NSW Solar Feed In Tariff Information
Last Updated: 31st May 2024
Current solar feed-in tariffs in NSW are what’s known as Voluntary Retailer Contributions. This means New South Wales electricity retailers don’t have to pay anything for solar electricity households export to the grid. But most do pay – and so they should! While there’s a lot more of it than there used to be, solar energy is still valuable stuff!
While electricity panels don’t have to have a feed-in tariff in NSW the Independent Pricing And Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) publish a recommended range for them. Their recent guidance for a flat “all-day” feed-in tariff has been:
- 2022-23 financial year: 6.2-10.4 c/kWh
- 2023-24 financial year: 7.7 to 9.4 c/kWh
- 2024-25 financial year: 4.9 to 6.3 c/kWh
As you can see, their recommendation for the 2024-25 financial year is lower than previous years. This is because the cost of wholesale electricity during the day is expected to be lower. If you’d like more details, you can check out IPART’s “all day” feed-in tariff factsheet.
Note these are just benchmark ranges. Some electricity retailers may offer a rate higher than this, and have done in recent years.
To find current feed-in tariff rates, use our electricity retailer comparison tool.
Time-Dependent Solar Feed-in Tariffs
Most solar homes receive a flat “all day” that is the same amount no matter when solar electricity is exported to the grid. But electricity retailers can also offer time-dependent feed-in tariffs. These offer lower rates for most of the day and higher ones in the late afternoon and evening when wholesale electricity prices are usually higher and solar output is normally low or zero. These time-dependent feed-in tariffs can be especially useful for homes with west facing panels, as they produce more power late in the day.
The draft benchmarks for these tariffs are:
| Time period | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| 6 am to 3 pm | 7.2 to 8.7c | 4.7 to 6.0c |
| 3 to 4 pm | 9.9 to 11.7c | 6.9 to 8.8c |
| 4 to 5 pm | 12.2 to 14.9c | 8.1 to 10.1c |
| 5 to 6 pm | 12.1 to 15.3c | 9.4 to 11.9c |
| 6 to 7 pm | 23.2 to 27.3c | 18.4 to 22.0c |
| 7 to 8 pm | 14.9 to 17.5c | 12.6 to 15.1c |
| 8 pm to 6 am | 11.2 to 13.2c | 9.6 to 11.5c |
Again, note these rates are not mandatory. NSW electricity retailers can offer as little or as much as they wish. If you want more information, IPART has a time-dependent feed-in tariff factsheet.
When shopping around for electricity retailers in New South Wales, bear in mind that plans with higher feed-in tariffs won’t necessarily give the lowest electricity bills. Depending on the size of your solar system and electricity consumption patterns, a plan with comparatively low feed-in tariffs may offer the best overall deal due to lower daily charges and consumption rates.
Find NSW Feed-In Tariffs And Compare Electricity Retailers
The easiest way to find a local retailer with a good solar buyback rate is to compare them using this tool I made.
NSW’s Generous Gross Feed-in Tariffs Ended On The 31st Of December 2016
From the 1st of January to the 27 of October 2010, NSW households could lock in a gross feed-in tariff of 60 cents a kilowatt-hour. After that, from the 28th of October 2010 to the 28th of April 2011, a gross feed-in tariff of 20 cents could be secured.
Both of these ended on the 31st of December 2016.
If you were on one of these tariffs you probably had your old gross meter replaced years ago. But if you’re not certain this occurred you can check your electricity bill to see if you’re receiving a solar feed-in tariff. If you aren’t and your electricity plans says you should be getting one, you may not have an electricity meter that can record your solar exports.
Having your meter replaced with a new one should cost you nothing and can be arranged by contacting your electricity retailer.
Options Now The Gross Feed-in Tariff Has Ended
Most solar power systems that received the high gross feed-in tariff incentive in New South Wales are quite small and usually around 3 kilowatts or less, with most being just 1.5 kilowatts. If you still have one of these you’re likely to be far better off with a larger system. Some of the options available are covered in this article.
Batteries Can Pay For Some
Now generous feed-in tariffs are no longer available, many solar owners are considering installing batteries. These can pay for themselves in NSW but normally only for homes with large solar systems and above average evening electricity consumption. It’s also important to be on a time-of-use tariff. This will improve the return whether a lower cost battery such as a Sungrow or a more expensive one such as a Powerwall 2 is installed. The cost of home batteries is falling, so it may not be long before they make sense for most homes.