Feed-in tariffs in Victoria for 2026-27: what changed

There is no minimum solar feed-in tariff in Victoria for 2026-27, and there has not been one since 30 June 2025. Retailers now decide what they pay you for the solar you send to the grid, and the only floor is zero. If you have solar, or are planning it, that changes what a good system and a good electricity plan look like.

How we got here

For years the Essential Services Commission set a minimum feed-in tariff each financial year, and every retailer had to pay at least that much. The minimum had already been sliding as rooftop solar spread across the state. For 2024-25 the flat minimum was 3.3c per kWh, with time-varying options from 2.1c to 8.4c. The Commission put the fall down to the changing value of solar exports, with so much solar in the market and low wholesale prices during daylight hours.

For 2025-26, the Commission's final decision went further: a flat minimum of 0.04c per kWh, and time-varying rates running from 0.00c during the day to 6.57c in the evening peak. That decision never applied. In May 2025 the Electricity Industry Act 2000 was amended, the Commission stopped setting minimum feed-in tariffs, and from 1 July 2025 retailers were free to set their own.

The rule now is short. A retailer's feed-in tariff cannot be below zero cents per kWh, and the Commission keeps an eye on whether retailers' terms are fair and reasonable. There is no 2026-27 minimum to wait for, because there is no longer a process that sets one.

What retailers offer now

With no floor above zero, each retailer sets its own export rate and its own conditions, and they can differ a lot from plan to plan. A plan that looks cheap on usage may pay little for exports, and a plan with an attractive export rate may charge more for the power you buy.

Two practical points:

1. Compare the whole plan, not the feed-in tariff alone. A generous export rate on a plan with dear evening power can still cost you more overall. Victorian Energy Compare, the government's free comparison site, lets you load a recent bill and see offers side by side.
2. Check again when things change. A new battery, an EV, or a move onto the Midday Power Saver all change which plan suits you.

Why self use matters more than ever

Here is the arithmetic that now drives a good solar setup. Every kilowatt-hour your panels make and your home uses is a kilowatt-hour you do not buy. Every kilowatt-hour you export earns whatever your retailer chooses to pay.

Compare that with what power costs to buy in the evening. On the Midday Power Saver, the regulated maximum peak price from 4pm to 9pm is 43.81c per kWh in the Powercor area and 39.75c in the Jemena area, including GST. Other plans differ, but with no minimum export rate, the gap between what you pay at night and what you are paid at midday can be wide.

So the questions to ask have shifted from "how much can I export?" to "how much of my solar can I use?"

Ways to use more of your own solar

• Put the big jobs on timers. Dishwashers, washing machines, dryers and pool pumps can all run in the middle of the day.
• Heat your water with the sun. An electric or heat pump hot water system set to run during daylight can soak up a lot of solar.
• Charge the car at home during the day if it is parked there.
• Store it for the evening. A home battery moves your midday surplus into the 4pm to 9pm window, which is exactly when power is dearest. The federal battery discount is 6.8 certificates per usable kWh for batteries installed up to 31 December 2026, dropping to 5.7 from 1 January 2027.
• Size the system to your home. A system designed around how your household uses power, rather than around the biggest array that fits, makes more sense when exports earn little.

Where we come in

With exports worth less, the timing of your household's use matters as much as the total, and a recent bill is the best starting point for working that out. We handle the rebates and paperwork, and every system we install is inspected by an independent licensed Electrical Inspector.

If you want to keep more of your solar at home, get a quote and include a recent bill with your enquiry.