Solar feed-in tariffs by state

    A feed-in tariff is what your retailer pays for the surplus solar you export. But there often isn’t a single “rate” for a state. Each governs feed-in tariffs differently, from regulated minimums to fully deregulated markets. We show how each one actually works, sourced from its regulator or scheme.

    Already have solar?

    Plans in your state pay a median 1.5c/kWh for what you export, while charging about 31.9c/kWh to buy it back. See what your own address can actually get.

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    Get your rebate estimate and your zone’s feed-in rate first, then quotes only if you want them. No contact details to see the numbers.

    Rates as at 13 October 2026. Four questions, then your own figures.

    Rates changed at the 1 July 2026 reset. See what EnergyAustralia, AGL and Ergon changed and what solar owners should do now →

    Source data last verified 28 September 2026.

    New South Wales

    Benchmark (not mandatory)

    IPART 2026-27 benchmark 3.4–6.5c

    all-day benchmark range · 2026-27

    Not mandatory — IPART publishes a guide range; retailers set their own rate and many sit above or below it. Down from 4.8–7.3 c/kWh in 2025-26. IPART also publishes time-of-day benchmarks with much higher evening-peak ranges (e.g. Ausgrid 17.2–18.7 c/kWh 4–9pm), but only a few retailers offer time-varying FiTs.

    Full New South Wales guide →

    Regulator: IPART · IPART solar feed-in tariff benchmarks 2026-27

    Victoria

    Market-set (no minimum)

    median 1c/kWh, highest open-ended 2.2c/kWh

    deregulated · from 1 July 2025

    No regulated minimum since 1 July 2025 (Essential Services Commission). Retailers set their own rate, and it cannot go below 0.00 c/kWh. The headline figure is the median and highest open-ended rate on generally available plans.

    Full Victoria guide →

    Regulator: Essential Services Commission · Essential Services Commission: minimum feed-in tariff

    Queensland

    Split (regional + market)

    QCA 2026-27 regional 6.006c

    regional regulated rate · 2026-27

    Two markets. Regional Queensland (Ergon): the Queensland Competition Authority set the flat rate at 6.006 c/kWh for 2026-27, down from 8.66 c/kWh in 2025-26. South-east Queensland (Energex) has no mandated minimum and retailers set their own rate. The legacy 44 c/kWh Solar Bonus Scheme runs until 30 June 2028 for eligible customers who joined before July 2012.

    Generally available plans: median 2c/kWh, highest open-ended 5c/kWh.

    Full Queensland guide →

    Regulator: QCA (regional only) · Queensland Competition Authority: regional electricity prices 2026-27 · Checked Sep 2026

    South Australia

    Market-set (no minimum)

    Market-set (no minimum)

    deregulated · 2026

    No government-mandated minimum. SA Power Networks can charge for exports between 10am and 4pm, when the grid is saturated, which cuts the value of daytime export. South Australia has among the highest retail electricity prices, which strengthens the case for using solar in the home.

    Generally available plans: median 1c/kWh, highest open-ended 3.1c/kWh.

    Full South Australia guide →

    Regulator: None (market-set) · SA Power Networks / market offers (no SA regulator-set FiT)

    Western Australia

    Government buyback scheme

    WA Government DEBS: peak 10c (3–9pm), off-peak 2c

    time-based buyback scheme · 2026

    Western Australia is outside the National Electricity Market. The WA Government Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme pays 10 c/kWh from 3–9pm and 2 c/kWh at other times. Horizon Power (regional WA) uses location-based rates.

    Full Western Australia guide →

    Regulator: WA Government (DEBS) · Synergy DEBS / WA Government · Checked Sep 2026

    Northern Territory

    Government buyback scheme

    Jacana Energy: all-day 9.33c, peak 18.66c (3–9pm)

    buyback scheme · 2026

    Outside the NEM. Jacana Energy (main retailer) standard all-day rate 9.33 c/kWh; from July 2025 a peak rate of 18.66 c/kWh applies 3–9pm (rewards evening export).

