Best Electricity Plans for Solar Batteries

Solar battery electricity plans should be compared by whole-bill value, not feed-in tariff alone. A battery changes when the home imports power, when it exports solar and whether demand or time-of-use charges matter.

Quick answer: what plan suits a battery home?

A battery home should compare import rates, daily supply charge, feed-in tariff, time-of-use windows, demand charges, battery export rules, virtual power plant terms and annual bill estimate. Use Energy Made Easy outside Victoria, Victorian Energy Compare in Victoria, and /electricity to compare current offers.

The best plan is the one that minimises grid imports at expensive times without giving away too much control or value through poor export or VPP terms.

Why batteries change the comparison

A solar-only home often compares import rates and feed-in tariffs. A battery home adds storage. That means evening imports may fall, daytime exports may fall, and the feed-in tariff may become less important than it was before the battery.

If the battery stores most midday solar, the home may export very little. In that case, a plan with a high feed-in tariff but high peak import rate may not be the best choice.

If the battery regularly fills by midday and exports in the afternoon, feed-in tariff and export limits still matter. The right plan depends on real battery behaviour, not the system size on the invoice.

Import rates usually matter most

Battery homes should check evening and overnight import rates. Even with a battery, homes can still import during long cloudy periods, winter, heatwaves or after high evening usage.

Use a simple test. If one plan saves 6 cents per kWh on 6 kWh of evening imports, that is 36 cents a day or about $131 a year. If the same plan pays 2 cents per kWh less on 5 kWh of daily exports, that export loss is about $36.50 a year. In that example, the lower import rate wins.

The result can reverse if the battery exports heavily. That is why you need your import and export data before choosing a plan.

Feed-in tariffs and export limits

Solar feed-in tariffs are still relevant, but they are only one part of the battery plan. Check the rate, export limit, eligibility conditions and whether the tariff changes after a threshold.

Victorian customers should know that from 1 July 2025 there is no regulator-set minimum feed-in tariff. Retailers set their own feed-in tariffs, but they cannot be below zero. That makes plan-document checks essential.

Queensland solar customers should separate South East Queensland from regional Queensland because regional feed-in tariff settings and retail competition differ from the SEQ market.

Virtual power plant terms

Some battery plans include virtual power plant or VPP participation. A VPP can pay credits or offer special rates in exchange for allowing the retailer or aggregator to control battery export at certain times.

Before joining, check who controls the battery, how often events can occur, minimum reserve settings, payment amount, contract length, exit terms and whether the VPP affects battery warranty conditions.

A VPP credit can be useful, but it is not free money. If export events leave the battery low before your evening peak usage, you may buy more grid power later.

Time-of-use and demand tariffs

Time-of-use plans can suit battery homes if the battery discharges during peak periods and charges from solar or cheap off-peak power. They can be poor value if the battery is too small to cover evening usage.

Demand tariffs need extra care. If the home occasionally draws a high load from the grid, the demand charge can rise even if total kWh is low. Large air conditioners, EV charging, pool pumps and ovens can create peaks.

Use inverter and smart-meter data where possible. A bill alone may show total imports and exports but not the timing detail that decides whether the tariff fits.

Battery size and household behaviour

A 5 kWh battery and a 13.5 kWh battery do not suit the same plan. Smaller batteries may run flat before the evening peak ends. Larger batteries may cover more night usage and make peak rates less important.

Household routine matters too. A home with daytime occupancy can self-consume solar directly before the battery even charges. A home empty during the day may send more energy into the battery and export the rest.

EV charging can dominate the comparison. A car using 2,700 kWh a year before charging losses can change whether the battery is used for household load, car charging or both.

How to compare step by step

First, collect import kWh, export kWh and battery behaviour from your app or bill. Second, identify tariff type, supply charge, import rates, feed-in tariff and demand charges. Third, compare the current plan with at least three alternatives using the same annual usage.

Fourth, model the battery with three cases: typical sunny week, cloudy week and high-load summer week. Fifth, check VPP terms if the plan includes battery control. Sixth, use /electricity, /calculators/electricity-cost and state pages such as /electricity/vic, /electricity/qld, /electricity/sa and /electricity/nsw when local rules matter.

Common mistakes

The first mistake is choosing the highest feed-in tariff without checking import rates. The second is ignoring VPP control terms. The third is assuming the battery eliminates all peak imports.

The fourth mistake is comparing solar-only plans with battery plans using different assumptions. The fifth is ignoring demand charges. The sixth is not checking whether the battery or inverter is eligible for the plan.

Sources and methodology

This guide uses Energy Made Easy, Victorian Energy Compare, CompareUs state electricity references, current Victorian feed-in tariff rules and practical battery bill calculations. It avoids naming one national winner because battery value changes by postcode, battery size, inverter, usage timing and retailer terms.