The NSW solar feed-in tariff you receive depends on your electricity plan. Retailers can offer less or more than the benchmark, or no export credit.
IPART’s all-day benchmark for 2026-27 is 3.4 to 6.5 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), a comparison guide rather than a guaranteed payment.
Last updated 8 September 2026. Retailer examples checked on this date; confirm the offer for your address before switching.
A higher export rate can help, but your electricity bill also depends on what you pay for power after sunset. This guide explains the rates, how to compare plans and when storing surplus solar is worth investigating for your household.
For homeowners in Port Macquarie and the surrounding Mid North Coast, check your distributor on your bill before using a Sydney plan comparison. An offer illustrated for the Ausgrid network may differ from one available at an Essential Energy address.
What Is a Solar Feed-In Tariff in NSW?
A solar feed-in tariff (FiT) is the rate your electricity retailer pays you for surplus solar energy your panels export back to the grid. When your system generates more power than your home uses at that moment, the excess flows into the network, subject to its approved export limit.
Your retailer credits your account at whatever FiT rate your plan includes. The export credit reduces what you owe; it does not apply to solar electricity you use directly at home.
- An all-day FiT pays the same rate throughout the day, subject to any export tiers.
- A time-of-use FiT changes with the time electricity reaches the grid.
- A capped offer pays a higher rate on a limited quantity, then a lower rate on the balance.
- A wholesale-linked offer can vary with market prices; read how negative prices and fees are handled.
Check the solar export line on your bill alongside your plan’s energy fact sheet. For a flat rate, exported kWh multiplied by the rate in dollars gives the credit: a hypothetical 300 kWh exported at 5 cents earns $15.
Current NSW Solar Feed-In Tariff Rates
The previous financial year’s benchmark was higher than the 2026-27 range. NSW retailers choose their offers independently, so a benchmark cannot tell you which plan will cost your household least.
The examples below show why the contract matters. Check availability and conditions for your address.
| Retailer and situation | Published FiT | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Red Energy, Essential Energy zone, flat solar rate | 2.5 c/kWh | Whether your account has flat or time-of-use solar pricing |
| Red Energy, Essential Energy residential solar TOU | 2.5 c/kWh for the first 7.5 kWh/day exported 10am-3pm, then 1.6 c/kWh; 15.4 c/kWh at 5pm-8pm; 2.5 c/kWh at other times | Meter, tariff assignment and your actual exports in each window |
| AGL Standard Retail Contract | No FiT from 1 July 2026 | A market contract is different; check the rate on your own offer |
Sources: Red Energy’s rates and eligibility and AGL’s feed-in tariff terms. Compare alternatives through the Australian Government’s Energy Made Easy plan comparison, using your address and usage data.
Do not multiply your entire annual exports by an advertised evening or bonus rate. Work out how much electricity qualifies, then apply the lower rate to the rest.
Does the highest feed-in tariff give the lowest bill?
Not necessarily. Here is a worked example using invented rates and the same annual imports of 4,000 kWh and exports of 3,000 kWh for both plans, with no other fees or discounts.
| Annual cost calculation | Plan A | Plan B |
|---|---|---|
| Import rate | 30 c/kWh | 35 c/kWh |
| Daily supply charge | $1.00 | $1.10 |
| Flat feed-in tariff | 5 c/kWh | 8 c/kWh |
| Imports + supply − exports | $1,200 + $365 − $150 | $1,400 + $401.50 − $240 |
| Estimated annual bill | $1,415 | $1,561.50 |
Plan B earns $90 more in export credits but costs $146.50 more overall. Your result will change with your usage, export volume and tariff structure; time-of-use and demand plans need their own calculations.
Time-of-Use Solar Feed-In Tariffs in NSW
Time-of-use feed-in tariffs pay different rates depending on when your exports reach the grid. An evening rate is useful only if you have energy available to export during that window.
