Solar Sharer Plans Compared: Three Free Hours, At A Cost

From the start of this month, most energy retailers are required to offer plans offering three free hours of daytime electricity. We’ve put three Solar Sharer offers under the microscope to see the devil in the detail – just how much extra customers will be paying in daily supply charges and peak rates.

What Is The Solar Sharer Offer?

From 1 July 2026, retailers in New South Wales, South-East Queensland, and South Australia have to offer at least one plan with three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day. The free energy is capped at 24 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a day. Nobody’s forced onto it; you opt in.

The free window runs 11am to 2pm in NSW and South-East Queensland, and midday to 3pm in SA. You need a smart meter, but you don’t need solar panels. The offer is open to renters and non-solar households, too.

For more details on how the scheme works, check out our Solar Sharer explainer.

Three Solar Sharer Plans Compared

We’ve compared the Solar Sharer plans from AGL, Origin, and Red Energy with each company’s default plan for a Sydney address in postcode 2000 on the Ausgrid network (Origin is the owner of SolarQuotes, but has no involvement in our editorial content). We chose these companies as they are the most popular retailers in NSW with relevant plans (“big 3” retailer Energy Australia would have made the grade, but they failed to meet the government deadline to introduce a Solar Sharer plan).

We’re comparing the Solar Sharer deals with default plans for an even assessment across companies, but it’s worth noting that each retailer’s standing offer is not the best non-Solar Sharer deal available – it is just the offer that applies by default if you do not choose a plan, or if your old contract ends.

AGL: Solar Sharer Vs Residential Standing Offer

AGL Solar Sharer:

• Daily supply charge: 176.24 c/day
• Peak rate: 63.72 c/kWh
• Off-peak rate: 27.56 c/kWh
• Free window (first 24 kWh/day): 0.00 c/kWh
• Solar feed-in tariff: 0.0 c/kWh

AGL Residential Standing Offer:

• Daily supply charge: 166.19 c/day
• General use (single rate): 33.14 c/kWh
• Solar feed-in tariff: 0.0 c/kWh

Here’s the Difference: The supply charge is 6% higher for the Solar Sharer plan, while the peak rate is 92% higher. Solar Sharer’s peak rate is almost double the flat rate. The off-peak rate is 17% lower than the flat rate. The feed-in tariff does not change.

Origin Energy: Solar Sharer Vs Standard Plan

Origin Solar Sharer:

• Daily supply charge: 176.41 c/day
• Peak rate: 63.69 c/kWh (no seasonal split)
• Off-peak rate: 27.56 c/kWh
• Free window (first 24 kWh/day): 0.0 c/kWh, then 27.6 c/kWh above the cap
• Solar feed-in tariff: 3.0 c/kWh

Origin Standing Offer:

• Daily supply charge: 166.21 c/day
• Usage charge (single rate): 33.14 c/kWh
• Controlled Load 1: 19.29 c/kWh, plus 4.71 c/day extra supply charge
• Controlled Load 2: 23.0 c/kWh, plus 8.88 c/day extra supply charge
• Solar feed-in tariff: 3.0 c/kWh

Here’s the Difference: The supply charge is 6% higher on Solar Sharer, at 176.41 c/day compared to 166.21 c/day for the standard plan. The peak rate is 92% higher than the flat rate. The off-peak rate is 17% lower than the flat rate. The feed-in tariff does not change. Both plans pay 3.0 c/kWh for solar sent back to the grid.

Red Energy: Solar Sharer Vs Standing Offer

Red Energy Solar Sharer:

• Daily supply charge: 176.41 c/day
• Peak rate: 63.72 c/kWh
• Off-peak rate: 27.56 c/kWh
• Free window: 0.00 c/kWh, then 27.56 c/kWh above the cap
• Solar feed-in tariff: 1.1 to 6.7 c/kWh exported, depending on time of day

Red Energy Standing Offer:

• Daily supply charge: 131.41 c/day
• Peak rate: 50.60 c/kWh
• Shoulder rate: 35.28 c/kWh
• Off-peak rate: 25.48 c/kWh
• Solar feed-in tariff: 1.1 to 6.7 c/kWh – the same tiers as Solar Sharer

Here’s the Difference: The supply charge is 34% higher. The peak rate is 26% higher. The off-peak rate is 8% higher. The free window replaces the shoulder rate. The feed-in tariff remains unchanged.

Who Should Consider A Solar Sharer Plan?

We asked SolarQuotes’ resident factchecker Ronald Brakels what these numbers mean for someone deciding whether to switch.

“Not likely if you have solar, because it’s providing you with cheap (free-ish) power during the day, and only worthwhile if you don’t have solar if you can shift enough electricity use to around the middle of the day, which definitely should be possible,” he says. “But note the 24 kWh cap – and most homes can only draw around 15 kW, so you can’t get too carried away.”

That’s the main point. If you already have solar panels, you’re probably using your own midday power for almost nothing. The Solar Sharer’s free window doesn’t add much, but the higher peak rate is an extra cost.

It’s not quite that simple for every solar household, Ronald points out:

“I have relatives with a puny 2.5 kW solar system, and they benefit from being on a solar soaker time-of-use plan that charges 7 c/kWh during the day, because their solar isn’t big and the day is when they use most of their electricity. So solar households can come out ahead on cheap daytime electricity plans, but it definitely depends on circumstances.”

Households without solar have the best reason to switch, as long as they can shift enough of their daily electricity use into the free window. Running the dishwasher, washing machine, or heating water between 11 am and 2 pm all help.

A Home Battery Makes Solar Sharer Pay

A battery is the best way to get value from these plans. You can charge it for free during the midday window, then use it to power your home during the evening peak. This way, you mostly avoid the higher peak rate. If you charge your battery from the grid while your solar is feeding the home, you’ll make the most of those three free hours.

Is a bigger battery worth the extra cost? That depends on your retailer. Each one sets its own peak rate, supply charge, and free window. So the number of kilowatt-hours you need to shift to break even changes from retailer to retailer.

Check Your Postcode

All the information above is based on a Sydney address on the Ausgrid network. Rates, availability, and even the free window hours can vary depending on your state and network, so don’t assume the above numbers apply to your area.

Use our electricity plan comparison tool to search your postcode and check out and compare Solar Sharer plans in your area – note they are only available in NSW, SA and southern NSW at this stage, with similar plans on the way for Victoria in October.