Free electricity in Queensland from 11am to 2pm: who gets it, and is it worth it?
Queensland is split in two. Households in south-east Queensland can ask for the Solar Sharer Offer, with free power from 11am to 2pm every day since 1 July 2026. Regional Queensland is outside it. Here is who qualifies and how it stacks up with solar and a battery.
The short answer
- Who: south-east Queensland only, with a smart meter. Regional Queensland is not covered.
- Free window: 11am to 2pm every day, up to 24kWh.
- The real prize: filling a battery at midday to avoid the 4pm to 9pm peak, about 48c a kWh on a standard time-of-use plan.
Who in Queensland can get it
- The offer applies in south-east Queensland, one of the three Default Market Offer regions. Regional Queensland is outside them[1].
- Smart meter needed; embedded networks are not covered[1].
- Opt in: ask your retailer. Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in the offer's regions must make it available[1].
Midday was already cheap in south-east Queensland
On the standard Energex time-of-use schedule our calculator uses, power from 11am to 4pm is already only about 7c a kWh, while the 4pm to 9pm peak is about 48c[2].
So the Solar Sharer's free window saves less on midday use than it might sound, and the rates outside the window are 1 to 4 cents above the standard time-of-use ones[3]. The bigger question is the evening.
If you already have solar
Your panels are already supplying the house through the free window, so it adds little. Exports earn about 2.5c a kWh on our calculator's figures[2]. Check the feed-in tariff the plan pays before you switch.
If you have, or want, a battery
A battery filled for nothing from 11am to 2pm and used from 4pm to 9pm is the combination that pays, because that is where the dearest power is.
- Queensland 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].
- Make sure the battery can charge from the grid on a timer, and that it doesn't clash with a VPP.
Regional Queensland
If your power comes through Ergon, you are outside the offer's regions[1], and our calculator's notes record that Ergon has no residential time-of-use tariff[2]. There, solar and a battery are judged on the single rate of about 28c a kWh.
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 Queensland?
In south-east Queensland, yes: the Solar Sharer Offer gives free power from 11am to 2pm every day, up to 24kWh, to households with a smart meter who ask for it.
Can regional Queensland get the Solar Sharer Offer?
No. It applies only in south-east Queensland, where the Default Market Offer applies.
Is it worth it with solar panels in Queensland?
Usually only a little, because panels cover midday and the standard midday rate is already low. It pays best with a battery that covers the 4pm to 9pm peak.
When did it start?
1 July 2026.
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: Queensland rates used by this site's calculator, from the AGL standing offer schedule from 1 July 2026, Energex zone: peak 4pm to 9pm, solar soak 11am to 4pm; Ergon has no residential time-of-use tariff. 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.