The best solar feed in tariff Victoria retailers published in November 2026 was 26.5c/kWh for battery exports between 5pm and 9pm (Origin Battery Earner). For a solar-only home the best was 8c/kWh on the first 8 to 10 kWh exported each day (EnergyAustralia Solar Max, ENGIE Solar), then 1c to 1.5c. Victoria has had no regulated minimum since 1 July 2025, and the highest feed-in tariff is rarely the cheapest plan.
Every rate below comes from the retailers’ own published plan data, read in November 2026. Retailers we could not read are listed under “Not checked”.
Key facts
- The Essential Services Commission (ESC) no longer sets a minimum solar feed-in tariff in Victoria, and since 1 July 2025 retailers set their own rate, which cannot go below $0.00 per kWh.
- Origin Energy’s Battery Earner plan listed the highest Victorian feed-in rate we found in November 2026, 26.5c/kWh from 5pm to 9pm, with 1c/kWh at other times.
- The highest rate for a solar-only home was 8c/kWh on EnergyAustralia Solar Max (first 10 kWh a day) and ENGIE’s solar plan (first 8 kWh a day), with 1.5c and 1c respectively above the limit.
- The standard feed-in rates on the Victorian plans we read ranged from 0.04c/kWh (Alinta Energy, Dodo, Tango Energy) to 2c/kWh (Powershop), with Origin Energy, ENGIE and Red Energy mostly at 1c/kWh.
- Solar Victoria says most Victorian solar customers have a static export limit of 5 kW or less set by their distribution business.
Best solar feed-in tariffs in Victoria (November 2026)
The highest published solar feed in tariff Victoria households can get without a battery is 8c/kWh, and it is capped. The table shows residential market-offer feed-in rates read from each retailer’s published plan data in November 2026, sorted by headline rate. Rates are as published in the plan data, so GST treatment can differ by retailer. Check the fact sheet before signing.
| Retailer and plan | Feed-in rate (c/kWh) | Cap, window and conditions | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Origin Battery Earner | 26.5 | 5pm to 9pm daily, no cap. 1c at other times. Net-metered solar, inverter 50 kW or under | Nov 2026 | Origin plan data |
| AGL Three for Free | 15 | 5pm to 9pm daily. 0c at other times. Smart meter needed | Nov 2026 | AGL plan data |
| CovaU SolarMax | 15 | 6pm to 9pm daily, up to a volume limit listed as 10,950 kWh. 5c at other times | Nov 2026 | CovaU plan data |
| Origin Solar Partner Plus | 12 | First 8 kWh a day, then 1c. System must be bought through an Origin approved installer | Nov 2026 | Origin plan data |
| Origin Battery Charge | 11 | 6pm to 9pm, first 10 kWh a day, then 1c | Nov 2026 | Origin plan data |
| EnergyAustralia Solar Max | 8 | First 10 kWh a day, then 1.5c | Nov 2026 | EnergyAustralia plan data |
| ENGIE Solar | 8 | First 8 kWh a day, then 1c. Inverter 10 kW or under | Nov 2026 | ENGIE plan data |
| GloBird FOUR4FREE | 5 then 3 | 4pm to 11pm, first 30 kWh a day at 5c, then 3c. Near zero at other times | Nov 2026 | GloBird plan data |
| Origin Solar Boost | 5 | First 8 kWh a day, then 1c | Nov 2026 | Origin plan data |
| Powershop, EnergyAustralia standard plans | 2 and 1.5 | Flat | Nov 2026 | Powershop plan data |
| Origin, ENGIE, Red Energy, CovaU, Lumo (standard plans) | 1 | Flat. Red Energy Power5 is 0c | Nov 2026 | Red Energy plan data |
| Alinta Energy, Dodo, Tango Energy | 0.04 | Flat | Nov 2026 | Alinta plan data |
Other standard rates: Diamond Energy 1.2c, Momentum Energy 0.9c, AGL, 1st Energy and OVO Energy 0.5c to 1.4c. Amber Electric lists 0c because it passes through wholesale prices, covered in our Amber Electric review.
What is the highest solar feed in tariff in Melbourne?
