Solar Feed-in Tariffs by State (2026–27)
Most of Australia no longer guarantees a minimum price for the solar you export. Here is what each state actually sets for 2026–27, and how to judge a feed-in tariff as part of the whole plan.
A solar feed-in tariff is what your electricity retailer pays you for each kilowatt-hour your panels send to the grid. In most of Australia there is no longer a guaranteed minimum: retailers set their own rates, and those rates have fallen to a few cents per kWh in the middle of the day. Only Tasmania still sets a minimum retailers must pay, regional Queensland and the Northern Territory have a regulated rate from their government-owned retailers, WA pays a set buyback rate, and NSW publishes a benchmark that retailers do not have to follow.
This guide sets out the official position in each state for 2026–27, explains the newer time-varying and export-charge arrangements, and shows how to weigh a feed-in tariff against the rest of a plan.
Feed-in tariffs by state, 2026–27
| State | Who sets it | Official figure for 2026–27 |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Retailers; IPART publishes a benchmark | All-day benchmark 3.4–6.5 c/kWh (not binding) |
| Victoria | Retailers | No minimum since 1 July 2025; cannot be below 0 c/kWh |
| South-east Queensland | Retailers | No regulated rate |
| Regional Queensland | Queensland Competition Authority | 6.006 c/kWh flat, down 31% from 8.660 c/kWh |
| South Australia | Retailers | No minimum since 1 January 2017 |
| ACT | Retailers | Voluntary and unregulated |
| Tasmania | Tasmanian Economic Regulator | 9.276 c/kWh minimum, up 5.6% from 8.782 c/kWh |
| Western Australia | WA Government (Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme) | Synergy: 10 c/kWh 3pm–9pm, 2 c/kWh other times, first 50 kWh a day |
| Northern Territory | Jacana Energy’s regulated rates | 9.33 c/kWh anytime; 18.66 c/kWh 3pm–9pm with a smart meter |
Synergy’s DEBS rates are as published on its website, which marks them effective from 1 July 2025; Jacana’s rates are valid from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
NSW: a benchmark, not a minimum
IPART, the NSW pricing regulator, publishes what it estimates solar exports are worth to a retailer. For 2026–27 the all-day range is 3.4 to 6.5 c/kWh, down from 4.8 to 7.3 c/kWh in 2025–26. Retailers can pay less, or more, and many do.
IPART also publishes time-of-day benchmarks for each network, which show how much timing now matters:
| Network | Middle of the day | Evening peak |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | 3.9–4 c/kWh (10am–3pm) | 17.2–18.7 c/kWh (4pm–9pm) |
| Endeavour Energy | 3.1–3.2 c/kWh (10am–2pm) | 16.9–19.9 c/kWh (4pm–8pm) |
| Essential Energy | 3.3–4.4 c/kWh (10am–3pm) | 26.6–33.3 c/kWh (5pm–8pm) |
In IPART’s words, to receive the higher evening values you need a battery that can store and discharge power, and a plan with a feed-in tariff that varies by time of day. Our NSW electricity page covers the rest of the NSW market.
Victoria: the minimum has gone
Until June 2025 the Essential Services Commission set a minimum feed-in tariff every year. An amendment to the Electricity Industry Act ended that, and there has been no minimum since 1 July 2025. Retailers set their own feed-in tariffs, which cannot go below zero. The ESC says it still oversees whether retailers’ terms and conditions are fair. For a Victorian solar household this makes comparing plans more important than it used to be, because the gap between the best and worst feed-in rates is no longer bounded. See our Victoria page.
Queensland: regulated in the regions, open in the south-east
In regional Queensland, where Ergon Energy Retail supplies effectively every home, the Queensland Competition Authority sets a flat feed-in tariff. For 2026–27 it is 6.006 c/kWh, 31% lower than the 8.660 c/kWh paid in 2025–26. The QCA put the fall down to lower energy costs and better data from smart meters on when solar is actually exported, which lowered its estimate of what those exports are worth.
In south-east Queensland, retailers set their own feed-in tariffs. See our Queensland page.
South Australia and the ACT: retailer-set
ESCOSA stopped setting a minimum retailer feed-in tariff from 1 January 2017, deciding that a minimum no longer served consumers who might find better overall packages or time-of-use feed-in arrangements. The SA Government says retailers set their own rates and policies without its oversight. Households who joined the original government scheme between July 2008 and September 2011 continue to receive the 44 c/kWh distributor feed-in payment until 30 June 2028.
