Best Electricity Plan for Solar NSW: Shortlist & How to Pick
Energy costs
For most NSW solar homeowners, the best electricity plan is not the one with the highest headline feed-in tariff (FiT). It’s the plan that produces the lowest total annual bill when you factor in your daily supply charge, import rates, export caps, and how much your system actually exports. Run a personalized comparison on Energy Made Easy using your NMI before you switch anything.
Here’s a quick shortlist of plan types and retailers commonly worth checking in NSW:
- High-export households (no battery): Look for uncapped or high-cap FiTs from retailers like Amber Electric, CovaU, Alinta Energy, and Red Energy. Confirm export caps and PV size eligibility before committing.
- Battery owners or VPP-eligible households: Time-of-use (ToU) or wholesale-linked plans from Amber Electric or Momentum Energy tend to reward evening discharge far better than flat FiTs.
- Daytime users with flexible loads: The new Solar Sharer Offer (SSO) from July 2026 gives eligible customers a free 3-hour midday window. Check eligibility via Energy Made Easy.
- Low-export or small systems: Prioritize low import rates and low daily supply charges. AGL, Origin Energy, EnergyAustralia, Sumo, and Powershop all have plans worth comparing here.
Your immediate next step: Grab your NMI from your electricity bill, pull together 12 months of usage and export data, and run a personalized search on Energy Made Easy. That single step will tell you more than any headline FiT comparison.
Table of Contents
- How do you pick the best electricity plan for a NSW rooftop solar home?
- Which plan types and retailers do NSW solar owners commonly find competitive?
- What FiT traps and contract red flags should you watch for?
- What are IPART’s FiT benchmarks and how does the Solar Sharer Offer work?
- How do you use Energy Made Easy to find the right plan?
- Which plan type typically fits your household situation?
- Key Takeaways
- Why headline FiTs are the wrong place to start
- Solarxenergy helps Illawarra homeowners get the full picture
- FAQ
How do you pick the best electricity plan for a NSW rooftop solar home?
The headline FiT is the number retailers advertise. It’s also the number most likely to mislead you. A plan paying 10 c/kWh for exports but charging 35 c/kWh for imports and $1.80/day in supply charges can easily cost more than a plan paying 6 c/kWh for exports with 28 c/kWh imports and a $1.10/day supply charge, depending on your usage profile.
The right plan depends on your system size, battery status, and daily usage pattern — there’s no universal winner.
What to compare before you switch:
- Full-plan cost: Add up the annual FiT credit, subtract the annual supply charge and import costs. A quick worked example: if you export a moderate daily amount at a higher FiT, that results in a certain annual credit. However, higher supply charges can offset most of this advantage before considering import rates.
- Export caps and PV size eligibility: Many retailers cap the headline FiT at 5–15 kWh/day or restrict it to systems under a certain inverter size. Export beyond the cap often earns a much lower rate.
- Tariff structure: Flat rates suit households that export consistently throughout the day. ToU plans suit battery owners and EV chargers because they reward shifting consumption to off-peak windows.
- VPP and wholesale-linked options: If you have or plan to add a battery, VPP enrollment or a wholesale-linked plan can pay significantly more for evening exports than any flat FiT.
- Smart meter status: Some plans, including the SSO, require an interval (smart) meter. Check yours before comparing.
Before you compare, gather:
- Your NMI (on your electricity bill, usually 10–11 digits)
- Last 12 months of usage and export data (from bills or your retailer’s portal)
- System specs: panel capacity (kW), inverter size, battery presence
- Your network area (Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, or Essential Energy)
Pro Tip: Your network area matters because NSW retailers set FiTs differently across Ausgrid, Endeavour, and Essential Energy networks. Enter your address carefully on Energy Made Easy so it pulls the right network’s offers.
Which plan types and retailers do NSW solar owners commonly find competitive?
