4 kWh a day (AER benchmark, Sydney, 3 people): 12.8% in the free hours, 33.2% in the peak hours
Move the loads you chose
Each load you move leaves its hours and lands in the free hours. We price the same home on both plans, so a move you would make anyway is not credited to the switch.
0.5 kWh a day from the peak hours
Solar, battery and EV
Solar covers your use in the free hours first, on both plans, up to 93% of it (the Sydney median); what is left over is exported and earns each plan's feed-in. A battery charges from the cheapest energy it can get: on the free plan, free grid power up to the 24 kWh cap left after your other use, then the cheapest other band or the over-cap rate. It charges only where that pays after losses, and covers the dearest hours first. An EV charges in the free hours on days it is home (up to charger kW × 3 hours), and overnight otherwise.
2.7 kWh a day in the free hours, 2.7 kWh from the grid; battery supplies — kWh a day on the free plan, — on yours
Price each plan
Yearly cost = supply × 365 + each hour's kWh × its rate × 365 − solar exported in the free hours × the plan's feed-in × 365. In the free hours the first 24 kWh a day cost nothing; the rest is charged at the over-cap rate.
Yours: 33.14c/kWh, 166.23c a day. Free: 176.41c a day; peak 63.72c, off-peak 27.56c; free 11am to 2pm up to 24 kWh a day, then 27.56c
The gap
Your plan − the free plan, a year.
$2,711 − $2,584: the free plan costs $127 less
Break-even
With nothing moved, no battery and no EV, the gap ÷ 365 ÷ what 1 kWh moved from the peak is worth (the free plan's peak rate, less what the same move saves on your plan).
Change nothing: $33 less. 1 kWh moved is worth 51.63c, so break-even is 0 kWh a day
| Your plan | Free plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Supply charge | $607 | $644 |
| Peak hours | $639 | $995 |
| Other hours | $1,137 | $945 |
| Free hours | $329 | $0 |
| Solar feed-in credit (free hours) | $0 | $0 |
| Over the daily cap | $0 | |
| A year | $2,711 | $2,584 |
| Network | Free hours | Supply | Other rates | Over the cap | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid (Solar Sharer) | 11am to 2pm | 176.41c | Peak 63.72c (3pm to 9pm, Nov to Mar and Jun to Aug); Off-peak 27.56c (all other times) | 27.56c | Official source |
| Endeavour Energy (Solar Sharer) | 11am to 2pm | 185.14c | Peak 48.75c (4pm to 8pm, working weekdays); Off-peak 37.53c (2pm to 4pm and 8pm to 10am; weekends 2pm to 10am); Solar soak 14.19c (10am to 11am) | 14.19c | Official source |
| Essential Energy (Solar Sharer) | 11am to 2pm | 272.22c | Peak 45.57c (7am to 10am and 3pm to 10pm); Off-peak 27.6c (10am to 11am, 2pm to 3pm, 10pm to 7am) | 27.6c | Official source |
| Energex (Solar Sharer) | 11am to 2pm | 177.85c | Peak 48.9c (4pm to 9pm); Off-peak 8.1c (2pm to 4pm); Shoulder 26.41c (9pm to 11am) | 8.1c | Official source |
| SA Power Networks (Solar Sharer) | 12pm to 3pm | 180.05c | Peak 58.84c (6am to 10am and 4pm to 12am); Off-peak 35.17c (12am to 6am); Solar soak 19.66c (10am to 12pm and 3pm to 4pm) | 19.66c | Official source |
| AusNet Services (MPS) | 11am to 2pm | 128.24c | Peak 49.82c (4pm to 9pm); Solar soak 19.76c (2pm to 4pm); Off-peak 24.78c (9pm to 11am) | 19.76c | Official source |
| CitiPower (MPS) | 11am to 2pm | 121.14c | Peak 40.36c (4pm to 9pm); Solar soak 18.64c (2pm to 4pm); Off-peak 23.22c (9pm to 11am) | 18.64c | Official source |
| Jemena (MPS) | 11am to 2pm | 127.12c | Peak 39.75c (4pm to 9pm); Solar soak 19.83c (2pm to 4pm); Off-peak 23.94c (9pm to 11am) | 19.83c | Official source |
| Powercor (MPS) | 11am to 2pm | 138.05c | Peak 43.81c (4pm to 9pm); Solar soak 19.39c (2pm to 4pm); Off-peak 24.62c (9pm to 11am) | 19.39c | Official source |
| United Energy (MPS) | 11am to 2pm | 119.12c | Peak 42.45c (4pm to 9pm); Solar soak 19.39c (2pm to 4pm); Off-peak 24.27c (9pm to 11am) | 19.39c | Official source |
Solar Sharer rates are the AER's DMO 8 caps, from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Every major retailer's Solar Sharer usage rates sat at the caps in Energy Made Easy data on 24 September 2026. Victorian rates are the ones in the Midday Power Saver Pricing Order 2026 (Victoria Government Gazette S 498, 8 September 2026), for 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027. The free hours follow the local clock and do not move with daylight saving. Up to 24 kWh a day is free. Controlled load is never free.
