Free electricity in South Australia from 12pm to 3pm: is it worth it?
South Australia's free window is an hour later than the east coast's: 12pm to 3pm, every day, since 1 July 2026. SA also has the highest electricity prices in the country and a peak in the morning as well as the evening, which makes the offer worth more to some homes and less to others.
The short answer
- Free window: 12pm to 3pm every day, up to 24kWh. Opt in, smart meter needed.
- Why it matters more in SA: on a standard time-of-use plan, peak power is about 56c a kWh, from 6am to 10am and 4pm to midnight.
- Best for: homes with a battery. Weakest for: solar homes with no battery, earning about 1c a kWh for exports.
How it works in SA
- South Australia is one of the three regions where the Solar Sharer Offer applies[1].
- Free use from 12pm to 3pm, every day, up to 24kWh; above that you pay the plan's cheapest rate[1].
- You need a smart meter and you have to ask for it. Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in the offer's regions must make it available[1].
SA's prices make the gap bigger
Our calculator's South Australian figures put the single rate at about 42c a kWh. On the standard time-of-use schedule, peak runs about 56c from 6am to 10am and 4pm to midnight, the 10am to 4pm solar sponge about 17c, and overnight about 33c[2].
So midday power on a standard time-of-use plan is already cheap in SA. What the Solar Sharer adds is making three of those hours free, in exchange for rates outside the window 1 to 4 cents above the standard ones[3]. With two peaks a day, that matters.
If you already have solar
Your panels already supply most of your power from 12pm to 3pm, so the free window adds little. Exports earn about 1c a kWh on our calculator's figures[2]. Check what feed-in tariff the plan pays, and compare the whole bill.
If you have, or want, a battery
SA is where a battery and a free window fit best. Fill it free from 12pm to 3pm, then run the house through the 4pm to midnight peak.
- Think about the morning peak too: a battery emptied by midnight leaves 6am to 10am on peak rates. Size for both if mornings are busy.
- 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].
- Many SA batteries are in virtual power plants. Check grid charging in the window doesn't clash with your VPP agreement.
What to ask before you switch
- The rates outside 12pm to 3pm, and the daily supply charge.
- What feed-in tariff the plan pays.
- Whether your battery can charge from the grid on a schedule.
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 South Australia?
Yes. Since 1 July 2026, SA households with a smart meter can ask for the Solar Sharer Offer: free power from 12pm to 3pm every day, up to 24kWh.
Why is SA's free window 12pm to 3pm?
The offer sets a later window for South Australia than for NSW and south-east Queensland, which get 11am to 2pm.
Is it worth it with solar panels?
Usually only a little, since your panels cover midday already. It pays best with a battery that charges in the window and covers the evening peak.
Does it change for daylight saving?
No. The window stays 12pm to 3pm 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: South Australian rates used by this site's calculator, from the AGL standing offer schedule from 1 July 2026, SA Power Networks: peak 6am to 10am and 4pm to midnight, solar sponge 10am to 4pm. 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.