OVO Energy Pty Ltd is an electricity-only retailer selling to households in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria. As at November 2026 its plans are The One Plan (a single rate), The Free 4 Plan (0c per kWh from 11am to 3pm daily) and The EV Plan (4.5c per kWh from midnight to 6am). The old “Free 3” plan, free from 11am to 2pm, has been replaced by Free 4 on the main website.
OVO suits households that can shift use into the middle of the day, or that charge an electric vehicle overnight. It is weak for rooftop solar exporters, because feed-in rates run from 0.5c to 3c per kWh. OVO holds 3.6 stars from 726 reviews on ProductReview.com.au (checked November 2026). This is independent desk research; OVO was not contacted and did not pay.
Source: OVO Energy pricing page and ProductReview.com.au, read 14 November 2026.
Key facts
- OVO Energy Pty Ltd (ABN 99 623 475 089) sells residential electricity in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, according to its Special Terms updated 1 October 2026.
- OVO Energy’s Free 4 Plan charges 0c per kWh from 11am to 3pm every day, requires a communicating smart meter, and is subject to a Fair Use Policy, according to OVO’s website in November 2026.
- OVO Energy’s EV Plan charges 4.5c per kWh from midnight to 6am for general usage (not controlled load) and requires the customer to own an electric vehicle and have a smart meter.
- OVO Energy’s The One Plan solar feed-in rate is 3c per kWh in the Ausgrid, Endeavour and Essential Energy networks, 2c in Energex and 1c in SA Power Networks, per OVO’s pricing page read on 14 November 2026.
- On the OVO Energy pricing page, the One Plan in Ausgrid is about 14% below the Default Market Offer annual price for a 3,900 kWh household, a Solar Cobber calculation (A$1,635 against A$1,899).
- OVO Energy holds 3.6 stars from 726 reviews on ProductReview.com.au in November 2026, with 66% of reviews positive and 34% negative.
How OVO Energy works
OVO charges a daily supply charge plus usage rates, with no exit fee and an “ongoing contract with no contract term”, according to its Energy Made Easy listings. Rates can change: OVO’s plan data says it may vary rates under its terms.
Payment is by direct debit, credit card or BPAY, and optional Bill Smoothing spreads an estimate of annual costs into monthly payments. OVO’s Bill Smoothing terms (updated 29 September 2026) say you cannot set payments below OVO’s estimate of the next 12 months, and the amounts are reviewed periodically.
Its 100% GreenPower add-on costs 2.2c per kWh including GST. The Refer a Friend credit is A$120 over 12 months (A$180 for the EV Plan), and both people must stay 12 months to get all of it (policy updated 17 April 2026).
Who owns OVO Energy in Australia?
AGL’s FY2024 disclosures describe the 100 percent acquisition of Ovo Energy Australia in the second half of that financial year, and a regulator notice listed in search results says customers are intended to be transferred to AGL. We could not open those pages directly, and OVO was still selling plans and publishing new rates in October and November 2026. Check which legal entity your contract names.
OVO Energy plans and rates (November 2026)
The Australian Energy Regulator explains in this short video how regulated electricity prices are set, which is the benchmark OVO is compared against below.
The table shows the three plans on OVO’s pricing page for the Ausgrid network (Sydney), with rates GST inclusive and read 14 November 2026. The same figures appear on Energy Made Easy, where rates are listed ex GST (for example 26.81c for the One Plan, which is 29.49c with GST).
| Plan (Ausgrid, Sydney) | Supply charge | Usage rates | Feed-in rate (ex GST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The One Plan | 132.96c a day | 29.49c per kWh, all times | 3c per kWh |
| The Free 4 Plan (time of use) | 206.29c a day | 0c 11am to 3pm; 25.23c off-peak; 63.21c peak 3pm to 9pm | 1c per kWh |
| The EV Plan (time of use) | 185.28c a day | 4.5c midnight to 6am; 24.04c off-peak; 60.19c peak 3pm to 9pm | 1c per kWh |
| Standing offer, flat (for comparison) | 166.20c a day | 33.14c per kWh | 0c per kWh |
On Ausgrid the Free 4 and EV peak window is 3pm to 9pm in November to March and June to August only. In April, May, September and October there is no peak, and the off-peak rate runs from 3pm to 11am. Windows differ by network, so read your plan’s fact sheet.
