This Alinta Energy review covers what the retailer charges solar homes in New South Wales, south-east Queensland, South Australia and Victoria as at November 2026. Alinta Energy’s solar plans, called SolarBalance, pay 8c per kWh on the first 8 kWh exported each day (5c in South Australia) and cost about 8% less than the regulated default offer in NSW. Customers rate it 1.7 stars from 1,709 reviews on ProductReview.com.au but 4.2 from 1,715 on Trustpilot. In Western Australia, Alinta sells gas to homes, not electricity. This is independent desk research; Alinta Energy was not contacted and did not pay.
Key facts
- Alinta Energy’s SolarBalance Smart single rate plan on the Ausgrid network in Sydney pays 8c per kWh for the first 8 kWh exported each day and 3c per kWh after that, according to Australian Energy Regulator plan data read on 14 November 2026.
- Alinta Energy’s SolarBalance Smart single rate plan costs A$1,747 a year for a 3,900 kWh Ausgrid household, which is 8% below the Australian Energy Regulator’s A$1,899 default market offer for 2026-27 (Solar Cobber calculation).
- Alinta Energy’s SolarBalance Choice plan on the SA Power Networks grid in Adelaide costs about 5% more than the A$2,334 default market offer for the same 4,000 kWh household, and pays only 0.5c per kWh after the first 8 kWh a day.
- Alinta Energy’s Victorian HomeDeal Smart plan pays 0.04c per kWh for solar exports, according to the same plan data, while its SolarBalance Now plan pays 8c on the first 8 kWh a day.
- Alinta Energy holds 1.7 stars from 1,709 ProductReview.com.au reviews (83% negative) and 4.2 stars from 1,715 Trustpilot reviews, both read on 14 November 2026.
Who Alinta Energy is and where it sells
Alinta Energy is a gas and electricity retailer and generator that says it serves more than one million customers. Its website describes call centres in the Latrobe Valley, Melbourne and Perth. According to Wikipedia, Alinta is headquartered in Sydney, was bought by Hong Kong’s Chow Tai Fook Enterprises in 2017, and in December 2025 agreed a A$6.5 billion sale to Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries, which shareholders approved on 2 February 2026. We did not confirm completion.
The Australian Energy Regulator’s Energy Made Easy product data lists residential electricity plans from Alinta Energy on these networks:
| State | Networks with Alinta Energy residential plans | Solar plan name |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy | SolarBalance Smart |
| South-east Queensland | Energex | SolarBalance Ready |
| South Australia | SA Power Networks | SolarBalance Choice |
| Victoria | CitiPower, Jemena, Powercor, United Energy, AusNet | SolarBalance Now |
Alinta Energy listed no residential electricity plan for Western Australia in that data. Homes in Perth and the south-west buy electricity from Synergy at the regulated Home Plan A1 tariff (33.2621 c/kWh and 119.24 c/day from 1 July 2026, per the WA Government household electricity pricing page). Wikipedia says Alinta’s Western Australian retail business is gas, with roughly 700,000 customers. If you searched “alinta energy wa gas”, that is the product; our WA solar rebate guide covers what WA solar owners can claim.
How Alinta Energy plans work
Alinta Energy sells variable-rate market plans with a daily supply charge and a usage rate, plus a “Standing Offer” in each area. According to the Alinta Energy website (read 14 November 2026), it offers no lock-in contract or exit fees. In New South Wales the plan families are HomeDeal Connect and HomeDeal Smart (everyday plans), SolarBalance Smart (solar), and the regulated Solar Sharer Offer.
Rates in the AER data exclude GST. This review multiplies them by 1.1 to match the GST-inclusive figures on a bill and the Default Market Offer. That reproduces the 14% discount Alinta Energy advertises on its website for HomeDeal Connect against the A$1,899 Ausgrid comparison price, which checks the method.
Alinta Energy rates against the default offer
The default market offer (DMO) is the regulator’s price cap on standing offers in NSW, south-east Queensland and South Australia, and the Victorian Default Offer (VDO) is the equivalent in Victoria. The table compares Alinta Energy’s single rate residential plans with the 2026-27 benchmark for the same network. Alinta’s rates are from Energy Made Easy product data read on 14 November 2026; benchmark prices are from the Australian Energy Regulator and Essential Services Commission, as in our default offer guide.