| Network | Flat | Time of use | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | 33.14c, 166.23c a day | peak 60.2c, other 24.04c; 176.41c a day | Official source |
| Endeavour Energy | 33.73c, 185.14c a day | peak 46.91c, midday 12.35c, other 35.69c; 185.14c a day | Official source |
| Essential Energy | 35.01c, 272.22c a day | peak 42.12c, other 24.14c; 272.22c a day | Official source |
| Energex | 27.97c, 192.02c a day | peak 47.79c, midday 6.98c, other 25.3c; 177.85c a day | Official source |
| SA Power Networks | 41.91c, 180.05c a day | peak 56.22c, midday 17.04c, other 32.55c; 180.05c a day | Official source |
| AusNet Services | 31.98c, 128.24c a day | peak 47.64c, midday 17.59c, other 22.6c; 128.24c a day | Official source |
| CitiPower | 25.96c, 121.14c a day | peak 38.31c, midday 16.59c, other 21.17c; 121.14c a day | Official source |
| Jemena | 27.47c, 127.13c a day | peak 37.57c, midday 17.65c, other 21.76c; 127.12c a day | Official source |
| Powercor | 28.22c, 138.05c a day | peak 41.67c, midday 17.26c, other 22.49c; 138.05c a day | Official source |
| United Energy | 27.35c, 119.12c a day | peak 40.32c, midday 17.26c, other 22.14c; 119.12c a day | Official source |
| Network | Free hours | Peak hours | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | 12.8% (our maths) | 33.2% (our maths) | Derived from the AER DMO 2026–27 determination, s.6(2) pattern of supply: 3pm to 9pm |
| Endeavour Energy | 13% (our maths) | 23.9% (our maths) | Derived from the AER DMO 2026–27 determination, s.6(2) pattern of supply: 4pm to 8pm |
| Essential Energy | 12.5% (our maths) | 51.5% (our maths) | Derived from the AER DMO 2026–27 determination, s.6(2) pattern of supply: 7am to 10am and 3pm to 10pm |
| Energex | 13.8% (our maths) | 29% (our maths) | Derived from the AER DMO 2026–27 determination, s.6(2) pattern of supply: 4pm to 9pm |
| SA Power Networks | 13.3% (our maths) | 51.4% (our maths) | Derived from the AER DMO 2026–27 determination, s.6(2) pattern of supply: 6am to 10am and 4pm to 12am |
| All five Victorian networks | 11% (official) | 29% (official) | ESC Midday Power Saver Technical Paper Table 3 (AEMO domestic load data 2022-23 to 2024-25), read via a Wayback copy of 1 June 2026 |
Every share comes from a regulator's measured pattern: for the Solar Sharer networks, the AER's half-hour usage pattern (DMO 8, Appendix C), the one it prices the default offers with; for Victoria, the ESC's shares. It is an average of all homes, so type your own peak share in the advanced settings if your bill shows it. A time-of-use plan you type is priced on the network default's bands: the same peak hours, days and months. Solar counts only in the free hours (1.5 kWh a day per kW in Sydney, from Ausgrid solar home data, scaled by CER zone). Feed-in defaults: our state default for your plan, and 3c for the free plan (our pick from the Solar Sharer plans on Energy Made Easy); both are estimates to replace with yours.