- Free 4 Plan
- One Plan
Source: OVO Energy pricing page and Energy Made Easy plan data, read 14 November 2026.
View the data as a table
| Free 4 Plan | One Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| 11am to 3pm | 0.00c | 29.49c |
| 9pm to 11am | 25.23c | 29.49c |
| 3pm to 9pm | 63.21c | 29.49c |
The Free 4 Plan is free for four hours but costs more than twice the single rate in the evening peak. Its supply charge is also A$268 a year higher than the One Plan in Ausgrid (Solar Cobber calculation: 206.29c minus 132.96c, times 365 days).
The Free 3 plan and Free 4 plan
The Free 3 plan gave free power from 11am to 2pm. OVO’s current Special Terms (1 October 2026) still list Free 3, but its website sells Free 4, which runs 11am to 3pm. Free 3 required monthly in-advance billing through Bill Smoothing; the Free 4 terms we read do not say so.
Both free windows apply to general usage only, not controlled load. OVO’s Fair Use Policy (updated 3 September 2026) lets it move customers to a Standard Retail Contract if free-window use is excessive, and gives routine use above 24 kWh a day as an example of unreasonable use. OVO’s Free 4 page says there is no daily cap on use in the window.
Free daytime power is also the idea behind the regulated Solar Sharer Offer. See our Solar Sharer Offer guide for how the 11am to 2pm (12pm to 3pm in SA) free window compares.
OVO Energy for solar owners
OVO pays 0.5c to 3c per kWh for exports, so it is a poor retailer for a household that exports most of its solar. The highest rate, 3c, is on the One Plan in three New South Wales networks, and the Free 4 and EV plans pay 1c or 0.5c.
- The One Plan
- The Free 4 Plan
Source: OVO Energy pricing page, read 14 November 2026.
View the data as a table
| The One Plan | The Free 4 Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid (NSW) | 3.0c | 1.0c |
| Endeavour (NSW) | 3.0c | 1.0c |
| Essential (NSW) | 3.0c | 1.0c |
| Energex (QLD) | 2.0c | 1.0c |
| SA Power Networks (SA) | 1.0c | 1.0c |
| United Energy (VIC) | 1.4c | 0.5c |
Victoria has had no state minimum feed-in tariff since 1 July 2025; retailers must pay at least 0.00c, according to the Essential Services Commission (checked 14 November 2026). Our feed-in tariff tracker and the state guides for NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria list higher-paying plans. A solar home gains little from the free midday window because the panels already cover midday use. See peak and off-peak times.
If you are buying solar through OVO, its Solar and Battery pages refer customers to the lender Brighte, and say OVO may receive a commission. Compare that quote against installers on our directory and our top installers.
OVO Energy for battery and EV owners
The Free 4 Plan suits a battery that charges from the grid during the free window, and the EV Plan suits overnight charging. We found no OVO virtual power plant (VPP) offer in the pages we read; see our VPP guide and Amber Electric review for retailers built around batteries.
OVO’s EV plan page says a connected-vehicle feature (evControl) was available only to Tesla customers at this stage. The plan needs a smart meter and an electric vehicle, and OVO may end the contract if you do not own one. Our cost to charge an electric car guide has more detail.
What it costs: how OVO compares with the default offers
OVO’s One Plan costs less than the regulated default offer in every network we checked. The chart compares OVO’s rates with the AER’s 2026-27 Default Market Offer (DMO) flat-rate annual price, using the AER’s assumed usage.
| Network | AER assumed usage | OVO One Plan: supply, usage | OVO annual cost | DMO annual price | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | 3,900 kWh | 132.96c, 29.49c | A$1,635 | A$1,899 | -A$264 (-13.9%) |
| Endeavour Energy | 4,900 kWh | 148.02c, 30.69c | A$2,044 | A$2,328 | -A$284 (-12.2%) |
| Energex | 4,600 kWh | 151.69c, 27.13c | A$1,801 | A$1,988 | -A$187 (-9.4%) |
| Essential Energy | 4,600 kWh | 217.77c, 30.80c | A$2,212 | A$2,604 | -A$392 (-15.1%) |
| SA Power Networks | 4,000 kWh | 169.25c, 41.91c | A$2,294 | A$2,334 | -A$40 (-1.7%) |
Solar Cobber calculation: supply charge times 365 days, plus usage rate times assumed kWh, with no solar and no discounts. DMO prices are from the AER 2026-27 final determination, as collected in our data pack on 14 November 2026.
