Solar Feed-in Tariffs by State in 2026: Why Export No Longer Pays

If you got solar five or ten years ago, the sales pitch probably leaned hard on the feed-in tariff — the credit your retailer pays for power you export to the grid. In 2026 that number is a shadow of what it was. Across most of the country, feed-in rates now sit in a low single-digit range, and in the middle of the day some retailers pay next to nothing. This guide explains what's happened, what the rules are state by state, and why the smartest move today is to use your solar rather than sell it.

What feed-in tariffs look like in 2026

According to our current national data, typical feed-in tariffs sit somewhere around 3 to 10 cents per kWh — a wide range because in most states the rate is set by your retailer, not the government, and retailers have been steadily cutting it.

A few states still set a regulated minimum feed-in tariff:

• Victoria — set by the Essential Services Commission (ESC)
• Regional Queensland — set by the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA)
• Tasmania — set by the Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator (OTTER)

Everywhere else, the rate is whatever your retailer chooses to offer. Because these figures change often and vary by state and plan, we won't quote a specific cents-per-kWh number here — you need to confirm the current rate for your actual state and retailer from your bill or plan documents.

Why they've fallen so far

It isn't a conspiracy or a retailer cash grab — it's basic supply and demand. So much rooftop solar now floods the grid in the middle of a sunny day that daytime wholesale electricity prices sometimes fall to zero or even go negative. When the power you're exporting is worth little or nothing to the market at that moment, the credit you're paid reflects that.

This is also why new schemes are pointing in a different direction. A federal Solar Sharer offer, live from 1 July 2026 through participating retailers, gives eligible households a free power window from 11am to 2pm (up to 24 kWh per day, smart meter required). Notice the logic: instead of paying you to export at midday, the system is nudging everyone to consume at midday when solar is abundant. Availability varies by retailer and state, so confirm whether it's offered on a plan near you.

Why self-consumption now matters more than export

Here's the shift in thinking. Every kilowatt-hour of solar you use in your own home is a kilowatt-hour you don't buy from the grid at the full retail rate. Every kilowatt-hour you export earns only the (much smaller) feed-in rate.

So a unit of solar you consume yourself is typically worth several times more than the same unit exported. The goal is no longer "maximise export" — it's "maximise the share of your own solar that you actually use." Practical ways to lift self-consumption:

• Run the dishwasher, washing machine and pool pump in the middle of the day on timers
• Pre-cool or pre-heat the house with the air conditioner while the sun's up
• Use a timer or diverter so your electric hot water heats during daylight hours
• Charge an EV during the day where possible
• Consider a battery to store midday surplus for the evening peak

On Time-of-Use plans (common now), the evening peak is typically around 2–8pm — exactly when your panels wind down. Shifting load into daylight, or storing it, avoids buying at the most expensive time.

Does that mean everyone should buy a battery?

No — and this is where an honest look matters. A battery makes the self-consumption story much stronger because it lets you use daytime solar at night. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries program cuts battery cost by roughly 30% via STCs (tiered from 1 May 2026, and the certificate factor steps down each January and July), and some states or territories add more.

But typical battery payback still runs to around 8 years on our national figures — and that's an average, not a promise. If your household uses very little power in the evening, or you already export most of your solar and your usage rate is modest, a battery may take far longer to pay for itself than its useful life. For some households the honest answer is: squeeze more out of the panels you already have first, and skip the battery.

The feed-in tariff era rewarded people for a bigger system than they needed. The self-consumption era rewards people for a system that fits how they actually live. Confirm the current feed-in rate, rebates and schemes for your own state before spending a cent — the right answer genuinely differs household to household, and sometimes the right answer is to do nothing at all.

Figures in this guide are current at the date of publication and indicative only — rebate and certificate values change over time (federal battery certificates step down each January and July), and state schemes are amended often. Confirm the current numbers for your situation before you commit. This is general information, not personal financial advice.