Three hours of FREE power daily coming to SE QLD, NSW and SA??

You've probably seen the headlines. Three free hours of power for everyone. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it's complicated. The government has announced the solar sharer offer. It's a scheme forcing electricity retailers in New South Wales, Southeast Queensland, and South Australia to offer a plan with at least three free hours of electricity in the middle of the day. And there are plans to roll it out nationally after that. In this video, I'll break down what the solar sharer offer actually is, how it works and what the catch is, who benefits and who doesn't, whether it kills the case for buying solar panels, and what I actually think about it. Cuz guess what? I've got opinions. Let's get to it. What is the solar sharer offer? Starting

on July the 1st, 2026, electricity retailers in New South Wales, Southeast Queensland, and South Australia must offer at least one residential plan with 3 or more hours of free electricity during the middle of the day. Thanks to over 4 million rooftop solar systems across Australia, there's a glut of electricity around midday. That means wholesale electricity prices regularly go negative. Solar farms are often being told to switch off and clean energy is simply going to waste. So the government figured why not encourage people to use that power instead of letting it go to waste. It's called solar sharer cuz in theory it lets people without solar panels share the benefit of all that rooftop solar the rest of us have been pumping into the grid.

So, how does it work? First off, to access the free electricity, you'll need a smart meter. No smart meter, no free power, and you'll need to opt in to a solar sharer plan. Now, here's the thing. This is not magic. The retailer isn't just giving you free electricity out of the goodness of their heart. These plans will almost certainly have higher rates outside that free window. Think higher peak and shoulder rates or bigger daily supply charges to make up the difference. Some retailers in fact are already doing this voluntarily. Oo, GlowBird and AGL all offer plans with free daytime power right now. They treat it as a customer acquisition strategy and they may even lose money during those hours. The difference is the government is now forcing every retailer to offer at least one plan like this as part of the default market offer.

So, who benefits? Let's be honest about who wins here. The biggest winners are people with home batteries. If you've got a home battery, charge a battery for free in the middle of the day, particularly in winter when your solar generation is at its lowest, and use it to dodge peak rates in the evening. Done. Then you've got EV owners who can leave their car plugged in during the day. Also big winners. Who doesn't love free fuel? And if you've got a conventional electric hot water system, stick it on a timer. Heat your water for free during the free window and you've just wiped out one of your biggest electricity costs. And don't forget about home heating and cooling. Running your air con on heating mode at full whack in the middle of winter for 3 hours will help heat your home for the evening as long as it has decent insulation and thermal mass. But what about renters? Now the polies are claiming this is aimed at them. And look, renters can benefit if they're home during the day. Think retirees, stay-at-home parents, people who work from home. But for a renter who works 9 to5, this is going to be tough. You need to shift at least 6 kwatt hours of usage from the evening to the middle of the day to come out ahead once you factor in higher rates in the evening. That means running your washing machine, dishwasher, and anything else you can on timers while you're at work. It's doable, but it's going to take some effort. So, here's the uncomfortable truth. The people best positioned to take advantage of this solar sharer offer generally the better off. They're more likely to have batteries, EV, smart appliances, home offices, and flexible schedules. The renter rushing home at 6:00 to cook dinner, not so much.

Now, here's the case for the solar sharer offer. In the interest of balance, there is a case for this scheme. If the solar sharer offer gets enough people to shift their consumption to midday, it could and should significantly reduce renewable curtailment. That means less clean energy wasted. That's a great thing. It could also reduce peak demand in the evenings, which is when the grid is under the most stress. Now, that's going to save everyone money in the long run, including people who never even sign up for these plans. And for battery owners, of course, free midday electricity gives your battery a guaranteed top up even when the sun isn't shining. That means more batteries can more reliably cut peak demand, which makes the whole grid more stable.

But what about the case against this solar share offer? Look, I've got concerns. First up, it could and probably will slow down solar panel uptake. If the government is mandating free electricity in the middle of the day, many will think, "Why would I spend 10 grand on solar panels when I'm already getting free power at lunchtime? " I'll tell you why. Firstly, freedom. — If you own your own big solar roof, you can skip the solar shareer plan and get a different plan, probably with much lower peak rates and supply charges. Solar gives you autonomy, control over your energy destiny. Second, this is the government forcing companies to give things away for free. I don't know about you, but that makes me uneasy. When politics overrides pricing, things tend to go wrong. — I declare bankruptcy. — Third, the plans that already exist with free daytime power have noticeably higher rates outside the free window. Now, that's fine when it's your choice, but when it becomes mandatory, the costs get spread around in ways that could hit people who don't benefit. But look, most people don't think too deeply about this stuff. Why the hell should they? And lots of folks who don't yet have solar will think, "Yeah, why bother getting solar panels now? " Thing is, Australia actually needs to significantly increase its solar capacity to hit its renewable energy targets. If this scheme slows installations, that's a real problem. Here's my take. If you're a homeowner, solar panels are still one of the best investments you can make if you care about energy independence, personal autonomy, or even that thing no one seems to talk about anymore, the environment. Here's how to squeeze the most out of

it. Firstly, you need a smart meter to participate. If you don't have a smart meter, contact your retailer to organize one ASAP. Unless you're one of those fruit cakes that thinks smart meters fry your brain. — I'm an idiot. You're an idiot. — Put your hot water on a timer. Whether you've got a heat pump or a resistive tank, set it to heat during the free window. Who doesn't love free hot water? Use timers on your appliances. Modern dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, pool pumps, they all have timers these days. Set them to run during the free hours. And if you have a battery, configure it to charge from the grid during the free window on days when your solar isn't enough, particularly in winter. Talk to your installer if you don't know how to do this. The good ones will be happy to help. The crap ones will tell you to bugger off. If you have an EV, set up your app so that it'll automatically charge during the free window when plugged in. And if you haven't bit the bullet on a proper fast charger, be aware that a cheap trickle charger will only put about 10% into your EV over 3 hours. Whereas a proper three-phase hardwire charger can easily put in 50% over those 3 hours. Compare electricity plans carefully. Don't just look at the free bits. Check what you're paying the rest of the day. A plan with three free hours but sky-high peak rates might be worse than a flat rate plan if you can't shift much usage. Let's be clear, the people who will

benefit most are those with batteries, EVs, and the ability to shift their usage. For everyone else, it's a marginal help. It's not going to transform your power bill.

So, here's the takeaway. The solar sharer offer gives you three or more hours of free electricity in the middle of the day, but expect higher rates outside that window. It launches July 2026 in New South Wales, Southeast Queensland, and South Australia with plans to expand nationally in 2027. You need a smart meter if you want to access it. Battery owners, EV owners, and anyone who can shift loads to midday will benefit the most, especially if you have resistive electric hot water and a hardwired EV charger. It does not make solar panels pointless. Solar still gives you the most options and the lowest bills overall. It should help reduce wasted clean energy and lower costs for everyone over time, even if you don't sign up. So, if you want quotes for solar and our batteries from vetted installers we trust, visit solarquot. com. au. To stay in the loop with any new info about this solar sharer offer, think about subscribing to our weekly newsletter which goes out every Tuesday. Happy load shifting.