North Coast households with smart meters could soon enjoy three hours of free electricity each day under a new federal initiative aimed at sharing the benefits of renewable energy more widely.
Hundreds of thousands of households will gain access to the free power through the Australian Government’s Solar Sharer program, announced by Energy Minister Chris Bowen on Tuesday. The plan will provide free electricity during the middle of the day when solar generation peaks and will be introduced through the Default Market Offer from mid-2026.
“People who are able to move electricity use into the zero-cost power period will benefit directly, whether they have solar panels or not and whether they own or rent,” Mr Bowen said. “The more people take up the offer and move their use, the greater the system benefits that lower costs for all electricity users will be.”
To access the offer, households must have a smart meter installed. The free energy period could be used to run appliances such as air conditioners, pool pumps, washing machines, or to charge electric vehicles and home batteries. Federal energy analysis shows a single-person household that shifts 10 per cent of energy use into the free period could save around nine per cent on annual bills.
The Solar Sharer will apply to households in Default Market Offer–regulated states from July 2026, with plans to expand to other states in 2027. The Australian Energy Regulator will oversee the program to ensure customers receive fair pricing outside the free-power window.
The announcement comes as renewable energy overtakes coal as Australia’s dominant source of power generation, with renewables supplying 48.8 per cent of national power in September, compared to coal’s 47.6 per cent.
Rewiring Australia CEO Francis Vierboom said the new reform would benefit renters and apartment dwellers who often miss out on solar savings.
“In the middle of the day, our grid is humming with cheap solar. The underlying price of that electricity is often zero or negative,” Mr Vierboom said.
That trend is already evident across the North Coast, where rooftop solar uptake is among the highest in New South Wales. Regions like Ballina, Byron Bay, and Coffs Harbour regularly produce more daytime solar power than they consume, feeding excess energy back into the grid. Essential Energy has been trialling battery storage solutions to help manage the load and keep more locally generated power in the region.
“This Solar Sharer reform means energy retailers will have to pass on those ultra-low prices to consumers for at least three hours,” Mr Vierboom said. “That’s enough time to heat a hot-water tank, cool a home, or charge an EV – and each one could mean hundreds of dollars in savings each year.”
Australian Energy Regulator Chair Clare Savage said the reform would also reduce costs for everyone. “Shifting more demand to the middle of the day lowers the cost of the electricity system for all consumers as we don’t need to build as much generation or poles and wires to meet the evening peak,” she said.
Retailers such as AGL, OVO, and Red Energy already offer similar daytime-free or discounted power periods.
With more than 4.2 million Australian households now equipped with solar panels – and full smart-meter rollout expected by 2030 – the Solar Sharer program aims to make affordable solar energy available to everyone, regardless of whether they can install panels themselves.
Something going on in your part of the North Coast people should know about? Let us know by emailing newsdesk@nctimes.com.au