The table below is a starting framework. Actual rates change frequently. Verify every figure on Energy Made Easy or the retailer’s current plan documents before switching.
| Retailer | FiT type | Export cap / PV eligibility | Tariff structure | Notable conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Electric | Wholesale-linked (variable) | Varies by plan | ToU / wholesale | Best for battery/VPP; FiT tracks spot price |
| AGL | Fixed flat or ToU | Varies by plan; check PV size limit | Flat or ToU | Large retailer; broad plan range; check supply charges |
| Origin Energy | Fixed flat or ToU | Varies; check cap | Flat or ToU | Conditional discounts common; read T&Cs carefully |
| EnergyAustralia | Fixed flat | Varies; check cap | Flat | Check daily supply charge vs FiT value |
| Alinta Energy | Fixed flat | Varies by network | Flat | Competitive import rates on some plans |
| Red Energy | Fixed flat | Varies | Flat | Customer service ratings generally strong |
| CovaU | Fixed flat | Varies | Flat | Often competitive on FiT; verify caps |
| Sumo | Fixed flat | Varies | Flat | Low supply charge plans available; check FiT cap |
| Powershop | Fixed flat | Varies | Flat | Prepay model; suits budget-conscious households |
| Momentum Energy | Fixed flat or ToU | Varies | Flat or ToU | ToU options suit battery owners |
SSO eligibility requires a smart meter and opt-in; check each retailer’s current offer for SSO compatibility.
This table shows plan categories, not live rates. NSW retailers set their own FiTs and caps, and offers shift regularly. Use it to identify which retailer types suit your profile, then confirm on Energy Made Easy.
What FiT traps and contract red flags should you watch for?
A high headline FiT is the oldest trick in retail energy marketing. High headline FiTs are frequently paired with elevated supply charges, higher import rates, or restrictive export caps that quietly cancel out the apparent benefit.
The most common traps:
- Export caps: A retailer advertising 12 c/kWh may only pay that rate on the first 5–10 kWh exported per day. A 10 kW system on a sunny day can easily export 30–40 kWh. Everything above the cap often earns 2–5 c/kWh. Model your typical daily export against the cap to calculate your effective FiT, not just the headline.
- ‘First X kWh’ rules: Similar to caps but sometimes buried in plan documents. The headline rate applies to an initial daily tranche; beyond that, a much lower rate kicks in automatically.
- PV size limits: Some plans exclude systems above a certain inverter output (commonly 5 kW or 10 kW). If your system exceeds the limit, you may not qualify for the advertised FiT at all.
- High daily supply charges: A plan with a $1.90/day supply charge costs $693/year before you use a single kilowatt-hour. Compare this against a $1.10/day plan ($401/year) and the difference is $292 annually — roughly equal to a decent FiT credit for a modest exporter.
- Conditional discounts: Some plans advertise a “pay on time” or “direct debit” discount of 10–15%. Miss one payment and the discount disappears, inflating your effective import rate.
- Wholesale-linked FiTs: These can pay very well when spot prices spike, particularly in the evening. But they can also pay near zero during midday solar glut periods. Without a battery to shift export to peak hours, a volatile wholesale FiT may underperform a modest fixed rate.
Pro Tip: Before signing, ask the retailer two specific questions: “What is the FiT cap in kWh per day?” and “What rate applies above the cap?” If they can’t answer immediately, that’s a signal to read the T&Cs line by line.
What to check in the T&Cs:
- Exit fees and minimum contract length
- Bill-backdating clauses (some retailers can back-bill if a meter read was estimated)
- Eligibility clauses tied to inverter size or network area
- Whether the FiT rate is guaranteed for a fixed period or can change on notice
What are IPART’s FiT benchmarks and how does the Solar Sharer Offer work?
IPART publishes voluntary benchmark ranges for NSW feed-in tariffs each year to help consumers judge whether a retailer’s offer is reasonable. These benchmarks are a guide, not a legal minimum. Retailers are free to offer more or less.
For 2025–26, IPART’s all-day benchmark was 4.8–7.3 c/kWh. Time-of-day benchmarks vary by network and time window, with evening export benchmarks for some networks reaching 16–33 c/kWh — far above any flat daytime rate. That gap is the core reason battery storage changes the plan-choice calculation so dramatically.
