Victorians can now get 3 hours of free electricity every day. Here’s how
Key takeaways
- Victorian households can now get 3 hours of free electricity a day, between 11am and 2pm, under the state government's new Midday Power Saver scheme.
- Around 2.6 million Victorian households with a smart meter are eligible, but you won't be signed up automatically. You'll need to arrange it through your electricity retailer.
- Peak electricity rates outside the free window can be significantly higher, so the savings depend on how much power you can shift into the middle of the day.
The Midday Power Saver is a Victorian government scheme that gives eligible households free electricity between 11am and 2pm every day, up to 24 kilowatt-hours.
It runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027.
Victoria has more than 850,000 small-scale rooftop solar systems, and all that solar generation can push wholesale electricity prices down during the middle of the day.
The government wants households to use more electricity during those hours, rather than shifting their consumption into the more expensive evening peak.
It's similar to the Solar Sharer Offer introduced on 1 July for New South Wales, South-East Queensland and South Australia.
Who's eligible for 3 hours of free electricity in Victoria?
Around 2.6 million Victorian households are eligible.
You will need a smart meter and you'll need to opt in through your electricity retailer.
Retailers with 1,000 or more customers are required to offer the scheme.
Households in embedded networks, such as some apartment buildings, can only access the offer if they have a smart meter and can choose their own market offer.
What are the electricity rates outside the free window?
The catch is that outside the free window, the peak-time rates are fairly steep.
Here's what you can expect to pay depending on your distribution zone.
| Zone | Off-peak (9pm–11am) | Solar soak (2pm–4pm) | Peak (4pm–9pm) | Daily supply charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ausnet | 24.78c/kWh | 19.76c/kWh | 49.82c/kWh | $1.28 |
| CitiPower | 23.22c/kWh | 18.64c/kWh | 40.36c/kWh | $1.21 |
| Jemena | 23.94c/kWh | 19.83c/kWh | 39.75c/kWh | $1.27 |
| Powercor | 24.62c/kWh | 19.39c/kWh | 43.81c/kWh | $1.38 |
| United Energy | 24.27c/kWh | 19.39c/kWh | 42.45c/kWh | $1.19 |
These are the maximum rates retailers can charge, so some retailers may offer lower rates.
The peak rate, however, is the one to watch.
It's significantly higher than the overnight rate, so the plan makes more sense if you can shift things like the dishwasher, washing machine, dryer or EV charging into the middle of the day.
If most of your electricity use happens in the evening after work, though, you could end up paying more overall.
How much can you actually save?
According to the state government, a typical household could save around $149 to $428 a year.
The exact amount depends on how much of its electricity use, between 5% and 30%, it can shift into the free window.
If you an electric vehicle, the savings could be higher - an additional $674 or up to $1,102 in total over the year.
That's because you can store the free daytime power and use it later, rather than sending it back to the grid.
These are estimates only. What you actually save will depend on your household and how much electricity you can realistically shift to between 11am and 2pm.
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