You may have heard that smart meter customers in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia can access three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day. It’s called the Solar Sharer Offer. It’s thanks to Aussies taking up rooftop solar – but it has meant we now have too much of a good thing.
The Victorian State Government has announced a similar offer available later in the year called the Midday Power Saver.
When does it start?
If you live in New South Wales, Queensland or South Australia, you’ll be able to start saving with the Solar Sharer Offer on 1 July. Victorians, you can take up the Midday Power Saver offer on 1 October.
Solar Sharer Offer
What time is the free power window?
Eligibility
If you’re a residential customer in New South Wales, Queensland or South Australia, and you’ve got a smart meter, you tick all the boxes.
Please note that Momentum currently doesn’t sell to residential customers in the Ergon distribution zone in Queensland.
Is it right for me?
While free power sounds like a win, it may not be the right offer for every household. Before you rush to opt-in, it’s important to consider if you can realistically shift your usage to the midday window. If you opt-in and still run all your appliances outside the free-power-hours, it’s possible you’ll be paying a higher per kWh rate than your current tariff. There’ll also be a cap of 24kWh per day that you can use during the window.
Most households' average usage should be under this amount (the average 5+ person household uses this amount per day). But if your usage is higher than the cap, you’ll start being charged for it.
Daily supply and controlled load charges (if applicable) still apply during the free usage period.
How to make the most of the Solar Sharer Offer
Give your appliances a day job
Appliances count for a decent percentage of your energy usage. If you can get them running during the free period, you can maximise your savings.
Cleaning: Your dishwasher, washing machine and dryer usually have a timer, so you can set them to run if you’re not home.
Heating & cooling: If you can run your split system, the temperature can be maintained after the free window with good insulation.
Cooking: Bust out the slow cooker or make a few extra portions while it’s free to run your oven or electric cooktop.
Electric Vehicles: Got an EV? The free window is a great time to add a bit of extra juice. Just keep the daily 24kWh cap in mind if you’re running other appliances. Most EVs need more than 24kWh for a full charge, although most also take longer than 3 hours to charge completely (and you’ll be charged for any usage over the cap).