For a Melbourne home without a battery, the highest rate we could confirm was 8c/kWh on EnergyAustralia Solar Max or ENGIE’s solar plan, on the first 8 to 10 kWh exported a day. Rates above 5c/kWh need a daily limit, an evening-only window or a system purchase through the retailer’s installer.
The ESC feed-in tariff: is there a minimum in Victoria?
There is no minimum solar feed-in tariff in Victoria. The ESC states on its minimum feed-in tariff page that it no longer sets minimum feed-in tariffs, following an amendment to the Electricity Industry Act 2000. The last minimum applied until 30 June 2025, and from 1 July 2025 retailers can pay what they choose, provided the rate is not below $0.00 per kWh.
Our feed-in tariff tracker records the final regulated minimum as 3.3c/kWh for 2024-25. The market has since split: the standard rate on most Victorian plans sits at 0.04c to 2c/kWh, well under that old floor, while a handful of plans pay far more for limited volumes or evening exports. The ESC page lists no 2026-27 determination, so guides quoting a “2026-27 minimum” are out of date.
Solar Victoria’s feed-in tariff guidance says the 60c/kWh premium feed-in tariff was scheduled to end in November 2024, and warns that plans with higher feed-in rates may have less competitive prices for electricity you buy.
Why the highest feed-in tariff is not the best plan
The best feed in tariff Victoria offers can still cost more per year than a plan paying almost nothing for exports. The reason is that a household buys far more electricity than the credit it earns, so usage rates and the daily supply charge decide the bill.
Worked example: an 8c plan against a 0.04c plan. Take a home in the Jemena network that buys 5,000 kWh a year and exports 15 kWh a day (5,475 kWh a year). Prices are the published market-offer rates for each plan, before any pay-on-time or other discounts.
| Item | Alinta Energy HomeDeal Smart, single rate | EnergyAustralia Solar Max, peak only |
|---|---|---|
| Daily supply charge | 90.15c a day, about A$329 a year | 115.572c a day, about A$422 a year |
| Usage rate | 19.48c/kWh, about A$974 a year | 24.9727c/kWh, about A$1,249 a year |
| Feed-in credit | 0.04c/kWh, about A$2 a year | 8c on first 10 kWh, then 1.5c, about A$319 a year |
| Net yearly cost | About A$1,301 | About A$1,351 |
The plan with the 8c feed-in tariff costs about A$50 a year more, because its usage and supply charges outweigh a A$317 higher export credit. For how time-of-use import rates change the sum, see our guide to peak and off-peak electricity times.
Time-varying feed-in tariffs and export limits
Victoria no longer has a regulated time-varying feed-in tariff, but retailers now sell their own. A time-varying feed-in tariff pays different rates at different times of day, usually a low rate while solar is plentiful and a high rate in the evening peak.
Examples are Origin Battery Earner, AGL Three for Free, CovaU SolarMax and several GloBird plans. For a solar-only home these pay little, because panels produce almost nothing after 5pm. They become valuable once a battery shifts midday generation into the evening window.
What is the emergency backstop?
The emergency backstop is a Victorian rule that lets distributors switch rooftop solar down remotely in a rare grid emergency. Solar Victoria says new, upgraded and replacement solar systems must be installed to comply from 1 October 2024, which means a CSIP-AUS compatible inverter connected to the internet. It calls using the backstop a last resort that does not affect supply to your home.
Solar Victoria’s installer guidance says distribution businesses currently offer a static export limit of 5 kW or less to most solar customers, and that flexible exports can allow more when the local grid has room. We did not verify limits for individual distributors, so ask your installer.
If you have a battery
A battery turns the evening rates into real money. Origin Battery Earner pays 26.5c/kWh from 5pm to 9pm against 1c at other times. A battery exporting 5 kWh a day in that window would earn about A$484 a year in credits (5 kWh x 26.5c x 365), compared with about A$18 at the 1c flat rate. That is export income only. The same plan’s CitiPower import rates were 27.2c/kWh from 5pm to 9pm and 24.8c/kWh at other times.
A virtual power plant (VPP) is a retailer-run program that controls many home batteries together and pays owners for the energy or access. Our VPP guide explains how they pay. GloBird Energy’s ZEROHERO plan lists a near-zero feed-in rate in the plan data because its battery benefit is a bonus credit rather than a feed-in tariff. For storage pricing, see what a solar battery costs and our Melbourne battery installers list. Our Victorian solar rebate guide covers state help with panels and hot water.
