New solar feed-in benchmarks show that NSW electricity consumers can expect to receive a flat-rate solar feed-in tariff between 4.8 and 7.3 c/kWh from their retailer for the solar electricity they export to the grid in 2025-26.
Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) member Jonathan Coppel said the value of solar exports is based on IPART’s forecast of the daytime wholesale price of electricity.
“We have just published our solar feed-in tariff benchmark ranges for 2025-26, and the flat-rate tariff is slightly higher than last year because we’re forecasting wholesale electricity prices to increase,” Mr Coppel said.
“We also benchmark the value of solar exports at different times of the day. The amount of solar exported to the grid drops off in the late afternoon and early evening and the benchmarks have much higher values at these times, often more than 20c/kWh, as the supply from solar falls and electricity demand increases.”
Mr Coppel said consumers get the most value from their solar panels by using the solar electricity they generate because this reduces how much electricity they buy from their retailer.
“Retailers’ electricity prices are higher than the solar feed-in tariff rates because retail prices also include network costs, environmental obligations, and the cost of their operations,” Mr Coppel said.
“That means you get more value from using your solar electricity and reducing the amount of electricity you buy from your retailer, rather than from maximising the amount you export.”
“When shopping for electricity plans, it’s important that consumers look at all aspects of a retailer’s offer including the daily supply charge, usage charges, feed-in tariffs and any terms and conditions.
“The plan with the highest feed-in tariff may not be the best deal overall. Consumers can compare and calculate the cost of different plans on the Commonwealth Government’s Energy Made Easy website.”
IPART’s benchmarks for 2025-26 also incorporate new network charges and rebates for solar exports. These were recently introduced by the distribution networks in NSW and are being rolled out to a growing number of customers. The net impact of these tariffs is very small, reducing IPART’s benchmark range by less than 0.1 c/kWh.
Consumer Fact Sheets about IPART’s solar feed-in tariff benchmarks are available on the IPART website.
Media Contact: Mark O’Brien, 0427 105 865, media@ipart.nsw.gov.au