United Energy and CitiPower: flexible exports and the 1.5kW static limit
If your electricity bill names United Energy or CitiPower as the distributor, the rules for how much solar you can send back to the grid are changing over 2026 to 2031. Both networks have the same approved policy on exports. Here is what it says, and what to ask on a quote.
What the two policies say
United Energy's and CitiPower's connection policies for 2026 to 2031, published by the Australian Energy Regulator with its April 2026 decision, use the same words on exports. During the period, each network will start offering flexible export products to households and small businesses, and will lower the maximum static export limit to 1.5kW per phase[1][2].
Neither will impose a zero static export limit. A customer who would otherwise get one is put onto the flexible exports program instead[1].
Static or flexible
A static limit is a fixed number that never moves. A flexible limit moves with the network: the policies allow households to export up to 10kW per phase, subject to network constraints. Performance is measured against a metric agreed with the regulator, and that metric is an average, so one house's experience can differ from another's[1].
A flexible limit can drop below the static limit at times: during minimum demand emergencies, during minimum demand tests ahead of spring, when the network loses contact with the inverter, and in rare cases of local or upstream constraints. The network makes those changes automatically[1].
A customer on flexible exports can go back to a static limit. That limit is set by the pre-approval tool, and in most cases the maximum is 1.5kW; in a severely constrained part of the network it may be lower[1].
Where things stand now
CitiPower already offers flexible exports to customers whose pre-approval comes back at 0kW. They can export up to the capacity of their inverter, to a maximum of 10kW, and in a 12-month trial participants exported without restriction more than 90% of the time. It needs a reliable internet connection and a Clean Energy Council approved inverter that supports CSIP-AUS[3].
On United Energy, a new, upgraded or replaced system has to comply with Victoria's emergency backstop mechanism, which needs a stable internet connection and an inverter that is Clean Energy Council approved and onboarded with United Energy[4]. The policy allows an exemption from the backstop where the customer agrees to a low static export limit[1].
Who sets your limit
The network, not your retailer, and before anything goes on the roof. On United Energy your installer lodges a solar pre-approval through the myEnergy portal[4]; on CitiPower, through eConnect, before you sign a contract[5]. The approved limit is a number on that pre-approval. Ask to see it.
What it means for sizing a system
If the static limit falls to 1.5kW per phase, a single-phase house on a static connection can export no more than 1.5kW at any moment, so on a sunny afternoon much of a larger array's surplus may be curtailed. Two things then decide what the panels are worth: how much power the house uses during the day, and whether a battery stores the surplus for the evening.
That cuts both ways. It is a reason to keep an array sized to the house rather than to the roof, and it strengthens the case for a battery, or for staying online so the system can use a flexible limit. A quote that does not say which limit it was designed to has not looked at your connection.
What to ask the installer
What export limit the pre-approval came back with, and whether it is static or flexible. Whether the inverter supports CSIP-AUS and will be onboarded with the network. Whether the house has internet reliable enough to stay connected. And, for a battery, how the design changes if the static limit is 1.5kW.
Get your own numbers
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Run my numbers, freeCommon questions
What is United Energy's solar export limit?
Its 2026 to 2031 connection policy lowers the maximum static export limit to 1.5kW per phase during that period, and offers flexible exports of up to 10kW per phase, subject to network constraints. The limit for your address is set at pre-approval.
Is CitiPower's policy different?
Not on exports. CitiPower's 2026 to 2031 connection policy uses the same wording as United Energy's: a 1.5kW per phase maximum static limit, flexible exports up to 10kW per phase, and no zero static limit.
Can I go back to a static limit after choosing flexible?
Yes. The static limit is then set by the pre-approval tool, in most cases at a maximum of 1.5kW, and lower in a severely constrained part of the network.
Sources
- Australian Energy Regulator, final decision April 2026, United Energy Connection Policy 2026-31 (Attachment 16, Appendix A). Read 2026-10-27.
- Australian Energy Regulator, final decision April 2026, CitiPower Connection Policy 2026-31 (Attachment 16, Appendix A). Read 2026-10-27.
- CitiPower, Flexible exports. Read 2026-10-27.
- United Energy, Rooftop solar. Read 2026-10-27.
- CitiPower, Rooftop solar. Read 2026-10-27.