The Midday Power Saver started on 1 October

Victoria's Midday Power Saver is now available. Households that opt in can use up to 24 kWh of electricity at no usage charge between 11 am and 2 pm, every day of the week.

It is not a temporary weekend promotion or a few free hours hidden inside a retailer loyalty offer. The tariff is regulated, and the Victorian Government has published the outside-window standing-offer rates for the first period running from 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027.

That does not mean every household should switch. The government itself tells customers to compare the offer before moving because the saving depends on how much electricity can actually be shifted into those three hours.

Who can get it?

The offer is for Victorian residential customers who have a smart meter and choose to opt in. Licensed electricity retailers with at least 1,000 customers are required to offer the Midday Power Saver.

Some embedded-network customers may also be eligible, depending on how they are metered and billed. If you are in an apartment building, retirement village or another embedded network, check with the retailer rather than assuming the standard arrangement applies.

Solar homes need to look at this a little differently

A house without solar can shift a dishwasher, washing machine, hot-water cycle or EV charging session into the free window and replace electricity it would otherwise have paid for.

A solar home may already be producing a large share of its own electricity between 11 am and 2 pm. In that case, the free grid window can overlap with the hours when the house was least dependent on the grid anyway.

That does not make the tariff useless for solar owners. It just changes the maths. Homes with a battery, EV, heat-pump hot water, pool equipment or other larger flexible loads may still have plenty of electricity use they can move into the window. A battery may also be able to use grid energy during the period where the system, connection arrangement and battery settings allow it.

Our Midday Power Saver guide covers the interaction with rooftop solar and batteries in more detail.

Where the three-hour window can actually be useful

The biggest opportunity is not turning on every small appliance at once. It is moving energy-hungry jobs that were going to happen anyway.

  • EV charging: three hours on a home charger can move a meaningful amount of energy into the car.
  • Electric hot water: a heat pump or resistive water heater can store energy as hot water for later use.
  • Battery charging: some systems may be configured to charge from the grid during the no-cost period.
  • Dishwashers, washing machines and dryers: useful, although individually they are much smaller loads than an EV or large battery.
  • Pool pumps and other scheduled equipment: another load that can often be moved without changing how the household lives.

If you are thinking about an EV, our home EV charging guide explains charger power, solar surplus and household supply limits.

Check the whole tariff before switching

The free window is only one part of the offer. The Midday Power Saver standing offer has different charges outside 11 am to 2 pm, including a higher-priced evening period. Your daily supply charge matters too.

A home that uses a lot of electricity from 4 pm to 9 pm and cannot shift much of it may be better off on another plan, even if the word "free" looks attractive.

Use Victorian Energy Compare ↗ with your actual usage information where possible. For solar households, also look at the export rate and how much power you normally import during the middle of the day.

The Victorian feed-in tariff guide explains why the best solar electricity plan is the one that produces the lowest whole bill, not necessarily the one with the biggest export rate or the flashiest free period.

Sources and further reading

Editorial references checked: 8 October 2026

Source labels identify who published each reference, not an independent endorsement. Confirm current requirements and exact product terms before purchasing.