3 Hours free electricity with the Solar Sharer Offer

The Solar Sharer Offer will provide 3 hours of free electricity to eligible households from July 1 2026.

It’s true, free electricity is available, whether you have solar or not. It doesn’t matter if you are renting, or living in an apartment – you can access 3 hours of free electricity up to 24 kWh per day.

The Solar Sharer Offer is not available in every state in Australia though. To start with, only residents from New South Wales (NSW), South Australia (SA) and south-east Queensland can accept the free electricity offer. Soon though, the offer will be available to eligible Victorian (VIC) residents.

In this article, we explain the Solar Sharer Offer in detail and tell you how to maximise your 3 free hours of electricity.

What is the Solar Sharer Offer?

The Solar Sharer Offer (SSO) is an opt-in electricity tariff that forms part of the Default Market Offer (DMO) that is regulated by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). The SSO provides households from eligible states, with a smart meter, access to 3 hours of free electricity during the middle hours of the day.

The offer is available to domestic customers through their electricity retailer. Free electricity use will be capped at 24 kWh per day during the three hour window.

The 3 free hours of power offer is not available in every state in Australia, the table below summarises where the offer is available and, at what times during the day:

Who’s eligible

The Solar Sharer Offer (SSO) is only available to residents in New South Wales, South Australia and south-east Queensland. Victoria is set to provide the free electricity offer from October 2026 under a program called the Midday Power Saver. Residents of these states will need a smart meter to participate in the offer.

Western Australia considering a similar offer

In reaction to the 3 hours of free electricity announcement, Western Australian regulators are considering a similar form of offer, however, nothing has been confirmed at the time of updating. Both Victoria and WA regulate their electricity prices at a state level.

When does the Solar Sharer Offer start?

The Solar Sharer Offer is available from 1st July 2026 for New South Wales, South Australia and south-east Queensland residents. The Victorian Midday Power Saver offer is set to start from October 2026. The Western Australian government may well follow suit and agree to a similar free electricity offer, it could take place as early as July 2027.

How the free electricity window works

Any household, with a smart meter, will be able to access 3 hours of free electricity regardless of whether they have a home solar system or not. Households must opt in to a new electricity plan offer from their retailer to access the free power.

The 3 hours of free electricity will run between 11am – 2pm, or 12pm – 3pm each day. The 3-hour free electricity period varies by state. For NSW, SE QLD and VIC (when commences), the 3-hour window is between 11am – 2pm. For South Australia, the window runs between 12pm – 3pm.

Why is the Solar Sharer Offer being proposed?

The objective of the Solar Sharer Offer is to shift electricity demand from peak consumption hours to the middle hours of the day when solar systems generate more electricity. In theory, doing so will have several benefits, including:

• Reducing household electricity bills
• Lowering electricity prices
• Providing benefits for renters and those without solar
• Stabilisation of the grid by reducing peak demand periods
• Potentially avoid costly infrastructure upgrades

Just over 40% of Australian households now have solar panels. Typically, solar generates most electricity during the middle of the day, when electricity consumption is very low. As a result, wholesale electricity prices during this period of the day are very low and sometimes even slip into negative territory.

Excess solar generation

As solar installations in Australia increase, so too does the amount of excess solar energy that is exported back to the grid. In recent years, this abundance of solar generation during peak sunshine hours has put downward pressure on feed-in tariffs and seen the introduction of a ‘Sun Tax’ in some states.

The Solar Sharer Offer tackles the problem by rewarding consumers that can shift their electricity use to the middle hours of the day when solar generation is at its highest – thereby smoothing electricity consumption more evenly throughout the day.

Household benefits of the Solar Sharer scheme

For households, there are many benefits to the Solar Sharer Offer, particularly for homes that do not currently own solar panels.

Lower electricity bills

Households that can shift electricity loads to the free 3-hour period will benefit from lower electricity bills. Running appliances, or scheduling loads with smart devices to operate during the 3-hour window will lead to an increase in savings. The 3 hours of free power offer is a great way to reduce your electricity bill.

Lower electricity prices

In theory, the Solar Sharer Offer will decrease electricity prices by providing free electricity for 3 hours and reducing demand during peak hours. Shifting electricity use to the free period will reduce demand during peak hours, thereby placing downward pressure on electricity prices.

Renters benefit from solar

Renters that have been unable to install a solar system will benefit considerably from the Solar Sharer Offer. Just as using solar during peak daylight hours is the best way to make savings from a home solar system, the same principle will apply to renters. Rental households that can shift their electricity use to the 3-hour free period will benefit by not having to pay for electricity consumed during these hours.

EV owners can benefit

Electric vehicle owners can benefit from the 3 hours of free electricity offer by charging their vehicle during the free period. The average cost to charge an EV at home is around $21.27 in Australia. A 7kW home EV charger could potentially consume 21 kWh during the 3-hour free electricity period, potentially saving around $6.93 per day of charging (assuming 33c / kWh).

Charge your solar battery

For existing solar battery owners, one benefit of the 3 hours of free electricity offer is the ability to charge a solar battery at no cost. Stored solar power could then be used to power household appliances during times of peak demand.

How to maximise savings from the Solar Sharer Offer

Savvy households that can shift their electricity loads can substantially benefit from the 3 hours of free electricity. The average household uses 15.31 kWh per day in Australia, the majority of it consumed during peak morning and afternoon / evening periods. Any kWh of electricity consumed during the 3-hour window will be free-of-charge.

For example, the cost of electricity in Sydney averages 36.7 per kWh. A household that can shift 5 kWh of electricity to the free 3-hour window could potentially save $1.83 per day. Over the course of a year, savings may equate to up to $670.

Savings will vary by household and location

Savings from the Solar Sharer Offer will vary by household and location. The average 2-person electricity bill in Brisbane is $563 per quarter, $218 lower than that for a 4-person household. It therefore stands to reason that households that have more occupants and use more electricity, will benefit more from the offer.

Location is also a factor, the average electricity bill in Melbourne is unlikely to change until the offer is made available in Victoria.

Conclusion

The Solar Sharer Offer benefits households that can shift their electricity load from peak periods to the new 3-hour electricity free period. Solar owners may not experience all of the benefits of the new offer, as they should already have changed habits in a bid to self-consume their solar generated electricity and therefore increase savings. Though, the SSO can potentially increase savings for households that own a battery.

For households without solar, this is a chance to benefit from Australia’s abundance of solar generation during peak sunshine hours. It presents a legitimate opportunity to lower electricity bills. When opting into the free electricity offer, households should be wary of the electricity rates of the new plan during peak demand times, as these may increase with the offer.