So the much awaited 3 hours of free power is finally available - but how can we access it, and who will get the most out of the Solar Sharer Offer?
The Solar Sharer Offer officially kicked off from the 1st July 2026 with the aim of lowering energy bills by providing 3 hours of free power to eligible households.
Solar Citizens has reviewed what’s on offer from electricity retailers and the disappointing news is that most of the Solar Sharer Offer plans set higher electricity prices outside the three free hours compared to their existing plans. This means you could end up paying more on their Solar Sharer Offer if you can’t shift your power use to within the free window.
The intention behind the Solar Sharer Offer was to help more Australians benefit from the abundance of cheap, clean solar energy already flowing through our electricity grid and utilise it when it’s being generated the most. In the middle of the day, millions of rooftop solar systems across the country generate more electricity than households are using, creating an excess of energy in the grid. Rather than letting this energy go to waste, the Solar Sharer Offer encourages households to shift their electricity use into these sunny hours, helping lower power bills, reduce demand during the expensive evening peak, and make better use of Australia's world-leading rooftop solar.
But in reality, it’s much harder to shift usage if you don’t work from home or have smart appliances. Experts are indicating that those who can shift their energy use into the free window AND charge a home battery or EV will benefit a lot from the Solar Sharer Offer. Even if you're not on the Solar Sharer Offer, having more households use electricity when solar is most abundant reduces pressure on the grid and helps lower wholesale electricity prices for everyone.
Here’s what you need to be eligible to access the Solar Sharer Offer:
- Live in the Default Market Offer areas which are New South Wales, South East Queensland and South Australia (NSW and SE QLD free electricity hours are 11am - 2pm, SA is 12pm - 3pm)
- Have a smart meter
- Opt-in via your energy provider
- Are not on an embedded network
- You are the one paying your energy bill (you can be renting, a public housing resident or homeowner)
- With or without rooftop solar, this offer is open to everyone
Making the most of Solar Sharer Offer
The key to benefitting from the Solar Sharer Offer is shifting as much of your electricity use as possible into the free three-hour window. This might mean setting timers on appliances like: your washing machine; dryer; dishwasher, or air conditioning, before you leave for the day, so they run during the free period.
If you're at home, try to use higher-energy appliances during those three hours instead.
There is a daily limit of using 24kwh of power within the three free hours, which the AER estimates is the daily usage of a 5 person household. After this amount, households will have to start paying for power within these three hours.
The image below was provided by the Australian Government to give individuals an idea of which appliances are the most energy intensive so you can plan your usage accordingly.
Source - Australian Energy Regulator Solar Sharer Offer Factsheet
This graph provided by the Australian Government gives an idea of the changes a household can make to shift their energy usage into the three hours.
Source - Australian Energy Regulator Solar Sharer Offer Factsheet
Issues raised and addressed
In June, we surveyed our supporters to understand how familiar they were with the Solar Sharer Offer (Solar Sharer Offer), whether they planned to explore the offer for themselves, and what questions they had about eligibility, savings and how the scheme works.
More than 30% of respondents had not heard of the Solar Sharer Offer before taking our survey. Despite this, 66% said they were likely or very likely to learn more about the program.
The biggest issues of concern were:
- Lack of clear information from both the Federal Government and energy retailers about how the offer works,
- Unsure how to access a smart meter,
- Concern about electricity costs outside the three free hours.
Before the Solar Sharer Offer launched on 1 July, we contacted five energy retailers to compare their upcoming plans. None were able to provide a Solar Sharer Offer plan or enough information for consumers to compare it with existing energy plans. Most retailers saved this information until after the launch date.
EnergyAustralia's Solar Sharer Offer plan is still unavailable, and may not be released until September—two months after the program officially began. Energy Minister Chris Bowen has threatened regulatory action against them for failing to comply.
Thanks to the questions and experiences you shared, we took your concerns directly to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and Minister Bowen's office. Together, we pushed for clearer answers on how the Solar Sharer Offer works. Based on their responses, Solar Citizens can now confirm:
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Renters can request a smart meter and access the Solar Sharer Offer without their landlord's permission, provided they are the bill payer and have direct contact with their energy retailer.
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Public housing residents can access a smart meter and the Solar Sharer Offer if they are the bill payer and meet the eligibility requirements.
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The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has made materials to support energy retailers to create a Solar Sharer Offer plan and will hold them accountable to do so.
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The Solar Sharer Offer is now on the Energymadeeasy.gov.au website.
Share your experience with us
We want to keep investigating people’s experiences with the Solar Sharer Offer - if you've had trouble accessing the Solar Sharer Offer, or if you decide to switch to an Solar Sharer Offer plan, we'd love to hear from you.
Share your Solar Sharer Offer Experience
The Solar Sharer Offer is on the right track - the more people who shift their energy use from the evening peak to the middle of the day when solar power is flooding the grid, the more downward pressure there will be on overall electricity prices and the better it will be for the grid.
But for more Australians to experience the benefits of lower priced clean energy, we need to go further.
If all households, including renters, had access to rooftop solar and home batteries, they could benefit from cheap, clean energy every day.
Right now, millions of renters are locked out of these benefits.
Sign our Unlock Solar for Renters petition and help make cheap, clean energy accessible to everyone.
Sign the petition
Have more questions? Take a look at our Solar Sharer Offer FAQ