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Your electricity plan decides what you pay for each kWh you import, any daily charge, and what you are credited for each kWh your solar exports. The same solar system or battery can be worth quite different amounts on different plans.
This page explains the common tariff types, how feed-in credits work and how to read the parts of a bill that matter for solar, batteries and EV charging. It does not quote any prices: they differ by retailer, network area and plan, and they change.
Retailers offer plans built on network tariffs. The names vary, but most plans use one of these structures, sometimes with extras.
A feed-in tariff is the credit your retailer pays for each kWh your system exports. It is part of your plan, can be flat or vary by time of day, and can change when the plan changes.
Feed-in credits are often lower than the price you pay to import. That is why the value of solar depends on how much of it you use yourself, and why a battery's value depends on the gap between your import price and your feed-in credit.
Some plans set a limit on credited exports, or offer different credits at different times. Read the plan's details rather than relying on a headline rate.
A plan that suits a home without solar may not suit one with solar, a battery or an EV. Time-of-use and demand plans reward shifting usage away from the peak window; a battery or smart EV charging can help with that.
Compare plans when your system or usage changes. Energy Made Easy, run by the Australian Energy Regulator, compares plans in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT; in Victoria, use Victorian Energy Compare. Your retailer can also explain the network tariffs that apply.
Your bill holds most of the information an installer needs to estimate what a system could do. Look for these parts.
Smart meters record usage in short intervals. Your retailer can usually provide this data, which shows when you use electricity through the day and across seasons. It gives a much better basis for sizing solar or a battery than a single bill.
It depends on when you use electricity and on the prices in your area. Compare plans using your own usage pattern, ideally from interval data.
It can, if the battery is set to supply the home during the demand window and has enough power (kW) and charge then. Check how your battery's settings handle the window.
Feed-in credits and import prices are set separately in your plan. Import prices include network and other costs that exported electricity does not attract.
Not yet reviewed by a person. Programs, products and rules change — check the official source before you decide.
General information only. PlaceNest's energy guides, and any estimates or incentive lists, are general information and estimates — not personalised financial advice, and not a quote. Programs, prices and rules change: check the official sources, and get written quotes from accredited installers before you decide.
PlaceNest guides are general information, not financial advice. Whether solar, a battery or an EV charger pays off depends on your home, usage and prices.
Any incentive or finance details PlaceNest shows come from a reviewed list, each with its official source and the date it was checked; eligibility is decided by each program. See how incentives work and paying for an upgrade.