- OVO One Plan
- Default Market Offer
Source: OVO Energy pricing page (14 November 2026); AER Default Market Offer 2026-27 final determination.
View the data as a table
| OVO One Plan | Default Market Offer | |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | A$1,635 | A$1,899 |
| Endeavour | A$2,044 | A$2,328 |
| Energex | A$1,801 | A$1,988 |
| Essential | A$2,212 | A$2,604 |
| SA Power | A$2,294 | A$2,334 |
OVO’s One Plan is 10% to 15% below the default offer in the three biggest eastern networks and almost level in South Australia.
OVO Energy in Victoria
In Victoria OVO’s One Plan sits well below the Victorian Default Offer (VDO). The Essential Services Commission’s 2026-27 VDO annual bills are for 4,000 kWh a year.
| Distribution zone | OVO One Plan: supply, usage | OVO annual cost (4,000 kWh) | VDO annual bill 2026-27 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Energy | 90.53c, 20.50c | A$1,151 | A$1,529 | -A$378 |
| CitiPower | 92.06c, 19.72c | A$1,125 | A$1,481 | -A$356 |
| Jemena | 97.89c, 21.14c | A$1,203 | A$1,563 | -A$360 |
| Powercor | 104.92c, 21.73c | A$1,252 | A$1,633 | -A$381 |
| AusNet | 100.02c, 24.94c | A$1,363 | A$1,748 | -A$385 |
- OVO One Plan
- Victorian Default Offer
Source: OVO Energy pricing page (14 November 2026); Essential Services Commission VDO 2026-27.
View the data as a table
| OVO One Plan | Victorian Default Offer | |
|---|---|---|
| United Energy | A$1,151 | A$1,529 |
| CitiPower | A$1,125 | A$1,481 |
| Jemena | A$1,203 | A$1,563 |
| Powercor | A$1,252 | A$1,633 |
| AusNet | A$1,363 | A$1,748 |
The United Energy One Plan rates also appear in Victorian Energy Compare data for the November 2026 plan (20.50c per kWh and 90.53c a day with GST). OVO’s own homepage still carries an older marketing example of A$550 a year, which does not match these rates, so use the pricing page.
A worked bill for a solar home and an EV home
Solar Cobber calculation for Ausgrid, assuming a solar home imports 3,000 kWh a year (300 kWh in 11am to 3pm, 1,000 kWh in the 3pm to 9pm peak, 1,700 kWh at other times) and exports 4,000 kWh. These are our assumptions, not OVO’s.
| Plan | Supply | Usage | Feed-in credit | Net annual cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The One Plan | A$485 | A$885 | -A$120 | A$1,250 |
| Standing offer (DMO flat) | A$607 | A$994 | A$0 | A$1,601 |
| The Free 4 Plan | A$753 | A$1,061 | -A$40 | A$1,774 |
Source: OVO Energy pricing page; AER Default Market Offer 2026-27 (standing offer supply and usage caps).
View the data as a table
| Net annual cost | |
|---|---|
| One Plan | A$1,250 |
| Standing offer | A$1,601 |
| Free 4 Plan | A$1,774 |
For this solar home the Free 4 Plan costs A$524 a year more than the One Plan. Even with 1,200 kWh imported in the free window (a battery charging from the grid), Free 4 comes to about A$1,319, still above the One Plan at A$1,250, because of its higher supply charge and evening peak.
For an EV home using 4,000 kWh plus the 2,760 kWh OVO uses in its own example (13,800 km at 20 kWh per 100 km), the EV Plan costs about A$2,123 a year with 1,000 kWh of that in the evening peak, or A$2,304 with 1,500 kWh in the peak. The One Plan costs A$2,479. The EV Plan saves A$175 to A$356 a year, and the saving shrinks if you use more evening power.