Solar output fades towards sunset, especially in winter. A battery can shift stored energy into an evening window, but first compare the export payment with the cost of buying electricity later if you empty the battery.
- Check the exact hours, including weekend and seasonal differences.
- Ask whether the quoted payment includes any network export reward.
- Confirm the contract permits and credits battery exports.
- Keep enough stored energy for your evening load and any chosen backup reserve.
IPART also publishes time-of-day benchmarks for 2026-27. These are reference values, not rates you can claim from a retailer.
What about export charges or the “sun tax”?
Network export pricing and your retail FiT are different parts of the bill. Essential Energy explains its two-way tariffs can include export charges and rewards, and retailers package those costs differently.
Ask your retailer how your assigned network tariff affects your solar offer. Do not deduct a network charge from a published retail FiT unless the contract says it is additional; you could otherwise count the same cost twice.
Why NSW Feed-In Tariffs Keep Falling
Feed-in tariffs reflect the value of electricity when it is exported. Plenty of solar generation in the middle of the day can reduce that value, even while electricity bought at other times remains expensive.
IPART attributes the lower 2026-27 benchmark to lower expected wholesale prices during solar export hours. Rates could rise again if wholesale prices during solar export hours increase.
- Review your offer when your retailer announces a rate change.
- Compare annual costs using a full year of data where available.
- Recalculate after adding a battery, changing appliances or moving more consumption into daylight hours.
A rate cut is a reason to check your bill. Switching can help, but the useful comparison is the annual dollar difference after usage charges, supply charges and export credits.
Self-Consumption vs Exporting Solar Power
Using solar while it is generated avoids buying that electricity at your applicable import rate. Exporting earns your FiT instead, so compare those two rates before deciding when to run a flexible load.
For an illustrative household generating 25 kWh in a day, using 10 kWh directly leaves 15 kWh for export or storage. At an assumed 6 c/kWh FiT, exporting all 15 kWh earns 90 cents.
Suppose the household moves 5 kWh of an existing evening load into surplus solar hours, with an import rate of 30 c/kWh and an export rate of 6 c/kWh:
- Avoided purchases: $1.50.
- Export credits given up: 30 cents.
- Net benefit: $1.20 for that day.
- Run suitable dishwashers, washing machines and pool pumps while solar output exceeds household demand.
- Use appliance timers where appropriate and follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions.
- Ask an electrician about scheduling electric hot water to use surplus generation.
- If your car is home during the day, consider EV charger installation for daytime solar charging.
Shifting an existing load can save money; using extra electricity just to avoid exporting usually does not. Check your monitoring data to see whether a scheduled appliance actually ran on surplus solar.
System size still matters: compare these packages against your daytime demand, roof and approved export capacity.
Do Batteries Make the Feed-In Tariff Irrelevant?
A battery changes how much electricity you export, but the feed-in tariff still matters. Each unit stored gives up an export credit, and some energy is lost during charging and discharge.
For example, assume 10 kWh of surplus solar enters a battery and 9 kWh reaches household loads later, with one kWh lost during storage and conversion. With an import rate of 30 c/kWh and an export rate of 5 c/kWh, the example works out as follows:
- Avoided imports: 9 kWh × $0.30 = $2.70.
- Forgone export credits: 10 kWh × $0.05 = $0.50.
- Operating benefit: $2.20, before purchase and installation costs.
The operating saving does not account for buying and installing the battery. Installed cost, usable capacity, seasonal charging, degradation and any plan fees still need to be considered when assessing home solar batteries for storing surplus generation.
- Use your actual surplus generation and evening demand in the savings estimate.
- Allow for energy losses and the export credits you give up.
- Compare the expected savings with the installed cost and warranty.
- Specify backup requirements separately; battery installation does not automatically provide whole-home backup.
The Australian Government’s battery consumer guidance explains backup limitations and notes that savings may not repay a battery within its warranted life. Avoid relying on a generic three-year or five-year payback claim.