| Network | Plan | Supply (c/day, incl GST) | Usage (c/kWh, incl GST) | Annual bill at benchmark usage | Benchmark annual price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid (3,900 kWh) | SolarBalance Smart | 152.93 | 30.48 | A$1,747 | A$1,899 |
| Ausgrid (3,900 kWh) | HomeDeal Connect | 142.96 | 28.50 | A$1,633 | A$1,899 |
| Endeavour Energy (4,900 kWh) | SolarBalance Smart | 170.32 | 31.03 | A$2,142 | A$2,328 |
| Essential Energy (4,600 kWh) | SolarBalance Smart | 250.44 | 32.21 | A$2,396 | A$2,604 |
| Energex (4,600 kWh) | SolarBalance Ready | 186.25 | 27.14 | A$1,928 | A$1,988 |
| SA Power Networks (4,000 kWh) | SolarBalance Choice | 189.06 | 44.01 | A$2,450 | A$2,334 |
The pattern is clear: in NSW, SolarBalance Smart prices at exactly 8% below the default offer and HomeDeal Connect at 14% below, Energex’s solar plan is 3% below, and in Adelaide the solar plan is above the cap. Bills are Solar Cobber calculations (supply charge times 365 plus usage rate times the regulator’s assumed kWh) and exclude feed-in credits.
- Default market offer
- Alinta Energy solar plan
Source: AER default market offer 2026-27 final determination; Alinta Energy plan rates from AER Energy Made Easy product data, read 14 November 2026. Solar Cobber calculation: Alinta rates multiplied by 1.1 for GST, supply charge times 365 plus usage rate times assumed kWh.
View the data as a table
| Default market offer | Alinta Energy solar plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | A$1,899 | A$1,747 |
| Endeavour | A$2,328 | A$2,142 |
| Essential | A$2,604 | A$2,396 |
| Energex | A$1,988 | A$1,928 |
| SA Power | A$2,334 | A$2,450 |
Alinta Energy’s solar plans undercut the default offer by 3% to 8% in New South Wales and south-east Queensland, but cost about 5% more in South Australia.
Alinta Energy in Victoria
Alinta Energy’s Victorian plans sit well under the Victorian Default Offer, but they pay almost nothing for exports unless you choose SolarBalance Now. Victorian plan rates come from the same AER data feed (Victorian offers carry a Victorian Energy Compare identifier), read 14 November 2026.
| Zone | VDO annual bill 2026-27 | HomeDeal Smart | SolarBalance Now | Feed-in: HomeDeal Smart | Feed-in: SolarBalance Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CitiPower | A$1,481 | A$1,155 | A$1,377 | 0.04c | 8c first 8 kWh a day, then 0.04c |
| Jemena | A$1,563 | A$1,219 | A$1,453 | 0.04c | as above |
| Powercor | A$1,633 | A$1,273 | A$1,518 | 0.04c | as above |
| United Energy | A$1,529 | A$1,192 | A$1,422 | 0.04c | as above |
| AusNet | A$1,748 | A$1,363 | not listed | 0.04c | not listed |
- Victorian Default Offer
- HomeDeal Smart
- SolarBalance Now
Source: ESC Victorian Default Offer 2026-27; Alinta Energy plan rates from AER Energy Made Easy product data (Victorian offers), read 14 November 2026. Solar Cobber calculation: Alinta rates multiplied by 1.1 for GST. AusNet SolarBalance Now not listed in the data.
View the data as a table
| Victorian Default Offer | HomeDeal Smart | SolarBalance Now | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CitiPower | A$1,481 | A$1,155 | A$1,377 |
| Jemena | A$1,563 | A$1,219 | A$1,453 |
| Powercor | A$1,633 | A$1,273 | A$1,518 |
| United Energy | A$1,529 | A$1,192 | A$1,422 |
| AusNet | A$1,748 | A$1,363 | n/a |
HomeDeal Smart is 22% to 23% below the default offer in every Victorian zone, but an export credit of 0.04c per kWh is effectively zero, so it suits homes that use their own solar. Victoria has had no minimum feed-in tariff since 1 July 2025; see our Victorian feed-in guide.
Alinta Energy for solar owners
Alinta Energy’s feed-in structure is a stepped tariff: a higher rate on the first 8 kWh exported each day, then a low standard rate. The rate you actually earn is the one after the cap, because a typical rooftop system exports more than 8 kWh on a sunny day. All figures below are from the plan data read 14 November 2026, and the plans require a qualifying solar system of no more than 10 kW (larger “at our discretion”).
| State | Plan | First 8 kWh a day | After 8 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW (Ausgrid, Endeavour, Essential) | SolarBalance Smart | 8c | 3c |
| South-east Queensland (Energex) | SolarBalance Ready | 10c | 2c |
| South Australia | SolarBalance Choice | 5c | 0.5c |
| Victoria | SolarBalance Now | 8c | 0.04c |
| NSW | HomeDeal Connect | 3c on all exports | 3c |
Alinta Energy’s headline NSW rate matches Origin’s Solar Boost and beats EnergyAustralia and Red Energy, according to our feed-in tariff tracker, which recorded those retailers’ rates on 2 August 2026.
