Key highlights:
- One-EV households could save up to $800 annually under Solar Sharer
- Two-EV households could potentially save as much as $1900
- Solar Sharer availability remains limited to NSW, SA, and South-east QLD
Australian households with electric vehicles could cut their energy bills by hundreds of dollars each year by charging during free-power periods under the government’s Solar Sharer plan launched in July 2026.
New modelling from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) estimates a household with one EV could save up to $800 a year, while some households with two EVs could save as much as $1900.
But the savings depend heavily on where you live, how you use energy and whether you can shift your charging to the free-power window.
EV owners could save even more
IEEFA energy analyst Jay Gordon says EVs already cost less to run than petrol or diesel cars, and Solar Sharer could push those running costs even lower if owners charge their cars during the free electricity period.
Jay Gordon added, “And if, of course you’re a larger household that had two EVs – and we know the majority of Australian homes do have more than one vehicle – you could be seeing double those savings, so you’re easily exceeding $1,000 a year just on that regulated solar sharer offer.”
Gordon used IEEFA’s household energy model to estimate the potential savings.
The modelling compared the total energy bill for a household using Solar Sharer with the bill for the same household on a standard electricity plan and the calculations assumed an average amount of driving.
The analysis comes after EV sales outpaced petrol cars for the first time in Australia in August.
Solar and EVs can work together
Electric Vehicle Council chief executive Julie Delvecchio says many Australians already save thousands of dollars each year by switching to an electric car and combining an EV with solar charging can increase those savings further.
The EV Council’s research shows that most people charge their vehicles at home, with 80% using solar panels.
There are now more than 200 EV models available in Australia, Delvecchio says, including some priced below $25,000.
Julie continued, “When you think about the opportunity to couple that with solar, and with charging at different times of the day. I think it’s one of the single biggest cost of living measures available to Australian households today.”
Also read: Third-gen 2028 Hyundai Kona spotted without cladding
Solar Sharer is not available everywhere
Solar Sharer Offer does not currently cover all Australian households and only applies to eligible households in Default Market Offer areas, where customers have less ability to shop around for better electricity deals.
That currently means households in New South Wales, South Australia, and South-east Queensland.
The free-power period also changes depending on the location, and people also need a smart meter installed at their property to qualify; then they must also opt in to access the offer.
| Location | Free-power period |
|---|---|
| NSW | 11am-2pm |
| South-east Queensland | 11am-2pm |
| South Australia | 12pm-3pm |
Solar households could see mixed results
The benefits become less straightforward for homes that already have solar panels and a battery.
Gordon said, “If you’ve already got more than enough rooftop solar to meet your home’s needs and to charge your battery, a solar sharer free period doesn’t necessarily add value.”
Some households could achieve moderate savings while others could actually pay more.
Solar Sharer is not always the cheapest plan
IEEFA also found that the Solar Sharer Offer should not automatically be treated as the cheapest electricity option.
Gordon said, “What we know about those default offers is they are almost never the best available option on the market.
“This is definitely the case for solar sharer tariffs. We found that when you looked at other offers on the markets, there is almost always a more competitive option.”
IEEFA found that households on a market offer with a free-power period could potentially achieve even greater savings; they needed to shift energy use, such as EV charging or water heating, into the free period to capture those savings.
Not every household can easily move its electricity use into the free period. Renters, apartment residents and households that use gas appliances may struggle to shift enough of their energy consumption to make the regulated Solar Sharer plan worthwhile.
The ability to change when you use electricity therefore plays a major role in how much you can save.
The federal and Victorian governments both provide comparison websites that allow households to compare electricity plans and look for cheaper deals, which means EV owners considering Solar Sharer can compare the offer with other available electricity plans before making the switch.
What exactly is a Solar Sharer offer?
The Solar Sharer offer is a regulated electricity plan introduced by the Australian Government in July 2026 that allows households to access the massive surplus of daytime solar energy flooding the grid for 3 hours free of charge.
People don’t even need their own rooftop solar panels or batteries to participate, as it is available to both homeowners and renters who want to benefit from cheap daytime solar energy. The free power is capped at a generous 24 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per day.
Considering buying an EV but budget won’t allow? Try thoroughly inspected used electric cars with a 30-day return policy
Comments
New Comment