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program can reduce eligible installation costs, with changes already in effect from 1 May 2026. Ask for a quote showing the discount applicable to your installation date and battery; this support is separate from a feed-in tariff.
SolaXs installs battery systems across the Mid North Coast, including BYD battery systems and Sigenergy battery systems. A household assessment should show the assumptions behind projected savings.
How to Get the Best Value From Solar in NSW
Start with what your existing system generates, what you use and what reaches the grid. A higher export rate cannot compensate for a system that is not operating as expected.
- Gather bills covering a full year, including imports, export credits and daily charges.
- Use meter interval data to compare time-of-use offers where available.
- Plan residential solar installation around your daytime demand, rather than an export-income target alone.
- Before upgrading your solar system, confirm the connection approval, metering and tariff implications.
- If output drops suddenly without an obvious cause, arrange a solar maintenance check.
Essential Energy’s connection guidance explains that your approved export limit is recorded in your Connection Contract’s site-specific conditions. More panel capacity does not automatically increase that limit.
Where NSW Solar Feed-In Tariffs Are Headed
Future rates depend on wholesale prices and retailer offers. Build your household estimate around an offer available now, then check whether it still works with a lower FiT or less surplus solar in winter.
- Use more of your existing surplus where practical.
- Choose a retailer on total bill cost.
- Consider a battery only after checking household-specific savings.
- Review your plan after a major change in energy use.
Bring your bill and solar monitoring data. Contact SolaXs for a solar or battery assessment to discuss your household’s usage, roof and storage options.
NSW Solar Feed-In Tariff FAQs
Keep these documents nearby when checking an offer:
- Your latest electricity bill and energy fact sheet.
- Your export meter data and solar monitoring records.
- Your connection approval if changing the system.
What is a good solar feed-in tariff in NSW in 2026?
Use the 2026-27 IPART benchmark quoted above as a reference, then compare the whole offer. A rate above that range may carry export caps or higher import charges that outweigh the extra credit.
Which retailer pays the highest feed-in tariff in NSW?
The answer depends on your address, eligible plan and export timing. Compare offers for your own meter and postcode, and distinguish an all-day rate from a limited bonus or evening rate.
Is there a minimum NSW solar feed-in tariff?
NSW has no mandatory minimum retail FiT. IPART’s benchmark is guidance, so check whether your contract pays any export credit before accepting it.
Why has my feed-in tariff gone down?
Your retailer may have changed its offer as export values changed, or your account may have moved to a different plan. Compare the rate-change notice with the solar line on your bill; lower credits can also reflect fewer kWh exported.
Do I need a smart meter to receive export credits?
Your meter must be configured to record exports and the retailer must have the solar connection information. Ask your retailer whether a meter change is needed and whether that change alters your import or export tariff.
Why does my inverter show generation but my bill has no solar credit?
Generation includes electricity used inside your home, so it will not equal exported energy. Check whether the bill records exports at a zero rate, records no exports, or covers a period before the solar connection was activated.
If the app has stopped reporting, restoring your solar inverter’s WiFi connection can help you review generation again. Ask the retailer to check export metering and billing; reconnecting the app will not fix a metering or billing problem.
Can a retailer cap the higher feed-in tariff?
Yes. A higher rate may apply only to the first quantity exported each day, with a lower rate afterwards; check the reset period and eligible volume. The Red Energy example above illustrates a daily tier.
Can I export battery power at the evening rate?
Check the retail contract, system settings and connection approval before assuming you can. Compare the credit with what you will pay to replace that energy later, allowing for losses and any backup reserve.
Are feed-in tariffs worth it if I have a battery?
They can still credit surplus electricity after your household and battery needs are met. Include forgone export income when calculating battery savings, and assess any virtual power plant contract separately.
Is a battery rebate the same as a feed-in tariff?
No. A battery installation discount reduces an eligible purchase cost, while a FiT credits electricity exported under your retail plan. Do not count an installation discount as recurring annual income.