From October 2026, every Victorian household will have access to free electricity between 11am and 2pm. Not a limited trial, not a scheme with a long list of conditions. Free power during the middle of the day for anyone who opts in.
The Midday Power Saver is a government initiative designed to solve a real problem with Australia’s electricity grid. The side effect for Victorian households is that it puts money back in your pocket without requiring you to change how much power you use. What changes is simply when you use it.
Here is what the scheme is, why it is happening, how much you could realistically save and what it means whether you have solar, a battery or neither.
What the Midday Power Saver Actually Is
The Midday Power Saver gives Victorian households access to free electricity between 11am and 2pm every day. It is available to all Victorians regardless of whether they have solar or a battery. If you have a smart meter and you opt in with your retailer, you can access it.
It is not automatic. You will need to contact your energy retailer and request this type of plan when it becomes available in October.
The exact process for opting in will be clearer closer to the launch date. The first step you can take right now is checking whether you already have a smart meter.
Where Does the Free Power Come From
The Evening Spike
Between 3pm and 9pm, power demand spikes. Everyone arrives home, starts cooking and turns on the heating or air-con. The grid strains and power is at its most expensive. That is why your evening electricity rate is so high.
The Midday Surplus
Between 11am and 2pm there is the opposite problem. Around one in three Australian homes now have solar, and during those midday hours there is so much renewable energy being generated that the grid cannot always absorb it. The wholesale cost of electricity during that window is close to $0.00 most days.
Between 11am and 2pm there is so much renewable energy across the country that the grid actually has more power than it can use, causing issues for grid stability. Around one in three Australian homes now have solar, and during those midday hours that energy can go to waste.
This is why people are no longer getting a decent feed in tariff. The wholesale cost of electricity during that window has reduced close to $0.00 most days, while those without solar are buying power that should be free.
The Midday Power Saver is designed to solve both problems at once.
By encouraging households to shift their usage into the middle of the day, it reduces the evening spike and puts surplus renewable energy to work. It is a win-win for the grid and for your bill.
How Much Could You Actually Save?
The numbers depend on how much of your usage you can shift, but they are more meaningful than most people expect.
A typical household uses around 10,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year. If you can shift roughly 25% of that into the free midday window by running heating and cooling during the day and setting your dishwasher and washing machine on a timer, that is around 2,500 kilowatt hours that now costs you nothing.
At a typical rate of 30 cents per kilowatt hour, that is a saving of $700 to $800 a year.
No new equipment required, no behaviour change beyond when you run your appliances. That is the straightforward case. With a battery to capture and store free midday power, the savings go further.
What to Run During the Free Window
The appliances that benefit most are the ones you do not need to be home to operate.
Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling accounts for the largest share of most household energy bills, so this is where the biggest savings are. Most Daikin, Mitsubishi and Fujitsu air conditioners can be set up with scheduling rules.
You can configure yours to cool the house if the temperature rises above a set point between 11am and 2pm, even when you are not home. By the time you get back in the afternoon, the house is already comfortable and you are not running the aircon at peak rates. The same approach works in winter: heat the home during the free window so it holds warmth into the evening.
Appliances on Timers
Most modern appliances have a delay-start function. These are all good candidates for the free window:
- Washing machine
- Dryer
- Dishwasher
Underfloor heating and Hot Water Systems
If you have underfloor heating in bathrooms or a hot water system that can be scheduled, those are worth shifting too.
The principle is simple: anything that does not need you standing in front of it is a candidate for the 11am to 2pm window.
What It Means If You Have Solar, a Battery or Both
Solar Only
If you have solar, you may already feel like midday power is free for you, and in one sense it is. But what you export to the grid during that time earns very little because the wholesale value of electricity is near zero. The Midday Power Saver is a prompt to use that midday generation yourself rather than sending it out for almost nothing in return.
With a Battery
If you have a battery, the scheme becomes even more valuable. You can set your battery to charge from the grid between 11am and 2pm at no cost, which means your battery is full every afternoon regardless of the weather. No cloud cover, no winter days, no worrying whether your panels generated enough.
The free window acts as a guarantee that your battery investment works every single day.
No Solar or Battery Yet
If you have neither and are thinking about a battery, this scheme is a meaningful part of the case for one. If you are out during the free window, a battery captures that free power and lets you use it in the evening when rates are highest. The pairing of free midday power with a home battery is one of the more practical energy upgrades we have seen stack up for Victorian households in a while.
What to Do Before October
There are two things worth sorting now rather than scrambling in October.
1. Check Your Smart Meter
If you are on a time-of-use tariff, you already have a smart meter. If you are not sure, call your retailer. Getting a smart meter installed takes time and you do not want it to hold you up when the scheme launches.
2. Set Up Timers and Smart Schedules
Start thinking about which appliances in your home could run on a timer or a smart schedule during the midday window. Smart home platforms and app-connected air conditioners make it straightforward to set rules. The less manual effort required, the more consistently you will capture the saving.
In Sunbury and across the Macedon Ranges, we are already speaking with clients about how to set their systems up to take full advantage of this from day one. If you want to know what is worth doing for your specific home before October, we are happy to walk through it.
The Bottom Line
The Midday Power Saver is one of those rare things in energy that is good for almost everyone. Free power between 11am and 2pm from October 2026, available to all Victorian households who opt in. No solar required and no special equipment needed to get started.
The households that will benefit most are those who prepare now: check your smart meter, schedule your appliances and if you have been sitting on the fence about a battery, this scheme makes the numbers stack up better than they ever have.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need Solar to Access the Midday Power Saver?
No. The scheme is available to all Victorian households with a smart meter, regardless of whether you have solar or a battery. Solar and battery owners will get additional benefits, but anyone can opt in and start shifting appliances to the free window.
How Do I Opt In?
You will need to contact your energy retailer and request a Midday Power Saver plan. It is not automatic. The exact process will be clearer closer to October 2026, but the first step is making sure you have a smart meter. Without one you cannot access time-of-use pricing at all.
What If I'm Not Home Between 11am and 2pm?
This is where a home battery makes the scheme work for you even when you are out. Your battery charges for free during the midday window and then powers your home in the evening when rates are highest. Smart appliances on timers also let you shift usage without needing to be home.
I Already Have Solar. Is This Worth It for Me?
Yes. Even with solar, the feed-in tariff for power you export during midday hours is very low because wholesale electricity prices are near zero at that time. The Midday Power Saver gives you a reason to use that midday generation yourself or store it in a battery, rather than sending it out for next to nothing.
If you want to know how to set your home up to make the most of the Midday Power Saver from day one, whether that means a battery, smarter scheduling or just checking your meter situation, we are happy to help.
Book a free consult or give our friendly team a call on (03) 5426 5522