In the ACT, the government says feed-in tariffs are voluntary and not regulated, and rates vary significantly between retailers.
Tasmania: the last regulated minimum
Tasmania’s Economic Regulator sets a minimum every year using a published method. From 1 July 2026 it is 9.276 c/kWh, 5.6% more than in 2025–26, because of higher loss factors, market costs and wholesale prices. It applies to eligible small solar, wind and mini-hydro systems on mainland Tasmania, including Bruny Island.
WA and the NT: time-of-day buyback
Both territories outside the National Electricity Market pay more for exports late in the day. In WA, the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme pays Synergy customers 10 c/kWh for exports between 3pm and 9pm and 2 c/kWh at other times, on the first 50 kWh a day. In the NT, Jacana Energy pays 9.33 c/kWh at any time and 18.66 c/kWh between 3pm and 9pm for customers with a smart meter. West-facing panels and battery exports in the evening earn most under both.
Flat, time-varying and capped feed-in tariffs
Retailers structure feed-in tariffs in a few ways:
- Flat: one rate for every exported kWh, whenever it is exported.
- Time-varying: a low rate in the middle of the day and a higher rate in the late afternoon or evening, reflecting what exports are worth to the grid at those times.
- Stepped or capped: a higher rate for the first few kWh a day, then a lower rate. Check the daily cap before assuming the headline rate applies to all your exports.
A time-varying feed-in tariff helps most if you have a battery that can export in the evening, or panels facing west.
Export charges and export limits
Since a 2021 rule change, electricity networks may charge for solar exports at times when there is too much solar on the grid, above a free basic export level, and pay a rebate for exports when the grid needs them. Existing solar customers could not be put on export pricing before 1 July 2025 unless they chose to be. In NSW, IPART’s benchmarks already include network export charges for daytime exports above a free threshold and rebates for evening exports.
Separately, your network may limit how much your system can export at all. If you are installing a system, ask the installer what export limit applies at your address.
How to judge a feed-in tariff
- Work out how much you export. Your bill shows exported kWh. If you export little, the feed-in rate matters little.
- Compare the whole plan. Estimate a year’s cost including usage, supply charge and feed-in credits. A plan with a high feed-in tariff can cost more overall if its usage rates are higher.
- Check caps and time windows. A high rate may apply only to the first few kWh a day, or only in the evening.
- Consider the free-midday plans. In NSW, south-east Queensland and SA, the Solar Sharer Offer gives free usage for three hours in the middle of the day. For a solar household that is less useful than for one without panels, but it can suit homes that also run large loads at midday.
Our solar hub covers how solar pays for itself, and our guide on whether solar batteries are worth it shows how the feed-in tariff feeds into a battery decision.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current feed-in tariff for solar panels?
It depends on where you live and your retailer. In most states retailers set their own rates. The official figures for 2026–27 are a 9.276 c/kWh minimum in Tasmania, a regulated 6.006 c/kWh in regional Queensland, a non-binding 3.4–6.5 c/kWh benchmark in NSW, 9.33 c/kWh from Jacana in the NT, and 2 or 10 c/kWh under WA's buyback scheme depending on the time of day. Victoria, SA, the ACT and south-east Queensland have no minimum.
Which company pays the highest solar feed-in tariff?
That changes often, and the highest feed-in rate is rarely the best plan on its own because it is often paired with higher usage rates or a daily cap. Compare whole plans on Energy Made Easy or Victorian Energy Compare using both your exports and your usage.
Are solar feed-in tariffs worth it?
They are worth having, but they are no longer the main reason solar pays. With feed-in rates of a few cents and grid power costing several times more, using your own solar saves far more per kWh than exporting it.
Is there still a minimum feed-in tariff in Victoria?
No. After a change to the Electricity Industry Act, the Essential Services Commission stopped setting a minimum feed-in tariff, and none has applied since 1 July 2025. Retailers set their own rates, which cannot be below zero.
What is a solar export charge?
Under rules that took effect in 2021, networks may charge for solar exports at busy times above a free threshold, and pay a rebate for exports when the grid needs them. In NSW, for example, networks charge for daytime exports above a free threshold and pay a rebate for exports in the evening peak. Retailers may pass these on in their feed-in tariffs.
