Starting next July, households in three Australian states will be able to access three free hours of electricity each day under the government’s new “solar sharer” program, aimed at encouraging daytime energy use when solar supply is at its highest. The initiative, led by Energy Minister Chris Bowen, aims to alleviate pressure on the grid during peak times and optimize the use of Australia’s abundant rooftop solar energy. Eligible customers will need a smart meter to join, and energy retailers will offer different plans meeting national standards, according to Petra Stock of The Guardian. While the scheme could cut costs for those able to shift their appliance use to midday—such as retirees or people working from home—experts note that it may offer limited benefits for households that are empty during the day. The program is expected to expand nationwide by 2027. Stock writes:
Households in three states will soon have access to three free hours of power a day.
The “solar sharer” offer, set to be available from July next year, is designed to encourage households to use more power in the middle of the day – when solar is plentiful.
The energy minister, Chris Bowen, said he hoped the initiative would benefit the grid by taking pressure off during peak times. […]
Meanwhile more than 4.2m Australian homes are already benefiting directly from their rooftop solar.
“Solar customers consistently have lower bills, about 18% less than non-solar customers, even though they consume more electricity from the grid,” a report by the ACCC says.
“Customers with solar and battery systems pay even lower bills.” […]
“For households where no-one is home during the day, they may find it difficult to make use of cheaper power.” […]
“Run your dishwasher, washing machine or dryer in the middle of the day instead of the evening. Set your hot water system or heat pump to operate during daylight hours.”
Households can also set timers to pre-heat or pre-cool their homes at times when electricity is free or cheap, she says.
“If you’ve got an electric vehicle, you can plug it in for a midday ‘solar snack’ rather than charging overnight.” […]
Households can already choose plans with zero cost periods, Mountain says – he himself has been on one for the last three years, switching his dishwasher, washing machine, and electric vehicle charger to make the most of those hours.
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