Free electricity in NSW from 11am to 2pm: is it worth it?
Since 1 July 2026, NSW households with a smart meter can ask their retailer for the Solar Sharer Offer: free electricity from 11am to 2pm, every day. Whether it saves you money depends on your network, your evenings, and whether you have a battery.
The short answer
- Free window: 11am to 2pm every day, up to 24kWh. Opt in, smart meter needed.
- The trade: evening power costs more. NSW peak rates already run at about 47c a kWh on a standard time-of-use plan, against about 30c on a single rate.
- Best for: homes with a battery, especially on Ausgrid. Weakest for: solar homes with no battery, earning about 3.4c a kWh for exports.
Who in NSW can get it
- NSW is one of the Default Market Offer regions where the Solar Sharer Offer applies[1].
- You need a smart meter, and you must not be in an embedded network such as some apartment blocks[1].
- Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in those regions must offer it. You have to ask: it is never applied automatically[1].
Your network changes the maths
NSW has the widest spread of time-of-use prices in the country. On the standard schedule our calculator uses, the peak rate is about 1.82 times the single rate on Ausgrid, 1.39 times on Endeavour and 1.20 times on Essential Energy[2].
On the Solar Sharer Offer, power outside the free window is charged at time-of-use rates 1 to 4 cents above the standard ones[3]. So the dearer your evening peak, the more a free midday matters, and the more a battery is worth for moving that free power into the evening. On those figures, Ausgrid households have the most to gain from a battery, and the most to lose without one.
If you already have solar
Between 11am and 2pm your panels are usually covering the house already, so free grid power saves little. Exports earn about 3.4c a kWh on our calculator's NSW figures[2], and Energy Made Easy does not say what feed-in tariff the Solar Sharer pays[1]. Ask the retailer, and compare the whole bill.
If you have, or want, a battery
- Set the battery to charge from the grid in the free window, then run the house on it through the evening peak.
- A 10kWh battery is well under the 24kWh daily cap[1].
- NSW has no state battery rebate; the federal discount takes about $2,520 off a 10kWh battery for installs to December 2026, and the discount per kWh falls from January 2027[4].
- Check the battery can charge from the grid on a timer, and that it doesn't clash with a virtual power plant.
Exports on NSW networks are changing too
Ausgrid and Endeavour are both moving to flexible export limits, which decide how much of your solar you can send to the grid. If you are planning solar or a battery, read how your network's rules work before you size the system.
Why two quotes for the same job can be thousands apart
Installers price the same system very differently. These are the installed price ranges our calculator works from, before rebates: the low end is what a competitive installer charges, and the high end is what a poor quote looks like.
| System | Competitive quote | Poor quote |
|---|---|---|
| 6.6kW solar system | $8,000 | $10,000 |
| 10kWh battery | $7,650 | $13,500 |
| About 15kWh battery | $12,100 | $18,000 |
- The gap usually comes from margin, the brand of panel, inverter or battery, and extras such as a switchboard upgrade or backup circuit, not from a better install.
- Get at least two or three quotes, and ask for each to be itemised: hardware brands and models, size, rebates taken off, and anything extra.
- Compare batteries on price per usable kWh, not the headline price.
Free hours, solar, a battery, or all three?
The free window changes which upgrade is worth it, and the answer depends on when your house uses power. Two minutes of questions shows what solar and a battery would save on your roof and your usage. No installer sees anything unless you ask.
Run my numbers, freeCommon questions
Is there free electricity in NSW?
Yes. Since 1 July 2026, NSW households with a smart meter can ask for the Solar Sharer Offer, which makes power free from 11am to 2pm every day, up to 24kWh.
Which NSW networks does it cover?
NSW is a Default Market Offer region, so the offer is available across the state's networks, including Ausgrid, Endeavour and Essential Energy areas, to eligible homes with a smart meter.
Is the Solar Sharer worth it with solar panels in NSW?
Often only a little, because your panels already cover midday. It is worth most with a battery that can charge in the free window.
Does the free window move for daylight saving?
No. It stays 11am to 2pm all year.
Sources
- Energy Made Easy (Australian Energy Regulator), The Solar Sharer Offer (SSO): what you need to know. Read 4 November 2026 (page last updated 30 June 2026).
- Aussie Solar Info, How the calculator works: New South Wales rates used by this site's calculator, from the AGL standing offer (Default Market Offer) schedule from 1 July 2026: time-of-use peak against single rate, Ausgrid 1.82x, Endeavour 1.39x, Essential 1.20x. Read 4 November 2026 (rates checked 28 August 2026).
- Australian Energy Regulator, 2026-27 Default market offer: final determination, May 2026. Read 4 November 2026.
- Clean Energy Regulator, Solar batteries (Cheaper Home Batteries Program): the discount factor falls every six months, to 5.7 for January to June 2027. Read 26 October 2026.