Solar feed-in tariffs by state in Australia in 2026: a complete comparison

The early-era solar bonuses that made feed-in tariffs a primary driver of payback are long gone. What remains in 2026 is a patchwork of retailer-set rates, a small number of regulated minimums, and some genuinely useful time-varying schemes — particularly in Western Australia and South Australia. Understanding the landscape helps you choose the right plan and size your system correctly.

Why feed-in tariffs have collapsed

Australia has more rooftop solar per capita than almost any country on earth. By 2026, around 4 million households have panels installed. The result is a predictable midday surge in solar generation that regularly exceeds local demand across the eastern states. Wholesale electricity prices in the National Electricity Market routinely go negative between 10 am and 3 pm on sunny days in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

Retailers buy electricity at close to those wholesale prices and sell it to households at 28–40 c/kWh. When the wholesale price of power in the middle of the day is zero or negative, there is no commercial basis for paying customers a high export rate. The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and state regulators have watched minimum FiT rates fall in step with wholesale midday prices, and in most states the floor is now near zero.

The good news is that this shift has actually made solar more valuable — not less — for households that can self-consume their generation. Every kWh you use yourself avoids the retail rate (28–40 c/kWh). Every kWh you export earns 3–10 c/kWh. The ratio is five to one or better in most states. That gap is why the solar payback calculator puts so much weight on self-consumption percentage.

State-by-state feed-in tariff comparison 2026

The table below summarises the feed-in tariff position in each state and territory as at April 2026. Rates are for residential customers. "Min FiT" is the lowest rate currently offered by any active retailer on a standard plan. "Median FiT" is an approximate mid-market rate. "Max FiT" is the highest published rate, which is usually capped at a daily export volume or available only on premium plans with higher usage charges. Rates exclude GST (which is payable only by ABN holders).

Sources: IPART NSW 2025–26 benchmark; ESC Victoria; QCA final determination 2025–26; retailer Basic Plan Information Documents (BPIDs), April 2026. WA DEBS rates per ERA-approved price list 2025–26. NT rates per Jacana Energy schedule.

NSW: competitive but with new export charges

New South Wales has the highest average minimum feed-in tariff of the four major NEM states, with most retailers offering at least 4–5 c/kWh and leading offers reaching 10 c/kWh (Engie, Alinta Energy). The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) publishes an annual benchmark — 4.8 to 7.3 c/kWh for 2025–26 — but retailers are not required to match it. From July 2025, Ausgrid introduced a two-way tariff where solar exports between 10 am and 3 pm attract a 1.2 c/kWh charge rather than a payment. This effectively further reduces the value of midday exports and makes self-consumption during those hours more important than ever.

Victoria: deregulated and highly variable

Victoria removed its regulated minimum feed-in tariff from 1 July 2025, making it the only state with no floor rate. Some retailers offer zero for exports — technically legal under the new rules. The Victorian market is still competitive, and the best plans (ENGIE up to 10 c/kWh) are broadly comparable to NSW, but the risk of being left on a plan that pays very little is real if you do not actively compare. The Essential Services Commission's Victorian Energy Compare tool lists current offers. VIC also has the highest volume of rooftop solar penetration nationally, which keeps midday spot prices very low.

Queensland: two different markets

South East Queensland is a competitive retail market where rates are similar to NSW. Regional Queensland — served solely by Ergon Energy on the Queensland Government's regulated tariff — has a flat government-set FiT of 8.66 c/kWh for 2025–26, set by the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA). Regional customers benefit from a predictable, regulated rate, but do not have the choice of premium retailer plans.

South Australia: highest upside, highest stakes

SA has no regulated minimum FiT, and flat-rate offers sit broadly in line with NSW and QLD. However, SA stands apart for its virtual power plant (VPP) market and time-of-use export options. Because SA relies heavily on gas peakers for evening demand, wholesale prices spike sharply between 4 pm and 9 pm. VPP aggregators and some retailer plans pay export rates well above 10 c/kWh during those windows. Customers prepared to connect to a VPP and invest in a home battery can earn substantially higher effective export values — though the economics need careful modelling against battery payback.

Western Australia: DEBS and the evening premium

WA operates the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS), run by the state government through Synergy. There is no retailer competition — Synergy is the sole retailer. DEBS pays 2.25 c/kWh for exports between 3 am and 3 pm, and 10 c/kWh for exports between 3 pm and 9 pm. This structure is deliberately designed to discourage midday exports (which destabilise the SWIS grid) and reward evening exports when generation from solar is falling and demand is still high. WA households with batteries can charge from midday solar and export during the premium window, capturing the 10 c rate rather than the 2.25 c daytime rate.

How to choose your export strategy

Two broad strategies apply depending on your state and export profile:

• Export-heavy households (low self-consumption): Prioritise plans with the highest net FiT after any caps or charges. Compare carefully using your actual export volume — a 10 c capped at 5 kWh/day may earn less than a flat 6 c/kWh plan if you export more than that daily. Use the solar payback calculator to model both scenarios.
• Self-consume-heavy households: The feed-in tariff matters less. Focus instead on the retail rate you pay for grid power — a plan with a lower usage charge and lower FiT may save you more overall than one with a high FiT but higher usage rate. A home battery may be worth modelling if your evening usage is high.

The fundamental principle is unchanged: at current retail rates of 28–40 c/kWh versus FiTs of 3–10 c/kWh, every additional kWh you self-consume is worth far more than every kWh you export. Sizing your system to your daytime load, running heavy appliances (dishwasher, washing machine, pool pump) during solar hours, and placing hot water on a daytime timer are the most reliable ways to improve your solar economics — regardless of which state you are in.

For the broader picture of how feed-in tariffs interact with system payback, see our guide on whether solar is worth it in Australia in 2026. To model your own numbers, use the solar payback calculator.

Sources

• Australian Energy Regulator (AER) — solar feed-in tariff overview.
• IPART NSW — Solar feed-in tariff benchmark 2025–26 (4.8–7.3 c/kWh).
• Queensland Competition Authority — Final determination solar FiT 2025–26.
• Essential Services Commission Victoria — Victorian Default Offer and FiT framework 2025–26.

Last reviewed: 29 April 2026 — rates verified against IPART, QCA, ESC Victoria, and retailer Basic Plan Information Documents.