NSW Solar Sharer Offer

The NSW Solar Sharer Offer is a new electricity plan designed to help households use more of the cheap solar energy already flowing through the grid in the middle of the day. It is being introduced as part of reforms to the Default Market Offer and is planned to be available from 1 July 2026 in New South Wales, as well as South Australia and South East Queensland.

For Sydney homeowners, this is a big topic because it could change the way homes think about daytime electricity use, solar, batteries and EV charging. But it is important to understand that the Solar Sharer Offer is not unlimited free electricity. It is an opt-in offer with a defined free-power window during the day, and the value

The Solar Sharer Offer requires retailers to make available a plan with at least 3 hours of free electricity in the middle of the day for households with smart meters. Customers on the offer will be able to access up to 24 kWh during that daily free window. The policy is designed to help households use more daytime renewable electricity while also improving overall grid efficiency.

The reason behind it is simple: Australia now has a huge amount of rooftop solar, and the grid often has abundant low-cost power in the middle of the day. The government says the offer is intended to

The current timetable is 1 July 2026, but the detailed tariff settings are still subject to the AER’s final decision. The AER released its draft Default Market Offer determination on 19 March 2026 and says the final determination will be published by 26 May 2026.

That matters because some of the finer details people are searching for right now are still based on the draft version, not the final regulated offer. So if you are writing this for the MPV Solar site, it is smart to frame the current settings as the latest official draft position rather than the last word.

Under the AER’s draft determination, the free-power period in NSW is set at 11am to 2pm each day. That is the current proposed window for households on the Solar Sharer Offer in New South Wales.

For households that are home during the day, or that can automate appliances, this could create a useful opportunity to run high-usage items like dishwashers, washing machines, pool pumps, hot water systems, EV chargers or batteries during the free period instead of later in the day. The government has specifically pointed to shifting appliance use, EV charging and hot water heating into the free window as examples of how households may save.

The offer is intended for households with smart meters, and it is available whether you own or rent your home. Importantly, you do not need to already have rooftop solar to access it. The government has said the free-power period will be available to homes with or without solar panels, which is part of the reason the policy has attracted so much attention.

That also means the NSW Solar Sharer Offer is not just a “solar household” policy. It is aimed more broadly at helping everyday households use power differently during the day.

The key thing homeowners need to understand is that the Solar Sharer Offer is not just extra free electricity added on top of a standard tariff. According to the AER’s draft determination, it has the same annual cost as the DMO Time of Use tariff, but includes free midday electricity and slightly higher prices outside that period, around 1 to 4 cents per kWh more at other times of the day.

So yes, there is a trade-off. If your household uses electricity at roughly average times and does not shift much usage into the free window, you may not see much advantage. If you can move flexible loads into the middle of the day, you are more likely to reduce your bill.

For Sydney households with solar, this offer does not make solar irrelevant. If anything, it reinforces how important smart energy use has become. Solar still helps reduce how much electricity you need to buy from the grid outside the free period, and a properly sized system can still deliver long-term bill savings across the whole day, not just between 11am and 2pm. This conclusion is an inference based on the structure of the offer and the fact that the free window only covers part of the day.

For many homes, the more important question will be how solar works together with battery storage, EV charging, and daytime appliance scheduling. The Solar Sharer Offer is really about load shifting. Homes that can adapt will be in the strongest position.

In many cases, yes. The Solar Sharer Offer focuses on the middle of the day, but most households still use a lot of power in the late afternoon and evening, when solar production drops and electricity demand rises. The government has also made clear that the free-power period can be used for charging home batteries, which means batteries can still play a valuable role in helping homes use cheaper energy later in the day.

For Sydney homeowners comparing solar-only against solar-plus-battery, the policy does not remove the need for good system design. It just makes usage timing even more important than before. This is an inference based on the offer’s daytime-only structure and the government’s stated focus on reducing evening peak demand.

Yes. The AER and the government have both highlighted electric vehicle charging as one of the clearest ways households may benefit from the free midday window. If your EV is at home during the day, or if your charging can be scheduled, the NSW Solar Sharer Offer could be particularly attractive.

This is one reason the policy matters for future-focused homes. For households considering solar + battery + EV charging, the Solar Sharer Offer strengthens the case for a more integrated setup rather than looking at each piece in isolation. This final point is an inference based on the uses the policy is designed to encourage.

Right now, the smartest move is not to chase the headline of “free electricity” and assume it will suit every household equally. The better approach is to look at your home’s real usage pattern: when you are home, when you use the most power, whether you already have a smart meter, and whether solar, a battery or EV charging would help you make better use of cheaper daytime energy.

For some homes, the NSW Solar Sharer Offer may be a handy way to save on daytime usage. For others, the bigger opportunity may still be a well-designed solar and battery system that cuts grid reliance across the full day. Either way, this policy is a strong sign that electricity pricing is moving toward smarter daytime use, not just lower overall consumption.

Not sure how the NSW Solar Sharer Offer fits with solar, battery storage or EV charging at your home?

Talk to MPV Solar for honest advice and a tailored system designed around the way your household actually uses power.