Sources
- AER: Default market offer 2026–27 determination (Federal Register of Legislation, F2026L00643)
- Federal Register of Legislation: Electricity Retail Regulations 2019, s.11A (the 24 kWh cap)
- AER: Default market offer 2026–27 final determination (DMO 8)
- AER: Solar Sharer Offer fact sheet (May 2026)
- AER: Default market offer 2026–27 information kit
- energy.gov.au: Solar Sharer Offer
- Victorian Government: Victorian Midday Power Saver Pricing Order 2026 (Gazette S 498, 8 September 2026)
- Essential Services Commission: Victorian Midday Power Saver
- Essential Services Commission: Victorian Midday Power Saver technical paper (read via a Wayback copy)
- Essential Services Commission: Midday Power Saver tariffs, 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027
- Essential Services Commission: Victorian Default Offer
- Victorian Government: Victorian Midday Power Saver
- Ausgrid: Solar home electricity data 2012-13 (archived copy)
Free hours, paid for by the other hours
The Solar Sharer Offer (NSW, south-east Queensland and SA, from 1 July 2026) and Victoria’s Midday Power Saver (from 1 October 2026) give you 3 hours of free power a day. They are not a gift. The regulators started from the time-of-use default offer, made the 3 hours free, and spread the cost over every other hour:
- Supply charge: unchanged from the time-of-use default.
- Every other rate: up by 1 to 4c/kWh (for example +3.52c in Ausgrid, +1.12c in Energex).
- Load shift assumed: none. The AER and the ESC both priced the plans for a home that changes nothing.
So a typical home that changes nothing pays about the same as on the time-of-use default. The AER’s own example: $1,893 a year in Ausgrid on both plans, at 3,900 kWh.
Where the saving comes from
The saving is the kWh you move into the free hours, times the rate of the hour it left. Moving 1 kWh a day from the Ausgrid evening peak saves up to 63.72c a day. Moving it from overnight saves much less. Good candidates are anything on a timer: the dishwasher, the dryer, a pool pump, or electric hot water on the normal meter.
Hot water on a controlled load (a separate off-peak meter) does not count. Controlled load is never free on these plans.
Batteries, solar and EVs
- A battery without solar gains most. It can fill up with free power at midday (up to its charge power × 3 hours) and run the house in the evening. See what size battery you need.
- Solar homes gain least. In Sydney data, a 6.6 kW system already covers about 93% of a home’s use from 11am to 2pm. Free grid power helps only with new load your panels cannot cover, while every other hour costs more.
- An EV gains if it is home at midday. A 7 kW charger can put about 21 kWh in over 3 hours. Compare it with petrol in the EV charging cost calculator.
The 24 kWh cap
Only the first 24 kWh a day in the free hours is free. The rest costs the network’s over-cap rate: 8.1c (Energex) to 27.6c (Ausgrid, Essential) on the Solar Sharer, and at most the solar soak rate in Victoria. It only matters when a battery and an EV both charge at midday.
Before you switch
- Compare supply charges. The free plan’s supply charge is the time-of-use default’s, often higher than a market plan’s. Work out your own rates with the price per kWh calculator.
- Check your peak hours. They can be longer than on your current plan.
- Set your timers to local time. The free hours do not move with daylight saving.
- Check your own bill with Energy Made Easy, or Victorian Energy Compare in Victoria.
- Rates reset every 1 July. The regulators may add a load-shift assumption next year, which would raise the other rates.
Questions
What is the Solar Sharer Offer?
A regulated opt-in plan in NSW, south-east Queensland and SA, from 1 July 2026. You get up to 24 kWh a day free from 11am to 2pm (12pm to 3pm in SA). You still pay the daily supply charge. Retailers with more than 1,000 customers must offer it. You need a smart meter; you do not need solar.
When did Victoria's Midday Power Saver start and what are the hours?
It started on 1 October 2026. Free power from 11am to 2pm every day, all year, on all five Victorian networks, up to 24 kWh a day. No exit fees. Ask your retailer for it.
Is Solar Sharer worth it?
Only if you move use into the free hours. The AER set the prices so a home that changes nothing pays the same as on the time-of-use default offer, and every other rate goes up 1 to 4c/kWh. Each kWh you move from the evening saves the peak rate (up to 63.72c in Ausgrid).
Is it worth it with a battery?
Most for a battery without solar: it can charge free at midday and run the house at night. With solar, your panels already cover most midday use (about 93% for a 6.6 kW system in Sydney data), so the gain is small.
What happens if I use more than 24 kWh in the free hours?
You pay for the extra at a low rate: from 8.1c (Energex) to 27.56c (Ausgrid, Essential) a kWh on the Solar Sharer, or at most the solar soak rate in Victoria. Controlled-load hot water is not free at any time. The free hours follow the local clock, so daylight saving does not move them.