What the benchmarks mean in practice:
- A flat FiT offer below 4.8 c/kWh is below IPART’s all-day benchmark and warrants scrutiny.
- A flat FiT above 7.3 c/kWh is above benchmark — check what supply charges and import rates are attached.
- Evening ToU FiTs well above the all-day benchmark are legitimate for battery owners who can export during peak demand windows.
How do you use Energy Made Easy to find the right plan?
Energy Made Easy is the free, independent government comparison tool backed by the National Energy Customer Framework (NECF). Retailers are legally required to submit their plan data, so the comparison is comprehensive. Service NSW confirms it covers all NECF states including NSW and is independent of any retailer.
Step 1: Gather your inputs
Collect your NMI (on the front page of your electricity bill), last 12 months of bills showing usage and export, your system’s panel and inverter size in kW, whether you have a battery, and your smart meter status.
Step 2: Run an NMI-based search
Enter your NMI on Energy Made Easy rather than just your address. The NMI-based search pulls your actual interval data where available, producing a far more accurate annual estimate than a generic address search. Filter results for solar customers and check the ToU option if you have or plan to add a battery.
Step 3: Inspect plan details
For each shortlisted plan, click through to the full plan document. Confirm the FiT cap (kWh/day), the post-cap rate, PV size eligibility, daily supply charge, and whether any discount is conditional.
Step 4: Run a sensitivity check
Adjust the export figure up and down by 20–30% to see how caps affect your annual credit. A plan with a 10 kWh/day cap looks great at low export volumes but can underperform significantly if your system regularly exports 25 kWh on summer days.
Pro Tip: After shortlisting two or three plans on Energy Made Easy, call each retailer and ask them to confirm the FiT cap, the post-cap rate, and when the headline rate is applied (billing cycle vs. real-time). Retailers occasionally update plan terms between website refreshes.
Which plan type typically fits your household situation?
Understanding solar self-consumption benefits is the foundation here: because retail import rates typically exceed FiT payments by a wide margin, every kilowatt-hour you use directly from your panels is worth more than one you export and later buy back.
Scenario A — High-export daytime household (large PV, low evening use)
You generate more than you consume during the day and export a large volume. An uncapped or high-cap FiT plan is your priority. Check that the cap is at least equal to your typical daily export. Retailers like Amber, CovaU, and Alinta are commonly worth comparing. The one change that would flip this: add a battery, and you’d shift to Scenario B immediately.
Scenario B — Battery owner or VPP-eligible household
Flat FiTs become less relevant once you have storage. What matters is the evening export rate. Battery owners who can discharge into peak evening windows can earn 3–5x more than flat daytime FiTs under ToU or wholesale-linked plans. Amber Electric’s wholesale model and Momentum Energy’s ToU options are the plan categories to prioritize. Check battery storage options if you’re still deciding whether to add storage.
Scenario C — Daytime user with flexible loads (SSO candidate)
You’re home during the day, or you can schedule appliances to run between 11 AM and 2 PM. The SSO’s free 24 kWh midday window can meaningfully cut your bill without a battery. You still need a competitive FiT and import rate for the rest of the day, so don’t let SSO eligibility distract from the full-plan comparison. The flip: if you add a battery, you capture both SSO savings and evening peak FiT value.
Scenario D — Low-export or small system (under 3 kW)
Your export volume is modest, so a high FiT makes little difference in dollar terms. A plan with a low daily supply charge and competitive import rates will save you more. AGL, Sumo, and Powershop all have plans worth comparing in this category. The flip: increase self-consumption by shifting loads to solar hours, and your import bill drops further regardless of which plan you’re on.