    Full Northern Territory guide →

    Regulator: NT Government / Jacana Energy · NT Government / Jacana Energy feed-in tariff · Checked Sep 2026

    Feed-in tariffs vary by retailer and plan and change frequently. A range below is shown only when it names the regulator and year. Where there is no regulator range, the page shows the median and highest open-ended rate on generally available plans. Self-consumption typically saves far more than export earns.

    When exporting stops paying, storing starts

    The lower the feed-in tariff, the more a kWh is worth kept at home rather than sold. That arithmetic is what makes a battery worth costing out.

    Battery payback calculator · Battery rebates · Home batteries explained

    The three numbers that decide a good solar plan

    Ignore the marketing. A solar plan lives or dies on three figures, weighed against how you actually use power:

    1. 1Feed-in tariff (c/kWh)

      What you're paid for exported solar. Useful — but capped in value, because you only earn it on what you don't use yourself, and it's usually worth far less than the power you buy. Chasing it in isolation is the classic trap.

    2. 2Usage / import rate (c/kWh)

      What you pay for grid power — mostly in the evening once the sun's down. For most solar homes this quietly matters more than the feed-in tariff, because you buy more than you export.

    3. 3Daily supply charge (c/day)

      A fixed cost you pay no matter what. Solar can't offset it. A plan with a great feed-in tariff and a high supply charge can lose to a plainer, cheaper plan.

    The trap, in one line: a high feed-in tariff with a high usage rate usually only wins if you export a lot. Most homes use more than they export — so the usage rate wins. Always compare the total against your bill.

    Compare plans on total cost for your usage →

    Four ways states govern feed-in tariffs

    Regulated minimum. A regulator sets a mandatory floor that retailers must at least match, the most stable arrangement. Tasmania (OTTER) and regional Queensland (QCA, in the Ergon network) work this way.

    Benchmark. A regulator publishes a guide range for transparency, but it isn’t binding. New South Wales (IPART) is the clearest example. Retailers can, and do, price above or below the benchmark.

    Deregulated. No mandated minimum beyond a zero floor; rates are set by the market. Victoria moved to this model on 1 July 2025, joining South Australia, the ACT and south-east Queensland. This is the big trap for stale comparison pages. Victoria no longer has a minimum to quote.

    Government buyback scheme. Outside the National Electricity Market, Western Australia (DEBS) and the Northern Territory (Jacana) pay set, often time-based rates that reward exporting in the evening peak rather than the saturated middle of the day.

    Whatever the model, the feed-in tariff is only one part of the picture. A plan with a slightly lower feed-in rate but meaningfully cheaper usage and supply charges can save you more overall, which is why we point you to compare the whole plan.

    Common questions

    What is a solar feed-in tariff?
    A feed-in tariff (FiT) is the rate your electricity retailer credits you, in c/kWh, for surplus solar power your system exports to the grid. When your panels generate more than your home is using, the excess flows out and earns a credit on your bill at the agreed feed-in rate.
    Does Victoria still have a minimum feed-in tariff?
    No. There has been no regulated minimum since 1 July 2025 (Essential Services Commission). Retailers set their own rate, and it cannot go below zero.
    Why do feed-in tariffs vary so much between states?
    Because the states govern them in fundamentally different ways. Tasmania and regional Queensland have a regulated mandatory minimum; New South Wales has a non-binding benchmark range; Victoria, South Australia, the ACT and south-east Queensland are deregulated and market-set; and Western Australia and the Northern Territory run government buyback schemes with set time-based rates. That structural difference, plus local solar penetration, drives the variation.
    Is a higher feed-in tariff always better?
    No. A plan with a headline-grabbing feed-in tariff can carry higher usage or supply charges that wipe out the benefit. Because most households use a large share of their solar directly, self-consumption usually saves far more than export earns. Always compare the total plan cost, not the feed-in tariff alone.

    Keep reading

    James Baker

    Reviewed by James Baker, Founder, EnergyPlans.com.au. Data last verified 28 September 2026. Methodology.