Most people spend months choosing panels and batteries. Then spend fifteen minutes choosing their energy plan.
That's backwards. The plan is where the money is.
The numbers that should make you uncomfortable
- Standard feed-in tariffs in QLD right now: 3–6¢/kWh — barely covers a text message
- GloBird ZeroHero peak FiT during 6–9pm: 15¢/kWh — 5× more, same solar, same battery
- The $1/day ZeroHero credit if you stay off-grid during evening peak: $365/year — for doing nothing extra
- Difference between best and worst plan for a battery household: $800–1,200/year
Same system. Same roof. Different plan. Completely different outcome.
Why your old plan probably doesn't work anymore
When solar was installed, your retailer may have suggested a plan — or automatically moved you to their "solar plan." These were designed for rooftop-only setups where you export surplus during the middle of the day and draw from the grid in the evening.
A battery changes that completely. You're no longer exporting during peak demand (because you're storing it), you're consuming far less from the grid in the evening, and you may be eligible to participate in a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) — where the retailer uses your battery's stored energy to stabilise the grid during high-demand periods, and pays you for the privilege.
Most standard solar plans price for none of this. If you haven't reviewed your plan since the battery went in, you're almost certainly leaving money behind.
The 3 numbers that actually matter
1. Peak feed-in tariff (FiT)
What you're paid per kWh exported to the grid during peak demand — typically 3pm–9pm. This is where the variation between retailers is largest. A difference of 10¢/kWh matters far more than a small difference in your supply charge.
2. VPP daily credit
Some retailers (AGL, GloBird, Amber) pay a daily credit in exchange for grid access to your battery during peak events. These range from $0.50 to $1.50/day. At $1/day that's $365/year — often worth more than any peak FiT improvement on its own. Read the conditions carefully: some require you to stay below a grid draw threshold; others are fully automatic.
3. Daily supply charge
What you pay just to be connected, regardless of usage. Ranges from around $0.80 to $1.40/day across retailers. A high supply charge can quietly offset a strong FiT — always calculate the total, not just the headline rate.
Comparison tools — an honest rundown
Energy Made Easy (government)
Good for a baseline comparison of standard electricity costs. The main limitation: it doesn't model VPP credits, tiered FiTs, or time-of-use billing well for battery households. Use it to filter out obviously bad options, then dig deeper on the finalists.
SolarRates (community-submitted)
Community-built resource where battery owners submit their actual plan rates — including VPP credits, peak FiTs, and supply charges — sorted by state and distributor. No affiliate links. No promotional content. Just what people are actually on. Useful for a sanity check on what's possible in your distributor zone before you call anyone.
Your retailer's own comparison tool
Fine if you want to see what else they offer. Not useful for comparing across retailers — they're not going to show you what a competitor pays.
Amber Electric
Worth a separate mention. Amber passes through wholesale spot prices directly, which can be excellent for battery households who can charge overnight at low rates and export during high-price evening events. It's more volatile and suits people comfortable with variable bills. Not right for everyone, but worth understanding if you have a larger battery.
What other battery owners are actually paying
The SolarRates community database has plan submissions from battery owners across QLD, NSW, VIC, and SA. It's worth filtering by your distributor zone (Energex in SE QLD, Ausgrid in Sydney, etc.) to see what's available locally — some plans and VPP programs are distributor-specific.
A few patterns that show up consistently in the data:
- The gap between the highest and lowest FiT in any given distributor zone is usually 8–12¢/kWh
- VPP credit availability varies significantly — Energex zone has the most options currently
- Retailers frequently update rates — what was the best plan six months ago may not be now
The one call worth making today
Call your current retailer and ask two questions:
- "What is my current feed-in tariff, and is it flat-rate or time-of-use?"
- "Do you have a plan with VPP credits for battery households?"
Write down the numbers. Then check SolarRates for your distributor zone and see what the community is actually getting.
If the FiT gap is more than 5¢/kWh, or there's a VPP credit available that you're not on, it's worth switching. The process takes about 30 minutes and one billing cycle to take effect — and the difference compounds every day.
See what battery owners in your area are actually paying →
Browse SolarRates