Key points
- Solar Sharer (SA, from 1 July 2026) gives free power from 12pm to 3pm. Victoria’s Midday Power Saver (from 1 October 2026) is free from 11am to 2pm. Both cap free use at 24 kWh a day.
- Both are opt-in, need a smart meter, and charge slightly more outside the free window: about 2.6c/kWh more in SA and 2c/kWh more in CitiPower’s area than the standard time-of-use caps.
- Rule of thumb: the plans beat a standard time-of-use default offer once roughly 11–13% or more of your daily use falls in the free window. Shifting evening use is where the real savings are.
- Solar-only homes that are out all day often gain little. Homes with an EV, a battery or flexible daytime loads gain the most.
Solar Sharer and Victoria’s Midday Power Saver both give you three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day, but whether they save you money depends on what happens in the other 21 hours. This guide compares the two schemes side by side, shows the break-even maths using the regulated price caps, and explains who should switch and who should stay put.
What are Solar Sharer and the Midday Power Saver?
Both are government-designed electricity plans built around a daily free usage period. They exist because rooftop solar floods the grid at midday, pushing wholesale prices down, while the evening peak keeps getting more expensive. Moving household use into the sunny hours helps the grid and, if you do it well, cuts your bill.
Solar Sharer is a federal scheme run through the Australian Energy Regulator’s Default Market Offer (DMO). It started on 1 July 2026 in South Australia, New South Wales and South East Queensland. Midday Power Saver is Victoria’s own version, set by the state government and Essential Services Commission, and started on 1 October 2026. You don’t need solar panels to join either one.
This guide is part of our complete guide to solar savings, feed-in tariffs and power bills. If you want the wider picture on export rates, see our explainers on SA feed-in tariffs in 2026 and Victoria’s feed-in tariff changes.
Solar Sharer vs Midday Power Saver: side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Solar Sharer (SA) | Midday Power Saver (VIC) |
|---|---|---|
| Start date | 1 July 2026 | 1 October 2026 |
| Free window | 12pm – 3pm local time, all year | 11am – 2pm, every day |
| Free usage cap | 24 kWh a day | 24 kWh a day |
| Who must offer it | Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in DMO regions | Retailers with 1,000 or more Victorian customers |
| Smart meter needed | Yes | Yes |
| How you join | Opt in with your retailer | Opt in with your retailer |
| Peak rate (maximum) | About 59c/kWh, 6am–10am and 4pm–midnight | 40.36c/kWh, 4pm–9pm (CitiPower area) |
| Other paid periods | About 20c (10am–12pm, 3pm–4pm); about 35c (midnight–6am) | 18.64c (2pm–4pm); 23.22c (9pm–11am) |
| Daily supply charge (maximum) | About $1.80 | $1.21 (CitiPower area) |
Prices include GST and are the maximum a retailer can charge as of October 2026. Retailers can charge less. Victorian caps differ in the Powercor, Jemena, United Energy and AusNet areas, so check your own distributor’s figures. In SA the free period stays at 12pm–3pm local time through daylight saving.
What’s the catch? Higher rates outside the free window
Three free hours have to be paid for somewhere. The AER says the first Solar Sharer Offer uses the same cost structure as the time-of-use default offer, with the revenue lost in the free period spread across the other usage charges. Victoria took the same approach.
Comparing the 2026–27 caps shows how much that costs:
- South Australia: the Solar Sharer peak, off-peak and solar soak caps are each about 2.6c/kWh higher than the standard time-of-use DMO caps (for example, a peak of 58.84c versus 56.22c). The supply charge is the same.
- Victoria (CitiPower area): each Midday Power Saver rate is about 2.05c/kWh higher than the equivalent Victorian Default Offer time-of-use rate (peak 40.36c versus 38.31c). The supply charge is the same.
So the plan wins when the free kilowatt-hours you use at midday are worth more than the small surcharge on everything else.
Is Solar Sharer worth it? The break-even maths
Here’s a simple way to test either plan against a standard time-of-use default offer, using the same habits on both.
- SA: each kWh you use from 12pm to 3pm saves about 17c (the solar soak rate you’d otherwise pay). Each kWh outside the window costs about 2.6c more. Break-even is when roughly 13% of your daily use falls in the free window.
- VIC (CitiPower): each free kWh saves about 16.6c, and each other kWh costs about 2c more. Break-even is roughly 11% of your daily use.
Worked example: an Adelaide household using 16 kWh a day
Assume no solar, a smart meter, and the maximum regulated rates.
| Scenario | Use 12pm–3pm | Use at other times | Daily result vs standard ToU offer | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No change in habits | 2 kWh | 14 kWh | Saves 34c, pays 37c extra | About $10 worse off |
| Shifts laundry, dishwasher and pre-cooling | 7 kWh | 9 kWh | Saves $1.19, pays 24c extra | About $350 better off |
The second household also saves money simply by moving 5 kWh out of the evening peak, which it could do on a normal time-of-use plan too. The free window adds a further 17c or so on every kilowatt-hour used there. Our guide to time-of-use tariffs and solar explains how those peak and off-peak windows work.
