Solar Sharer Offer and Victoria's Midday Power Saver: free midday power explained

From 1 July 2026, electricity retailers with more than 1,000 customers in New South Wales, South East Queensland and South Australia must offer the Solar Sharer Offer (SSO): an opt-in, regulated plan that gives smart-meter households three hours of free electricity every day — 11 am to 2 pm in NSW and South East Queensland, and 12 pm to 3 pm in South Australia. Victoria has its own version, the Midday Power Saver (MPS), a standing offer that retailers with 1,000 or more customers must offer from 1 October 2026, with free usage from 11 am to 2 pm. Both are time-of-use plans: outside the free window you pay peak, shoulder or off-peak rates, which can be higher than on other plans, and the daily supply charge still applies. They help households that can move big loads into the middle of the day, with or without rooftop solar. They are not the cheapest choice for everyone.

Solar Sharer Offer (NSW, South East Queensland, South Australia)

Key features as described by Energy Made Easy and the AER:

Feature	Solar Sharer Offer
Start	1 July 2026
Regions	DMO regions: NSW, South East Queensland, South Australia
Free window	11 am–2 pm (NSW, SE Qld); 12 pm–3 pm (SA), same all year, no daylight saving shift
Free amount	First 24 kWh in the window each day; usage above that at a "reasonable use" rate set in the plan
Outside the window	Time-of-use rates (peak, shoulder, off-peak)
Eligibility	Residential, smart (interval) meter, not on an embedded network
Opt-in	Yes — you must ask; you cannot be moved onto it automatically
Who must offer	Retailers with more than 1,000 customers across the DMO regions
Price regulation	Annual price regulated using the time-of-use DMO for each zone
Not covered	Controlled load usage (billed at controlled load rates); daily supply charge

The 24 kWh daily allowance is roughly what an average five-person household uses in a whole day, so most households will not reach it in the window unless they charge an electric vehicle.

Victorian Midday Power Saver

The ESC describes the MPS as a standing offer required by the Victorian Government:

Feature	Midday Power Saver
Start	1 October 2026
Free window	11 am–2 pm every day, local time
Other periods	Off-peak 9 pm–11 am; solar soak 2 pm–4 pm; peak 4 pm–9 pm
Eligibility	Most residential customers with a smart meter; opt-in; not for small business
Who must offer	Licensed retailers with 1,000 or more customers
Prices	Set by the Victorian Government for 1 October 2026 – 30 June 2027; set by the ESC from 1 July 2027; vary by distribution zone

Check the ESC page and Victorian Energy Compare for the rates in your zone.

Who these plans suit

Household	Likely fit
Home during the day, can run laundry, dishwasher, pool pump at midday	Good
EV that can charge 11 am–2 pm at home	Very good
Electric hot water on the general circuit, timer set to midday	Good
Electric hot water on a controlled load	Controlled load does not get the free power
Out all day, most use 5 pm–10 pm	Poor — peak rates dominate
Rooftop solar already covering midday use	Limited gain; compare the full tariff and feed-in rate
Renters in apartments on embedded networks	Not eligible for the SSO

Worked example: does free midday power pay off?

Illustrative rates only, not regulated SSO or MPS prices. A household uses 18 kWh a day.

Current flat plan: 32 c/kWh, supply 110 c/day.

18 × $0.32 + $1.10 = $6.86 a day

Free-midday plan: free 11 am–2 pm, peak 48 c, shoulder 30 c, off-peak 24 c, supply 120 c/day.

Scenario 1 — no change in habits: 2 kWh midday (free), 8 kWh peak, 4 kWh shoulder, 4 kWh off-peak.

8 × $0.48 + 4 × $0.30 + 4 × $0.24 + $1.20 = $3.84 + $1.20 + $0.96 + $1.20 = $7.20 a day (dearer by $0.34)

Scenario 2 — move laundry, dishwasher and hot water timer to midday: 8 kWh midday (free), 4 kWh peak, 3 kWh shoulder, 3 kWh off-peak.

4 × $0.48 + 3 × $0.30 + 3 × $0.24 + $1.20 = $1.92 + $0.90 + $0.72 + $1.20 = $4.74 a day (cheaper by $2.12)

Over a 91-day quarter, scenario 2 saves about $193, while scenario 1 costs about $31 more. The outcome depends on how much you can actually move, so use your own interval data.

How to get one and what to check

Confirm you have a smart meter (your bill or retailer can tell you).
Look up Solar Sharer or Midday Power Saver offers on Energy Made Easy or Victorian Energy Compare and compare them against your current plan using your NMI.
Ask your retailer to move you; it is opt-in.
Read the fact sheet for the peak window, reasonable use rate, supply charge and feed-in tariff.
Change timers on appliances and check the first bill.

The time-of-use guide, controlled load guide, feed-in tariff guide and pricing overview cover the related rules.

FAQ

Is the Solar Sharer Offer only for people with solar panels?

No. It is designed so households without panels can also benefit from cheap midday solar on the grid. You need a smart meter.

Will my retailer put me on it automatically?

No. The SSO is opt-in and cannot become a retailer's default standing offer. The Victorian MPS is also opt-in.

Is the free window affected by daylight saving?

For the SSO, Energy Made Easy says the window is the same all year with no daylight saving change. For the MPS, the ESC describes the window in local time; confirm the details with your retailer.

Can I leave if it does not work for me?

These are standing offers, so you can generally move to another plan. Check the plan terms for any conditions.

Sources

Energy Made Easy — "The Solar Sharer Offer (SSO): what you need to know"
Australian Energy Regulator — DMO 2026–27 and Solar Sharer Offer retailer fact sheet
Essential Services Commission — Victorian Midday Power Saver
Victorian Energy Compare — compare Victorian plans