Australia’s Solar Sharer Offer took effect on July 1, 2026, for eligible households in NSW, SA, and South East Queensland 
Participants with smart meters can access up to 3 hours of free midday electricity each day, without needing rooftop solar 
The initiative is designed to reduce household electricity bills, improve the use of surplus daytime solar generation and ease evening peak demand 
The Australian Government’s Solar Sharer Offer (SSO), under which it offers 3 hours of free solar power each day to eligible households during periods of high solar generation, came into effect on July 1, 2026. 
This voluntary program is open to residential customers in New South Wales (NSW), South Australia (SA), and South East Queensland (SE Qld) who have a smart meter installed. Both homeowners and renters are eligible to participate in the scheme, and participation does not require rooftop solar.  
Under the scheme, free electricity is available from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in NSW and SE Qld, and from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in SA. Eligible households can use up to 24 kWh of electricity during the daily free-power period. 
According to the government, the SSO is designed to help households reduce electricity bills by encouraging them to shift energy use to periods of abundant daytime solar generation. It also aims to improve the use of renewable electricity and ease pressure on the grid during evening peak demand. 
Australia has one of the world’s highest levels of rooftop solar adoption, supported by a growing fleet of large-scale solar farms. As a result, wholesale electricity prices can fall sharply, and even turn negative, during the middle of the day when solar generation is at its highest. The scheme is intended to encourage greater use of this surplus electricity instead of allowing it to go unused or requiring solar generation to be curtailed. 
Households that opt in for the SSO are encouraged to increase their potential savings by using high-energy appliances such as washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, ovens, heating and cooling systems, or by charging electric vehicles (EVs) and home batteries during the free-power window. 
Electricity consumed outside the designated hours, along with the daily supply charge, continues to be billed under the customer’s tariff. Australia initially announced the program in November 2025 with plans to expand it nationwide by 2027 (see Australia To Offer Free Solar Power To All Households Starting July 2026).   
According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), the SSO forms part of reforms to the Default Market Offer (DMO). Retailers serving more than 1,000 customers in DMO regions are required to provide the option to eligible households. 
The government said it is also considering extending the SSO, or a similar scheme, to jurisdictions outside the current DMO regions. 
TaiyangNews 2024

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