Midday Power Saver With a Battery: Is It Worth It?

Retailers with 1,000 or more customers must offer it. You do not need solar panels to join. Before you sign, your retailer has to tell you the plan may not suit you, give a dollar estimate of the impact on your bill where it can, and mention any plan it thinks suits you better. You can leave without an exit fee. The Victorian Government estimates households that shift 5% to 30% of their electricity use into the window could save between $149 and $428 a year.

Here are the maximum rates a retailer can charge on the standard Midday Power Saver tariff:

Rates are cents per kWh including GST, for homes without controlled load, covering 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027. Retailers can charge less. Your retailer can confirm your network. Source: Victorian Government.

Can you charge a home battery for free on the Midday Power Saver?

Yes, if you have opted in and your battery is set to charge from the grid during 11am to 2pm. The Victorian Government says households with a battery or EV can charge it in the free window on days when their solar generation is lower, then use that stored energy in the evening when prices are higher.

In practice a day looks like this:

1. On a sunny day, your roof fills the battery first, so the grid adds little.
2. On a cloudy day, or in winter, the grid tops the battery up for free before 2pm.
3. From 4pm to 9pm, the battery covers your evening use instead of the grid, at the plan’s highest rate.

That means free charging earns most on the days your solar falls short. If your battery already fills from the roof every day, the Midday Power Saver adds less. For a wider look at lining up your use with your system, see our guide to solar usage optimisation.

No solar? The plan does not require it, but the federal battery rebate is for batteries connected to solar, so check your eligibility before you plan around a grid-charged battery.

How much is free charging worth with a battery?

Each kWh your battery takes from the grid for free is worth about 36c to 45c once you use it in the evening, depending on your network. That is the plan’s maximum peak rate of 39.75c to 49.82c per kWh, less roughly 10% lost when the battery charges and discharges (an assumption, so check your battery’s efficiency).

Here is the value of one day’s free top-up in Melbourne’s CitiPower area, where the peak rate is 40.36c:

The same 10 kWh top-up is worth $3.58 on Jemena’s rates and $4.48 on AusNet’s. These figures assume your evening use is at least as large as what the battery delivers.

To estimate your own year, count the days your roof leaves the battery short and multiply. On a clear summer day that may be zero. The number of cloudy and winter days decides the benefit, not the headline.

These figures show what the battery avoids on the Midday Power Saver itself. Whether the plan beats the one you are on today depends on your whole bill, which the next sections cover.

Does the 24 kWh cap matter for a battery?

Yes. The free allowance is 24 kWh a day across everything you draw from the grid in the window, not per appliance. A 13.5 kWh battery charging from empty uses 13.5 kWh of it, which leaves 10.5 kWh for the EV, dryer and hot water. Above the cap you are charged. 

Charge speed matters too. A battery that charges at 5 kW can take at most 15 kWh in three hours, so for bigger batteries the charge rate, not the capacity, limits how much you can take from the grid. Check the maximum charge power on the spec sheet.

The Victorian Government also advises spreading battery charging, EV charging, clothes dryers and other heavy loads across the three hours rather than running them together. This lowers the chance of tripped breakers or blown fuses. If your switchboard or wiring is old, have a licensed electrician check it first.

Is the Midday Power Saver the best plan if you own a battery?

Not always. It has capped rates and consumer protections, but the Victorian Government says itself that it may not be the best-priced offer for your household. Four things to weigh:

• Other free-window plans exist.
  Some retailers offer three or more free hours on market plans, often aimed at specific groups such as EV owners. Their rates outside the window are not regulated, so they can be better or worse.

   

• The evening peak is steep.
  At up to 49.82c per kWh, any evening use your battery does not cover is billed at the plan’s highest rate.

   

• The supply charge counts.
  It is $1.19 to $1.38 a day on this tariff, so compare it with your current plan.

   

• The published tariffs cover one period. They run from 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027. Treat the free window as a bonus, not the whole reason to buy a battery.