How to compare and switch
Compare the estimated yearly cost of the whole plan, not the feed-in rate.
- Find your distributor (CitiPower, Powercor, Jemena, United Energy or AusNet) on your bill.
- Pull 12 months of import and export kWh from your bills.
- Enter them into Victorian Energy Compare and sort by estimated annual cost.
- Read the fact sheet for the daily export limit, time windows and system size limit (ENGIE’s solar plan needs an inverter of 10 kW or under).
- Recheck whenever a retailer changes its prices.
If you are still choosing a system, our Victorian installer directory and top solar companies in Melbourne guide list local installers.
Not checked
- Retailer websites. Red Energy, AGL, Alinta Energy and EnergyAustralia pages blocked or timed out our reads, so rates come from published plan data. Confirm on the fact sheet.
- Simply Energy. Its plan feed returned no plans.
- Retailers not queried, such as Mojo Power, Kogan Energy, Nectr and Discover Energy, which may pay more or less.
- Victorian Energy Compare listings. Not sampled.
- Network export charges. We did not check each distributor’s tariff statement.
FAQ
What is the best solar feed in tariff in Victoria?
The best solar feed in tariff in Victoria that we could confirm in November 2026 was 26.5c/kWh from 5pm to 9pm on Origin Battery Earner, and 8c/kWh on the first 8 to 10 kWh a day for solar-only homes on EnergyAustralia Solar Max or ENGIE’s solar plan. Standard uncapped rates were 0.04c to 2c/kWh.
Is there a minimum feed in tariff in Victoria in 2026?
No, there is no minimum feed-in tariff in Victoria in 2026. The ESC no longer sets one, and since 1 July 2025 retailers set their own rate, which cannot be below $0.00 per kWh.
What was the last ESC feed-in tariff?
The last ESC minimum feed-in tariff applied until 30 June 2025, and our tracker records it as 3.3c/kWh for 2024-25. The ESC says it no longer sets minimum feed-in tariffs following an amendment to the Electricity Industry Act 2000.
What is the highest solar feed in tariff in Melbourne?
The highest solar feed-in tariff for a Melbourne home without a battery was 8c/kWh on the first 8 to 10 kWh exported a day in November 2026. With a battery, Origin Battery Earner paid 26.5c/kWh between 5pm and 9pm.
Is a higher feed-in tariff worth switching for?
A higher feed-in tariff is only worth switching for if the whole plan costs less over a year. In our Jemena example, an 8c plan cost about A$50 a year more than a 0.04c plan because its usage and supply charges were higher.
Can I get a time-of-day feed-in tariff in Victoria without a battery?
Yes, but it rarely pays without a battery. Plans such as AGL Three for Free (15c) and CovaU SolarMax (15c) pay their top rate only in the evening, when solar panels produce little.
What is the emergency backstop for solar in Victoria?
The emergency backstop is a Victorian requirement that new, upgraded and replacement solar systems can be remotely switched down in a grid emergency, applying from 1 October 2024. Solar Victoria calls it a last resort that does not affect your home’s electricity supply.
How do I compare feed-in tariffs in Victoria?
Use Victorian Energy Compare with your real usage and export figures, and sort by estimated yearly cost. The Victorian Government runs the site, and the yearly figure includes feed-in credit, usage rates and the daily supply charge together.
Sources
- ESC: Minimum feed-in tariff
- Solar Victoria: Feed-in tariff ending
- Solar Victoria: Emergency backstop guidance for installers
- Victorian Energy Compare
- Origin Energy plan data, Energy Made Easy product reference feed
- EnergyAustralia plan data
- AGL plan data
- ENGIE plan data
- CovaU plan data
- Alinta Energy plan data
- GloBird Energy plan data
- Red Energy plan data
About this guide
Written by the Solar Cobber editorial team from independent desk research checked in November 2026. No retailer was contacted or paid to be included. Solar Cobber is a free directory that may earn referral or advertising fees from installers, and commercial relationships never affect content. This is general information, not financial advice. Corrections: contact us.
Filed under Savings
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