- Top rate
- Rate after daily cap
Source: AER Energy Made Easy product data (Alinta); Origin, EnergyAustralia and Red Energy rates from their own pages as recorded in the Solar Cobber feed-in tariff tracker, 2 August 2026. EnergyAustralia rates are GST exclusive. Compare current figures before switching.
View the data as a table
| Top rate | Rate after daily cap | |
|---|---|---|
| Alinta SolarBalance Smart | 8.0c | 3.0c |
| Origin Solar Boost | 8.0c | 3.0c |
| EnergyAustralia | 3.0c | 3.0c |
| Red Energy flat | 2.5c | 2.5c |
The independent regulator IPART made a short explainer of how these export credits work, which is a neutral place to start if you are new to feed-in tariffs.
Is the stepped feed-in worth the higher bill? A Solar Cobber calculation
Alinta Energy’s solar plan costs more to run than its cheaper everyday plan, and the stepped feed-in only pays that back if you export enough. In Sydney, the SolarBalance Smart bill is A$114 a year higher than HomeDeal Connect at 3,900 kWh. SolarBalance Smart earns up to 5c more per kWh on the first 8 kWh a day, a maximum extra of A$146 a year (5c times 8 kWh times 365). The break-even export is A$114 divided by 365 days divided by A$0.05, or about 6.2 kWh a day.
| Network | SolarBalance Smart bill premium over HomeDeal Connect | Break-even daily export |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | A$114 | 6.2 kWh |
| Endeavour Energy | A$140 | 7.7 kWh |
| Essential Energy | A$156 | 8.6 kWh (above the 8 kWh cap, so it never breaks even) |
- SolarBalance Smart
- HomeDeal Connect
Source: Alinta Energy plan rates and feed-in tariffs from AER Energy Made Easy product data, read 14 November 2026. Solar Cobber calculation: bill A$1,747 and A$1,633 less feed-in credit (8c then 3c a kWh, or 3c on all exports) times 365 days. Dollars rounded.
View the data as a table
| SolarBalance Smart | HomeDeal Connect | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 kWh a day | A$1,630 | A$1,589 |
| 8 kWh a day | A$1,513 | A$1,545 |
| 10 kWh a day | A$1,491 | A$1,523 |
A home exporting 10 kWh a day is about A$32 a year better off on SolarBalance Smart; one exporting 4 kWh a day is about A$41 better off on HomeDeal Connect.
Alinta Energy for battery owners
We found no Alinta Energy battery plan or virtual power plant (VPP) in the Energy Made Easy data. None of the 266 residential and business plans listed by name carries a battery or VPP label, and Alinta Energy’s website (read 14 November 2026) promotes its “Solar Together” program for getting solar at home, but shows no battery product. We could not read the program’s terms, so we do not describe them. A battery owner on Alinta Energy is on an ordinary solar plan with a stepped feed-in tariff, so battery discharge during the evening earns nothing extra. Read our VPP guide for retailers that pay for battery exports, and battery reviews for the hardware.
Alinta Energy customer reviews
The two platforms disagree sharply; both reflect only people who chose to write. Figures were read on 14 November 2026.
| Platform | Rating | Reviews | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProductReview.com.au | 1.7 of 5 | 1,709 | 17% positive, 83% negative; customer service 1.6, rates and fees 1.8 |
| Trustpilot | 4.2 of 5 | 1,715 | 72% five star, 8% four, 2% three, 2% two, 16% one |
| Google reviews | not checked | not checked | We did not read Google reviews for this review |
What customers praise
Positive ProductReview.com.au reviews mention helpful individual staff, a complaints team that resolved issues quickly, and competitive offers.
Common Alinta Energy complaints
The recurring ProductReview.com.au themes are rates rising after a promotion or a move onto a higher plan, solar feed-in credits being cut (some reviewers describe 4c falling to 2c), billing errors and unexpected demand charges, long waits to reach staff, and fees. Alinta Energy replies to many reviews with a standard apology, according to the listing. These are review patterns, not findings about the company.
Risks to understand before switching
- Rates are variable. Every plan lets Alinta Energy change rates and feed-in tariffs with notice. The 14% discount applies to today’s rates, not next year’s.