Tip: these figures compare against the regulated default offer. Many market offers are cheaper than the caps. Energy Consumers Australia warned in June 2026 that the Solar Sharer Offer can be dearer than competitive market plans, so compare it against your current deal, not just the default.
Who should switch, and who should think twice?
Likely winners
- EV owners who are home at midday. A 7 kW home charger can add roughly 20 kWh in three hours, close to the full 24 kWh cap. Read more about charging an EV with solar at home.
- Homes with a battery but a small or shaded solar system. On cloudy winter days you can top up the battery for free, then run the evening from storage instead of paying 40–59c peak rates.
- Renters and apartment dwellers without solar who work from home or can run appliances on timers.
- Households with flexible loads such as a pool pump, heat pump hot water or reverse-cycle air conditioning that can pre-heat or pre-cool.
Probably not worth it
- Solar homes without a battery that are empty all day. Your panels already cover most midday use, so free grid power adds little, while every evening kilowatt-hour costs more.
- Heavy evening users who can’t shift. The AER’s own fact sheet warns that a customer who shifts some use but increases evening use could end up with a higher bill.
- Anyone on a cheap flat-rate market offer. Peak rates of 40–59c hurt if most of your use is after dark.
Early results are mixed. An informal Australian Energy Council estimate in September 2026 put Solar Sharer sign-ups at about 10,000 customers, with only about half better off than their retailer’s best alternative offer.
What happens to my solar feed-in tariff?
The free-window plans are built around usage charges. The feed-in tariff is set separately by each retailer, and some free-power plans pay little or nothing for exports. If your panels export 15 kWh a day and you give up a 5c feed-in rate, that’s about 75c a day, or roughly $270 a year, which can wipe out the benefit.
The bigger issue for solar owners is that your own panels are already producing free power at midday. The plan only helps if you use more than your solar can supply in that window, for example by charging an EV or a battery. Most solar homes get more value from using more of their own solar power and from a battery than from free grid power. Our guide to whether a solar battery is worth it in 2026 runs those numbers.
How to sign up (and how to leave)
- Check you have a smart meter. Most Victorian homes already do. In SA, SA Power Networks is replacing legacy meters through to 2030, and retailers must arrange one on request.
- Download 12 months of usage data from your retailer or distributor and work out what share falls in the free window.
- Ask your retailer for its Solar Sharer or Midday Power Saver rates, including the supply charge, peak rate, feed-in tariff and the charge for use above 24 kWh in the free window.
- Compare on Energy Made Easy (SA) or Victorian Energy Compare (VIC) against your current plan.
- Review after one or two bills. Victorian retailers must confirm you can leave without an exit fee, and Solar Sharer is a standing offer with no lock-in contract.
Our Adelaide and Melbourne installers often look at these plans alongside battery quotes, because the two work best together. If you’re planning storage for solar in Adelaide or Melbourne, factor the free window into your battery sizing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need solar panels to get Solar Sharer or the Midday Power Saver?
No. Both plans are available to eligible residential customers with a smart meter, with or without solar. They were designed partly so renters and apartment dwellers can benefit from cheap midday solar on the grid. Embedded networks, such as some apartment blocks and caravan parks, are generally not covered.
What happens if I use more than 24 kWh in the free window?
Nothing dramatic. The first 24 kWh in the free window each day is free, and anything above that is charged at a set usage rate. In SA it’s called a reasonable usage charge, and in Victoria it may be charged at the solar soak rate. Most households never reach the cap unless they charge an EV.
Does the free period change during daylight saving?
In South Australia the Solar Sharer free period is fixed at 12pm to 3pm local time all year, so it moves with daylight saving from your point of view. Victoria’s Midday Power Saver runs from 11am to 2pm. Always check the times printed on your retailer’s plan.
Can I use free midday power to charge my home battery?
Yes, if your battery and inverter allow grid charging. Topping up from the grid in the free window and discharging in the evening peak can save 40–59c per kWh on cloudy days. Check the battery warranty and any virtual power plant terms first, as some limit grid charging.
Not sure whether a free-power plan, a battery or both makes sense for your home? Our team can look at your bills and usage. Explore our home and business battery systems or get a free quote.
Sources: AER – Solar Sharer Offer fact sheet (May 2026); AER – Default Market Offer 2026–27; Victorian Government – Victorian Midday Power Saver; Essential Services Commission – Victorian Default Offer 2026–27; SolarQuotes – Victoria’s Midday Power Saver (23 Sep 2026); RenewEconomy – Who should sign up for 3 hours of free power (29 Jun 2026). Rates are regulated maximums as of October 2026 and change each year; check your retailer’s current plan. Featured image: U.S. Department of Energy / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
