If you’ve seen headlines about “three hours of free power” in the middle of the day, you’re hearing about the government’s proposed Solar Sharer Program and similar “solar share” style offers. In simple terms, these ideas sit under the broad Solar Share Program Australia concept: use more electricity when the grid is full of cheap solar, pay less, and take pressure off busy evening peaks. GloBird is here to help you sort what’s real, what applies to you, and how to make it work in everyday life.
What Is the Solar Share Program?
The Solar Sharer Program is a federal policy that will require participating energy retailers to offer eligible households at least three hours of free electricity in the middle of the day. The idea is straightforward. Australia now has so much solar feeding into the grid at lunchtime that prices drop. Letting households use that energy for free helps soak up the surplus and supports a cleaner mix.
It’s important to know this is not a blanket discount for everyone. Under the Solar Share Program Australia settings, the free period will sit inside specific plans linked to the Default Market Offer in certain regions. You only get the benefit if you actively choose an eligible offer. You’ll still pay standard rates for power used outside the free window.
How It Works (In Plain English)
To access a Solar Sharer style offer, a few basics have to line up:
- You need a smart meter. This allows your retailer to measure exactly how much energy you use in each part of the day. No smart meter, no accurate split between free and paid hours.
- There’s a set free or low-cost midday window. For the Solar Sharer model, that’s at least three hours in the middle of the day.
- Normal rates still apply outside those hours. If most of your usage sits at night and never shifts, you won’t see the same benefit.
- Shifting usage matters. Run the washing, dishwasher, or pool pump in the free period and you’re genuinely using the program to cut your bill, not just reading a nice headline.
Think of it as a simple time swap. Move some regular tasks into the free block, reduce the load on your paid hours, and your bill reflects that change. But you also need to think about your usage pattern.
Because retailers need to recover costs outside the free window, rates in the paid hours may be higher than on a simple flat plan. If you can’t shift much usage into the free period, you might not be better off overall.
Who Can Join?
Access to Solar Sharer style offers will depend on where you live and how your account is set up. Key points:
- Location: The government scheme targets customers in New South Wales, South Australia, and south-east Queensland on specific reference offers, with scope to grow over time.
- Smart meter: Required for eligibility. If you don’t have one yet, your retailer can explain the process.
- Eligible plan: You must opt in to a participating product; it won’t appear on your bill by surprise.
- Owners and renters: Both can join, as long as the property has the right meter and you’re the account holder on an eligible plan.
A quick check of your last bill will usually confirm your meter type and tariff.
Conclusion
The Solar Share Program Australia and similar offers are built around a simple trade: help the grid use more daytime solar, and households willing to shift some habits can save. To benefit, you need three things in place: the right state, the right meter, and the right plan. From there, it’s about everyday choices—running a load at lunch instead of late at night, charging devices in the free period, setting a timer instead of paying extra later.
If you’d like to see whether GloBird’s Four4FREE or ZeroHero plans (or another GloBird option) line up with your routine, check your address on our site or reach out to our team. A quick review now can set you up for smaller bills once the solar share era fully kicks in. You don’t need to wait for the government scheme to start — GloBird already has Solar Sharer–style offers available.