- The stepped feed-in needs daily exports. The top rate stops after 8 kWh a day, and some versions of the plan are only open to solar systems of 10 kW or less.
- South Australia costs more than the default offer on the plan we checked.
- Review gap. The 1.7 star ProductReview.com.au score is a warning sign on service, even though prices are competitive.
Alinta Energy vs alternatives
Alinta Energy is a mainstream retailer with competitive usage rates and a modest feed-in tariff. Rivals that target solar and battery homes work differently. Ratings below are from the live Solar Cobber reviews, read November 2026.
| Retailer | Model | Solar export payment | ProductReview.com.au | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alinta Energy | Variable market plans | 8c first 8 kWh a day, then 3c (NSW) | 1.7 (1,709) | Low usage rates, modest exports |
| GloBird Energy | Fixed time-of-use bands | 10c on the first 15 kWh exported 6pm to 9pm, 0c midday | 4.6 (3,015) | Battery homes |
| Amber Electric | Wholesale pass-through, A$25 a month | Live wholesale price, can be negative | 4.0 (1,946) | Battery owners who accept price risk |
Compare the whole market in our cheapest electricity provider guide.
Who Alinta Energy suits, and who should avoid it
Alinta Energy suits NSW and south-east Queensland households that want a low usage rate and export a moderate amount of solar. It suits Victorian homes that mostly consume their own solar and want a rate well under the VDO. Skip it if you live in Adelaide and want the lowest bill, if you have a battery and want to be paid for evening exports, or if poor customer service reviews would put you off.
Questions to ask Alinta Energy before you switch
- What are my exact supply and usage rates for my network and meter type, and what date do they apply from?
- Does my solar system qualify under the 10 kW limit?
- Is the stepped feed-in rate daily, and what do I earn after 8 kWh?
- When can you change rates, and how much notice do I get?
FAQ
Is Alinta Energy good for solar?
Alinta Energy is average for solar: its NSW plan pays 8c per kWh on the first 8 kWh exported daily, matching Origin’s Solar Boost, but only 3c after that. Rates are competitive against the default offer in NSW and Queensland, and poor in South Australia, according to plan data read on 14 November 2026.
What is Alinta Energy’s feed-in tariff?
Alinta Energy pays 8c per kWh on the first 8 kWh exported a day in NSW and Victoria on its SolarBalance plans, 10c in south-east Queensland and 5c in South Australia. After the cap it pays 3c in NSW, 2c in Queensland, 0.5c in South Australia and 0.04c in Victoria.
Does Alinta Energy sell electricity in Western Australia?
Not to homes, according to the plan data we read: its Western Australian retail business is gas. Households in the Perth and south-west areas buy electricity from Synergy, and regional customers from Horizon Power.
Is Alinta Energy cheaper than the default market offer?
Yes in NSW (about 8% to 14% cheaper) and south-east Queensland (about 3% cheaper) on the plans we checked, and no in South Australia (about 5% dearer). The comparison uses the 2026-27 default market offer and excludes feed-in credits.
Who owns Alinta Energy?
Wikipedia lists Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries as the owner, following an agreed purchase from Hong Kong’s Chow Tai Fook Enterprises announced in December 2025. We did not confirm that the sale has completed.
Does Alinta Energy have a battery or VPP plan?
We found no battery or VPP plan in the Energy Made Easy data as at 14 November 2026. Check Alinta Energy’s website or call 13 37 02 for any new offer.
Does Alinta Energy have a lock-in contract?
No: Alinta Energy states on its website that there is no lock-in contract or exit fee.
Sources
- Australian Energy Regulator, Energy Made Easy product data (Consumer Data Right), Alinta Energy plans, read 14 November 2026
- Australian Energy Regulator, Default market offer prices 2026-27: final determination
- Essential Services Commission, Victorian Default Offer, 2026-27
- Energy Policy WA, Household electricity pricing
- Alinta Energy, solar and electricity and gas pages, read 14 November 2026
- ProductReview.com.au, Alinta Energy and Trustpilot, Alinta Energy, read 14 November 2026
- Wikipedia, Alinta Energy, read 14 November 2026 (ownership, history)
- Solar Cobber feed-in tariff tracker, rival rates as at 2 August 2026
About this review
This review was written by the Solar Cobber editorial team from independent desk research checked in November 2026. Solar Cobber is a free directory that may earn referral or advertising fees from installers; commercial relationships never affect our content. This is general information, not financial advice. To compare installers, see our solar installer directory, or send corrections through our contact page.
Filed under Savings
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