Best solar feed-in tariff in New South Wales

Verified 2 November 2026

A feed-in tariff is what your retailer pays you for solar power you send to the grid. New South Wales has more plans to pick from than the other states we cover. As at 1 November 2026, the typical all-day rate is 2.5c a kWh and the highest is 8.7c. Some plans pay far more, but only in the evening. A battery changes which of those rates matter.

What New South Wales plans pay

What New South Wales plans pay for your solar, per kWh

444 plans from 27 retailers, from the national plan data as at 1 November 2026. Plans change, so check a rate before you act on it.
  • All day. 1 plan pays 8.7c on every kWh. The middle plan pays 2.5c.
  • First few kWh. 57 plans pay more on the first few kWh you send each day. The best is 12c on the first 8 kWh, then the rate drops. We count the lower rate in the all-day figures.
  • Evenings only. The best pays 29c from 5pm to 9pm and 3c at other times. Solar panels make little by then, so you'd mostly be selling power from a battery.
  • Nothing. 136 plans pay nothing for the solar you send out.

We left out plans with strings attached, such as a virtual power plant (VPP) or an electric car, and plans that follow wholesale prices. Those can pay more, but you have to meet the conditions.

Why the highest rate can be the wrong pick

For most of the day, power costs far more to buy than it earns when you sell it. A typical single-rate New South Wales plan charges 33.1c a kWh, so at the typical all-day rate you'd need to sell about 13 kWh to pay for one you buy.

A battery keeps more of your solar at home, so less goes out to the grid and your feed-in credit usually shrinks. Each kWh a battery sends out in the evening is also one you can't use at home that night. A plan with a high feed-in rate can charge more for usage or supply, so compare those too.

An Australian street in the evening, lights on in the houses as the sun goes down

Older government schemes

Some New South Wales plans also list a government scheme at a much higher rate. The plan data doesn't say who qualifies, so those rates aren't in the numbers here. If your bill shows one, ask your retailer whether you'd keep it after a switch before you move.

How to check your own bill

  1. Find your feed-in line

    Your bill shows the kWh you sent to the grid and the rate you were paid.

  2. Work out what a better rate is worth

    Multiply those kWh by the extra cents a new plan pays.

  3. Compare the whole plan

    Put the usage rates, the daily supply charge and the feed-in rate together. Rates that change by the hour need your half-hourly readings, because a bill can't show when you sent power out. Those are in your meter data file (NEM12).

Check your own plan

You could be paying less on a different plan, or yours may already suit your home. To check, start with your bill. PowerLens compares your whole bill against the plans on offer where you live. No saving is guaranteed. You can also read whether to switch plans after getting a battery.