The Queensland Competition Authority has released a report about the solar feed-in tariffs available in south east Queensland from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.
Solar feed-in tariffs are the prices that electricity retailers pay to customers who export surplus electricity from their solar photovoltaic systems to the electricity network. In south east Queensland, retailers set the amount that such customers receive for their exports.
Average solar feed-in tariffs fell in 2021–22. For residential customers, the average was 5.7 c/kWh in the June quarter of 2022, down from 6.8 c/kWh a year ago.
At the same time, retailers offered a wide range of residential feed-in tariffs—for example, tariffs ranged from 2 c/kWh to 15 c/kWh in the June quarter of 2022.
QCA Chair Professor Flavio Menezes emphasised that there is variety among electricity plans in SEQ, which is to customers’ advantage. Retailers offer different feed-in tariffs, supply and usage charges, discounts, incentives and recurring fees.
“Customers can benefit from all this choice, especially if they look further than only the feed-in tariff of an electricity plan. The plan offering the highest feed-in tariff is not necessarily the best plan for everyone.
“Other aspects of the plan are important too, as well as the amount of electricity the customer uses and the times of the day that they use the most electricity.
“Customers who are home during the middle of the day might use most of the electricity their solar PV systems generate, whereas customers who are not home during the day might export most of that electricity.
“Customers should also consider supply and usage charges as well as solar feed-in tariffs when comparing market offers. If you don’t use much electricity and have low solar exports then you might be better off with a plan that has low supply and in particular low usage charges,” said Professor Menezes.
“Retailers who had the cheapest retail plans for residential customers in 2021–22, across a range of electricity import and solar export scenarios, were AGL, OVO Energy, Discover Energy, Alinta Energy, Dodo Power and Gas, and Momentum Energy. For consumers to get the best deal, it’s important to shop around.
“The QCA encourages customers with solar PV systems to compare retail plans by using the Energy Made Easy website,” Professor Menezes said.
The 2021–22 solar feed-in tariff monitoring report is available on the QCA website.
In regional Queensland, where there is limited competition, the QCA sets the feed-in tariff annually. For 2022–23, the tariff is 9.300 c/kWh.
Media enquiries: Margaret Lawson, Cole Lawson Communications, 07 3221 2220.
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