What customers praise
Reviewers on ProductReview.com.au, where 66% of 726 reviews are positive, praise quick access to a human on chat or phone and low rates at sign-up. OVO is rated 3.7 for customer service and 3.5 for rates and fees on that site. OVO says Canstar named it Most Satisfied Customers for Solar Electricity Providers in 2026; we did not open Canstar’s page to confirm that.
Common OVO Energy complaints
The recurring complaints on ProductReview.com.au (read 14 November 2026) are bills that rose after signing up, charges continuing after closing an account, and credits not returned on moving out. Some reviewers describe estimated bills for properties with no one living there. These are patterns in public reviews, not findings of fault. We found no public AER, ACCC or court action against OVO Energy in the sources we checked, but we did not search the Energy Ombudsman registers.
Risks to understand before switching
- Rates can change at any time under OVO’s terms, so a plan cheaper than the default today may not stay so.
- Free 4 and EV plans need a smart meter, and the free window is general usage only.
- OVO’s ownership may change (see above). Ask which entity will bill you.
- We did not find confirmation of interest paid on credit balances in OVO’s current plan documents, so do not assume it.
OVO Energy vs alternatives
| Retailer | Best known for | Free or cheap window | Solar export pays | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVO Energy | Free 4 and EV plans | 0c 11am to 3pm; 4.5c midnight to 6am | 0.5c to 3c all day | This page |
| GloBird Energy | ZEROHERO battery plan | 0c 12pm to 3pm (first 50 kWh), A$1 daily credit | 10c evening on first 15 kWh; 0c midday | GloBird review |
| Amber Electric | Wholesale pass-through | Varies with spot price | Varies with spot price | Amber review |
GloBird figures are from our GloBird review checked in November 2026. See our Default Market Offer guide for how the benchmarks work.
Who it suits, and who should avoid it
OVO suits households with a smart meter that can run appliances from 11am to 3pm, EV owners who charge from midnight, and non-solar homes wanting a rate below the default offer. Avoid it if you export most of your solar, if you cannot avoid 3pm to 9pm use on Free 4, or if you want a VPP. Compare plans on Energy Made Easy or Victorian Energy Compare before signing.
FAQ
Is OVO Energy any good?
OVO Energy is good value for the right household and mixed on service. It holds 3.6 stars from 726 reviews on ProductReview.com.au as at November 2026, and its One Plan is below the default offer in every network we checked. Most complaints concern billing.
What is OVO Free 3, and has it been replaced?
OVO Free 3 gave free electricity from 11am to 2pm each day. OVO’s website now sells The Free 4 Plan instead, with free power from 11am to 3pm, although the Special Terms updated 1 October 2026 still mention Free 3.
How does the OVO EV plan work?
The OVO EV Plan charges 4.5c per kWh from midnight to 6am on general usage. You must own an electric vehicle and have a smart meter, and peak rates of about 60c per kWh apply from 3pm to 9pm in Ausgrid in some months.
What is OVO’s solar feed-in tariff?
OVO’s feed-in tariff is 3c per kWh on The One Plan in Ausgrid, Endeavour and Essential networks, 2c in Energex, 1c in SA Power Networks and 1.4c in United Energy (Victoria). The Free 4 and EV plans pay 1c or 0.5c.
Is OVO Energy owned by AGL?
AGL’s FY2024 disclosures describe acquiring Ovo Energy Australia, and a regulator notice says customers are intended to move to AGL. OVO was still selling plans in November 2026, so check your contract.
Is OVO Energy good for solar panels?
OVO is poor for exporters and acceptable for homes that use most of their own solar. Feed-in rates are 0.5c to 3c per kWh, well below the best plans in our feed-in tariff tracker.
Sources
- OVO Energy pricing and basic plan information, read 14 November 2026
- OVO Energy Free 4 Plan and EV Plan pages
- OVO Energy Special Terms, Fair Use Policy, Bill Smoothing and Refer a Friend terms
- Australian Energy Regulator, Energy Made Easy product data (Consumer Data Right), read 14 November 2026
- AER Default Market Offer 2026-27 final determination
- Essential Services Commission, Victorian Default Offer 2026-27 and minimum feed-in tariff page
- OVO Energy on ProductReview.com.au, read 14 November 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, and commercial relationships never affect our content. This is not financial advice. Spotted an error? Tell us via /contact.
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