Feed-in tariffs by Australian state in 2026. Who gets what.

Feed-in tariffs (FiTs) are the rate at which your electricity retailer pays you for solar energy you export to the grid. They are one of the most under-watched factors in solar payback calculations, and they vary substantially across Australian states and across retailers within each state.

This post is the 2026 snapshot of FiTs, with the implications for solar payback and the trends to watch.

What FiTs were and what they are

In the early 2010s, generous government-mandated FiTs (40-60 cents per kWh) drove the first wave of Australian residential solar. Those legacy schemes have largely closed or expired.

Current FiTs are set by individual electricity retailers and are typically much lower:

• The retailer's FiT is what you receive for each kWh you export
• The retailer's import tariff is what you pay for each kWh you consume from the grid
• The difference (typically 25-40 cents per kWh) is the retailer's margin and the network's recovery cost

The implication: solar value comes much more from self-consumption (avoiding the import tariff) than from export (receiving the FiT).

2026 FiT snapshot by state

New South Wales

• Origin Energy: 5.5-6.5 cents per kWh
• AGL: 5.0-7.0 cents per kWh
• EnergyAustralia: 5.5-7.5 cents per kWh
• Smaller retailers (e.g. Powershop, ReAmped): 6.0-9.0 cents per kWh

Median NSW FiT in 2026: approximately 6.5 cents per kWh.

Victoria

• Default Victorian Government minimum FiT: 4.9 cents per kWh (set by the Essential Services Commission)
• Many retailers offer slightly above the minimum (5.0-7.5 cents)
• Some "time-varying" FiTs pay higher rates during evening peak (10-15 cents) and lower rates during daytime export

Median VIC FiT in 2026: approximately 5.5 cents per kWh on flat tariffs, varied on time-of-use.

Queensland

• Energex (south-east QLD): 11.3 cents per kWh minimum
• Ergon (regional QLD): 12.6 cents per kWh minimum
• Retailers compete above the minimum, with some offering up to 15 cents

Median QLD FiT in 2026: approximately 11-12 cents per kWh, the highest of the major states.

South Australia

• AGL: 4-7 cents per kWh
• Origin: 5-8 cents per kWh
• Smaller retailers: 1-12 cents per kWh (wide variation)
• Some VPP (Virtual Power Plant) schemes pay higher rates for participating batteries

Median SA FiT in 2026: approximately 5-8 cents per kWh.

Western Australia

• Synergy (the main retailer for most of WA): Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme pays 2.25-10 cents per kWh depending on time of day
• Daytime export: 2.25 cents (oversupply during midday)
• Evening peak export: up to 10 cents

WA has the most explicit time-of-export pricing in 2026.

Tasmania

• Aurora Energy: 5.5-8.5 cents per kWh
• Other retailers: 6.0-9.0 cents per kWh

Median TAS FiT: approximately 7 cents per kWh.

ACT

• ActewAGL: 6-9 cents per kWh
• Some retailers offer slightly higher

Northern Territory

• Jacana Energy: 8-11 cents per kWh

Why FiTs vary so much

Three reasons:

Reason 1: regulatory regime

NSW and VIC set minimum FiTs through their respective regulators (IPART in NSW, ESC in VIC). The minimums are low because they reflect the value the grid actually receives from daytime solar exports (which is small, because midday solar is in oversupply across the NEM).

QLD's Energex 11.3 cents is comparatively generous because the state-owned retailer has historically positioned higher FiT as part of its electricity strategy.

Reason 2: grid supply/demand balance

WA's split between low daytime FiT (2.25 cents) and higher evening FiT (10 cents) reflects the actual value of energy to the grid: oversupplied at midday, undersupplied in the evening. WA's market is moving fastest toward this kind of explicit time-of-export pricing.

Other states' grids are heading in the same direction. Expect more time-of-export FiT structures by 2028.

Reason 3: retailer competition

Within each state, individual retailers compete on FiT as a customer acquisition lever. Smaller retailers often pay higher FiTs to win solar customers. Larger retailers often have lower headline FiTs but better service or other features.

What this means for payback

For a 6.6 kW solar system without battery in 2026:

• NSW (6.5c FiT, 34c import): annual saving $1,400, payback 4.0-4.5 years
• QLD (11.5c FiT, 31c import): annual saving $1,650, payback 3.3-3.8 years (best in Australia)
• VIC (5.5c FiT, 35c import): annual saving $1,300, payback 4.3-5.0 years
• SA (6c FiT, 41c import): annual saving $1,500, payback 3.8-4.5 years
• WA (5c average FiT, 33c import): annual saving $1,300, payback 4.3-5.0 years

Queensland's high FiT plus lower import cost combine to make QLD solar payback the fastest in the country.

How to find the best FiT for your retailer

Three habits:

Habit 1: check your current retailer's published FiT annually

Retailers can change FiTs with notice. Check the rate annually to ensure you are still on the rate you signed up for.

Habit 2: compare retailers when you renew

Energy Made Easy (federal government comparison site) and state-equivalent comparison tools let you compare FiTs across retailers. Switching retailers is straightforward and can lift your FiT by 1-3 cents per kWh, worth $100-300 per year for a typical solar system.

Habit 3: consider VPP or time-of-export tariffs if you have battery

A battery + time-of-export tariff combination can earn evening-peak FiT rates that are substantially higher than daytime rates. VPP schemes (Virtual Power Plant) pay even more for batteries that grid operators can dispatch.

Where FiTs are heading

Three trends:

1. Time-of-export structures spread. WA leads. Other states follow within 2-3 years.
2. Daytime FiTs compress. Midday oversupply means daytime export value falls. Some projections suggest near-zero daytime FiTs in some states by 2028-2029.
3. Evening FiTs lift. Evening peak energy value is real and growing. Batteries become more valuable as the FiT spread widens.

Feed-in tariffs are the small print of solar economics. Knowing your state's median FiT and choosing a retailer accordingly can lift your annual return by $200-400. Over a 15-year system life that is $3,000-6,000 of additional value from a 30-minute retailer comparison.