Before you opt in, compare your current plan against all the offers using Victorian Energy Compare, the government’s free comparison service. The government says people who used it this year saved $230 on average by switching to their best-priced offer.

How do you set your battery up for the free window?

Five steps, and the first two cost nothing.

1. Check you have a smart meter. Your retailer can confirm.
2. Ask your retailer about the Midday Power Saver. Ask for the dollar estimate they must give you, and for any plan they think suits you better.
3. Confirm your battery supports scheduled grid charging, then set it to charge from 11am to 2pm.
4. Stagger your big loads. Run the dryer and EV charger at different times from the battery’s peak charge.
5. Check your first full bill against the one before it.

If Sunrise installs your battery, ask for the 11am to 2pm schedule on install day, when we set up your inverter app and run you through it.

Thinking about a battery now? Why 31 December matters

If you want a battery ready for the free window, it must be commissioned by 31 December to earn the higher federal rebate. On 1 January the certificate factor falls from 6.8 to 5.7, about 16% less rebate. That is roughly $440 on a 10 kWh battery and $600 on 13.5 kWh. It falls again to 5.2 on 1 July 2027. The date that counts is the day the battery is installed and commissioned, not the day you sign. Our guide to what waiting will cost you has the full table.

There are seven weeks left. Get your install date in writing as soon as you can, and aim to have the battery commissioned by mid-December so a delay does not push you past 31 December.

Size the battery for your evening use between 4pm and 9pm, and check its maximum charge power. Do not size it for the 24 kWh cap. Already have solar? Our guide to adding a battery to existing solar covers what to check.

Not sure a battery pays back at all? Our post-rebate battery ROI guide covers the payback maths.

This week:

1. Request a quote that shows your rebate at today’s rate and at the January rate.
2. Get an install date in writing.
3. Ask what happens to your price if the install slips past 31 December.

How Sunrise Approaches This

We tell customers the real numbers. The Midday Power Saver is a good fit for some households and the wrong plan for others, and the free window alone is not a reason to buy a battery. What matters is your evening use, your solar, and the date your battery is commissioned.

Sunrise Innovations has completed 23,109+ energy installations across Victoria. We hold a 4.9-star rating across 516+ verified Google reviews and a 97% “right first time” installation rate. We are Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accredited with a battery endorsement, and our Director, Paul Dodds, is CEC-accredited.

If you want a battery in before the rebate drops, the next step is a quote and a confirmed install date. Request your Sunrise battery quote this week.

Quick Answers

Is the Midday Power Saver worth it with a home battery?
It can be, on days your solar leaves the battery short and your evening use is large. A 10 kWh free top-up is worth about $3.58 to $4.48 at the plan’s maximum peak rates. It is a poor fit if you cannot use what the battery stores.

Can I charge my battery from the grid for free on the Midday Power Saver?
Yes. You get up to 24 kWh of free electricity a day between 11am and 2pm, once you have opted in through your retailer and set your battery to charge from the grid in that window.

Do I need solar panels to join?
No. Eligible residential customers with a smart meter can join. The federal battery rebate, however, is for batteries connected to solar.

Can I leave if it does not suit me?
Yes. Retailers must let you withdraw from the offer without exit fees.

How long does it run?
The published tariffs cover 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027.

Does the rebate drop affect a battery I buy for this?
Yes. Commissioned by 31 December, it earns the 6.8 factor. From 1 January the factor is 5.7, about 16% less rebate.

Sources

• Victorian Midday Power Saver, Victorian Government: start date, free window, 24 kWh allowance, rates by network, savings estimate, consent and exit-fee rules, advice on batteries and heavy loads
• Victoria’s Midday Power Saver: Will 3 Free Hours Catch On?, SolarQuotes: charges above the 24 kWh allowance, and the 1,000-customer retailer rule
• Victorians can now get 3 hours of free electricity every day, Finder: tariff period, rates cross-check, 1,000-customer retailer rule and the per-year basis of the savings estimate
• Battery Rebate Drops 1 January: What Waiting Will Cost You, Sunrise Innovations: rebate factors, dollar figures and install timeline