Key Takeaways
The single most reliable way to find the best electricity plan for solar in NSW is to run an NMI-based comparison on Energy Made Easy and evaluate total annual cost, not just the headline feed-in tariff.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Use Energy Made Easy with your NMI | NMI-based searches use your actual interval data for a far more accurate annual estimate than generic comparisons. |
| Headline FiT alone can mislead | Always check export caps, post-cap rates, daily supply charges, and import rates before switching. |
| IPART’s 2025–26 all-day benchmark | IPART set the all-day FiT benchmark at 4.8–7.3 c/kWh; evening time-of-use FiTs for some networks reach 16–33 c/kWh. |
| Battery owners need ToU or VPP plans | Evening peak FiTs under ToU or wholesale-linked plans can pay significantly more than flat daytime rates for stored energy. |
| Solarxenergy guides Illawarra homeowners | Solarxenergy helps local NSW homeowners assess battery suitability, system sizing, and plan selection as part of its end-to-end service. |
Why headline FiTs are the wrong place to start
Most solar owners arrive at plan comparison with one question: “Who pays the most for my exports?” It’s the wrong question, and the retail energy market is built around the fact that most people ask it.
Here’s the thing: a retailer offering 12 c/kWh for exports is not being generous. They’re betting that the elevated supply charge and import rate on that plan will more than recover what they pay you. The math almost always works in their favor unless you export a very high volume and import very little, which describes a narrow slice of households.
The more useful question is: “What is my total estimated annual bill on this plan, using my actual usage and export data?” Energy Made Easy answers that question directly. The IPART benchmarks give you a sanity check on whether the FiT is in a reasonable range. And the SSO adds a genuinely new variable from July 2026 that can benefit households with flexible daytime loads, regardless of whether they have a battery.
What gets overlooked most often is the value of self-consumption. Every kilowatt-hour you use directly from your panels avoids an import charge of 28–35 c/kWh. Every kilowatt-hour you export earns 5–12 c/kWh on most flat plans. That gap is why shifting loads to solar hours, or adding a battery, often delivers more savings than switching plans. The local solar vs. grid energy comparison for Illawarra households makes this concrete.
Plan choice matters. But it’s the second lever, not the first.
Solarxenergy helps Illawarra homeowners get the full picture
Choosing the right electricity plan is only half the equation. The other half is making sure your solar system, battery setup, and daily usage pattern are actually positioned to benefit from the plan you pick.
Solarxenergy works with homeowners across Wollongong, Shellharbour, and the broader Illawarra region to assess system sizing, battery suitability, and how your installation interacts with available retail plans. As a 5-star rated local installer, the team doesn’t just put panels on your roof and leave. They help you understand your solar system package options and factor in ongoing plan selection as part of the service.
If you’re weighing whether a battery would unlock better ToU or VPP plan value, or you want a second set of eyes on an Energy Made Easy comparison, get a free quote and the Solarxenergy team will walk through the numbers with you.
FAQ
What is a feed-in tariff and why doesn’t the highest one win?
A feed-in tariff (FiT) is the rate, in cents per kilowatt-hour, a retailer pays for solar energy you export to the grid. The highest FiT often comes with higher import rates, higher daily supply charges, or export caps that reduce its real value, so total annual bill cost is the correct measure.
How do I find my NMI to use Energy Made Easy?
Your NMI (National Metering Identifier) is printed on the front page of your electricity bill, usually labeled “NMI” or “Meter number.” It’s a 10–11 digit number used by Energy Made Easy to pull your actual usage data for a personalized plan comparison.
What is the Solar Sharer Offer and who qualifies?
The Solar Sharer Offer provides a free 3-hour electricity window from 11 AM to 2 PM for eligible NSW customers from 1 July 2026. You need a smart (interval) meter and must opt in, and the free period covers the first 24 kWh consumed during that window.
Does having a battery change which plan I should choose?
Yes, significantly. Battery owners can discharge stored energy during evening peak periods, where time-of-day FiT benchmarks for some NSW networks reach 16–33 c/kWh. A ToU or wholesale-linked plan captures that value; a flat FiT plan does not.
Can Solarxenergy help me choose a plan after installation?
Yes. Solarxenergy provides end-to-end support for Illawarra homeowners, including guidance on plan selection, battery integration, and NMI-based comparisons. Get a free quote to discuss your system and plan options with the local team.
