Compare solar electricity plans and feed-in tariffs by state

How do I find the best solar electricity plan?

Solar owners need to take into account a few factors when choosing a solar plan for their home.

Compare

Shopping around is key to getting yourself the best energy deal for solar. Compare plans available in your area before committing to one.

Estimate your total power bill

Input your energy usage (check your most recent bill) to get the most accurate cost estimate for your household.

Solar export and feed-in tariffs

How much will you be exporting back to the grid? Sustainability Victoria says that most solar systems export 50–70% of their power. If you opt for a provider with a low feed-in tariff (FiT), your power bill credits will also be small.

Check kWh prices

Opting for the highest FiT isn't always beneficial. Some electricity plans offer a very high FiT but only to a limited amount of kilowatt-hours (kWh). Others may offer a decent FiT but a high kWh price at night. In some instances, electricity plans made specifically for solar owners have a different pricing altogether and include a higher daily fixed charge.

Benefit period and discount conditions

Make sure to read the fine print before choosing an electricity plan. Some plans may have restrictions on the size of an eligible system. There could also be export limits or declining FiT after your benefit period has expired.

Which provider in Australia offers the best solar feed-in tariffs?

Our table lists the highest feed-in tarrifs available in each state. For most states you'll notice we've included 2 options.

"Solar power is more popular than it's ever been in Australia. But because of this, tariffs from the power companies aren't necessarily what they used to be. So before you automatically opt for a feed-in tariff, make sure you check whether you'd be better off on your bill using it yourself, or storing it."

Tom Goodwin

Editor

That's because energy consumption habits vary by household. You might benefit from a flat FiT that's not the highest around but still good. Or you may prefer the highest FiT for a certain amount per day followed by a lower FiT per kWh for the remainder of the day.

High solar feed-in tariffs vs usage rates: Which is better?

Higher feed-in tariffs can look attractive on paper but most plans with higher FiTs likely have a more costly usage rate. This means you'll end up paying more to buy additional energy from the grid if you ever need to.

To find the best feed-in tariff for your home, you need to consider the following:

• How much grid energy you use per day. The more power you pay for, the more important it is to have a low usage rate.
• How much solar you export. If you don't buy much power but export heaps to the grid, a high FiT could drive down your bill.

Here are the benefits and drawbacks of seeking out higher feed-in tariffs:

• Pros

  • Turn your unused solar energy into rebates. Feed-in tariffs let you convert excess energy into a credit on your bill.
  • Encourage environment-friendly energy. Feed-in tariffs are a decent incentive to make eco-friendly solar generation more cost-effective.
  • High-export houses can benefit. If your house runs on mostly solar power already and you have some to spare for export, getting a high tariff has no downsides.

• Cons

  • Feed-in tariffs are much lower than usage rates. You save far more money by using your solar power and not buying grid power rather than exporting it.
  • High feed-in tariffs mean higher usage rates. Plans that boost your export price almost always make it pricier to buy power from the grid too.
  • Strict eligibility requirements. Retailers often limit their highest rate to the following:
    • ◦ Customers with solar systems under a certain size (usually ~10kW)
    • ◦ The first few kWh exported per day (typically ≤5kWh)
    • ◦ The first 6–12 months of your plan
    • ◦ Customers who purchased their solar system through the retailer

If you're worried that feed-in tariffs won't really cover your costs, consider investing in a solar battery to reduce your reliance on grid power. These extend the time it takes for your solar system to pay itself off but can be an excellent long-term investment.

Good to know. FiTs are less important than they used to be. Back in the day, you would be paid up to 60c/kWh for each bit of energy exported. These days, you'll be lucky to get paid more than 10c/kWh in most states.

Why compare energy with Finder?

We know our stuff. Our experts review hundreds of plans each month. It's hard work, but we love it.

You can rely on us. We update plan data on dozens of providers daily, and we're constantly fact-checking.

We're here to help. We've helped millions of Aussies find cheaper energy. That's pretty powerful.

Learn more about energy

Our energy guides can help you compare and understand what plan is best for you.

Best energy plans: 5 plans selected by our experts, assessed and updated regularly

Cheap energy plans: Find the cheapest energy plans available this month

Solar power plans: Got rooftop solar? Compare your options and save even more

Average energy bill: Find out how your energy bill compares to the rest of Australia

Frequently asked questions

• What is a feed-in tariff?

  Solar feed-in tariffs are rebates offered to customers that generate their own solar energy and feed it back into the power grid.

  For every kilowatt-hour of energy you send back, you get paid somewhere between 1 and 20c/kWh depending on your plan. These rebates show up as a credit on your energy bill at the end of the month.

• Can you negotiate feed-in tariffs?

  You can't negotiate feed-in tariffs but you can choose a solar plan that best fits your household by knowing how much electricity you use. On that basis, you need to decide between low and high feed-in tariffs and value it against usage rates and supply charges.

• Why are solar feed-in tariffs so low?

  You might have noticed that FiTs have reached a historical low and seem to be falling each year. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Feed-in tariffs are becoming less important for solar owners with tanking rates and the possibility of charges for exporting to the grid in future.

  Plus, early adopters of solar were paying much higher prices for the technology. It made sense to have higher FiTs as a result. However, solar panel prices have dropped by almost 80% in the last decade. The adoption of solar has increased tenfold since it has become more efficient and affordable.

• How often do feed-in tariffs change?

  You can expect FiTs to change each year because of the change in wholesale electricity prices.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Mariam Gabaji

Editor I Tech and utilities expert

Mariam Gabaji is an editor and tech and utilities expert at Finder with 12+ years of experience as a journalist. She's committed to helping households cut through the industry jargon and save money on their bills. Her expertise is often featured in media including the ABC, Yahoo Finance, 9News, 7News, A Current Affair, The Guardian, SBS and Money Magazine. See full bio

Mariam's expertise

Mariam has written 305 Finder guides across topics including:

• Energy
• Mobile
• Broadband
• Consumer tech