Victoria's Midday Power Saver: is it worth it with solar or a battery?
Since 1 October 2026, Victorian homes with a smart meter can choose a plan with free electricity from 11am to 2pm, every day. Here is what is known, what to ask your retailer, and how it fits with solar panels and a home battery.
The short answer
- Free window: 11am to 2pm every day, weekends included. You need a smart meter and you have to ask for it.
- Government estimate: $149 to $428 a year saved if you move 5% to 30% of your use into the window, more with an electric car.
- With solar: usually adds little. With a battery: fill it free at midday and use it in the evening.
What it is
- A Victorian regulated offer. Retailers with 1,000 or more residential customers must offer it to customers with a smart meter[1].
- Free power from 11am to 2pm, every day[1][2].
- Opt in: you choose to sign up. You get a cooling-off period and can leave without exit fees[1][2].
- Some embedded network customers may be eligible too[1].
- The government set today's prices. The Essential Services Commission will set prices from 1 July 2027[1].
What it costs and saves
Prices outside the free window rise slightly[2]. The government estimates savings of $149 to $428 a year if you move 5% to 30% of your use into the window, plus about $674 for an electric car owner who charges then[2]. The Premier put the full range at $149 to $1,102 a year[3].
The regulator's warning matters most: if you can't shift your use into 11am to 2pm, a different deal may suit you better[1].
With solar panels
Victorian solar systems make most of their power around midday, so a solar home is often already running on its own power in the free window. The free hours then add little, while power you buy in the evening costs a little more.
The announcements don't say what feed-in tariff the offer pays. Ask your retailer before switching and compare the whole bill.
With a battery
The government says battery and electric car owners can use the free power to charge them[2]. Fill the battery for nothing at midday, then use it in the evening, when the plan charges more.
- Check the battery can charge from the grid on a timer.
- Check it doesn't clash with a virtual power plant agreement.
- In winter, when the panels may not fill the battery, the free window can.
What to ask before you switch
- What the offer charges outside 11am to 2pm, and the daily supply charge.
- What feed-in tariff it pays if you have solar.
- Whether any limit applies to the free use.
- If you have a battery, whether it can be set to charge in the window.
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
When did the Midday Power Saver start?
Retailers had to start offering it from 1 October 2026.
What are the free hours?
11am to 2pm every day, including weekends.
Who can get it?
Victorian homes with a smart meter. Retailers with 1,000 or more residential customers must offer it, and you have to ask for it.
Is the Midday Power Saver worth it with solar?
Often less than without solar, because your panels already cover much of your midday use. It suits battery and electric car owners best. Ask about the feed-in tariff and compare the whole bill.
Sources
- Essential Services Commission (Victoria), Midday Power Saver now available, 1 October 2026. Read 4 November 2026.
- Seniors Online (Victorian Government), Turn sunshine into savings with the Midday Power Saver, reviewed 27 August 2026. Read 4 November 2026.
- Premier of Victoria, Best Midday Power Offer In The Country, 28 May 2026. Read 4 November 2026.