The Solar Sharer Offer and your free power hours

The Solar Sharer Offer gives eligible households three hours of free power in the middle of every day. Here's what it is, who can get it and easy ways to use those hours.

What it is

An optional electricity offer with a free window in the middle of the day, when solar power is plentiful.

  • Three free hours a day

    The free power runs for three hours in the middle of every day. In New South Wales and South East Queensland it runs from 11am to 2pm. In South Australia it runs from 12pm to 3pm. You don't need rooftop solar to get it.

  • There is a daily cap

    You can use up to 24 kWh of free electricity in the window each day. A charge may apply if you use more than that during the window.

  • It isn't free power all day

    You still pay for electricity you use outside the three hours, and you still pay your daily supply charge. Rates for both depend on the offer your retailer gives you.

  • It's optional

    You choose whether to sign up. Retailers with more than 1,000 customers in these areas must make the offer available to eligible households. To opt in, contact your energy retailer and check it suits your home.

Who can get it

It's for eligible households in New South Wales, South East Queensland and South Australia.

  • Your home needs to tick these boxes

    • You live in New South Wales, South East Queensland or South Australia.
    • Your home has a smart meter.
    • You rent or own your home.
    • You're not supplied through an embedded network.
    • Your retailer is one that must offer it.

  • No smart meter yet?

    Ask your retailer whether one can be installed and whether any fees apply.

  • Before you sign up

    Compare the rates during and outside the free window with your current plan. The Australian Government says the offer won't suit every household, and you're more likely to come out ahead if you can move more of your use into the free hours.

Using your free hours

The idea is to move jobs into the free window, where it's safe and practical to do so.

  • Run the big appliances in the window

    • Washing machines, clothes dryers and dishwashers.
    • Ovens.
    • Heating and cooling.
    • Your home battery or an electric vehicle, if you have one, can charge in the window.

  • Let timers do the remembering

    Many appliances have a timer or smart setting, so a load can start itself during the three hours even when nobody's home.

  • Heat or cool a little early

    Heating or cooling your home during the free window means you use less later in the day.

  • Some things can't move

    Hot water systems and pool pumps may not be shiftable if they're on a controlled load.

How RayHub helps

RayHub is a solar hub for your wall that shows what your solar is doing right now. It can also mark your free hours.

  • Tell your solar hub your free hours

    Set the start and end of your free power hours on your hub, on the hour or the half hour. The offer's windows start and end on the hour, so they fit.

  • A green banner when they start

    When your free hours start, a green FREE POWER banner flashes across the top of your hub. After ten minutes it settles and stays up until your free hours end.

  • See your house using power

    Your hub shows what your solar, house, grid and battery are doing right now. Start a load in your free hours and you can watch your house number change.

  • It only reads

    RayHub only reads your inverter. It doesn't start your appliances or change how your solar system runs, so a timer or the appliance's own settings still do that job.

  • Not on sale yet

    RayHub is in pre-production. Register for pre-orders and we'll email you when they open. If your hub does something unexpected once you have one, the help page is the place to start.

Sources

Details checked on 7 October 2026. Hours, caps and rules can change, so check with your retailer before you sign up.