First of all, the people of Queensland enjoy some of the highest solar feed-in tariffs. That means if you have a solar system in good ol’ QLD, there’s a good chance you’re going to save more money than a lot of other Australians.
But, if you’re new here, you’re probably asking, “What exactly is a feed-in tariff, anyway?” If you already know what it is, then you’re probably thinking to yourself, “What are the best ones?”
Well, you’ve come to the right place. All of those questions will be answered below. Feel free to tap on any of the bullets to skip sections. Otherwise, let’s get to it.
- What exactly is a feed-in tariff?
- Summary of energy providers in QLD and their rates
- The 5 best solar tariffs in Queensland
What are the solar feed-in tariffs in QLD?
A solar feed-in tariff, or FiTs for short, is credit that your electricity retailer gives to you in exchange for exporting your excess electricity to the grid.
“Where does this excess energy come from?” you ask.
It’s from solar energy that your home doesn’t use. So, instead of going to waste, you just send it to the grid. The credits (i.e., solar feed-in tariffs) that you get will then be deducted from your electricity bill via net metering, which lowers it even more. Sounds pretty awesome, eh?
Not only that, QLD enjoys some of the highest regional FiT rates in all of Australia. They also have the Queensland Solar Bonus Scheme, which, unfortunately, has already closed, but if you applied before it did, you’d still be eligible for a ridiculously high feed-in tariff rate of 44 c/kWh until 2028.
Overview of electricity retailers and their FiTs rates
The table below shows a list of energy retailers in Queensland, their solar feed-in tariff charges, as well as the conditions that apply to these rates.
Note that some of these energy providers offer a flat rate tariff, while others have minimum and maximum rates.
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| Retailer | Minimum Feed-in Tariff | Maximum Feed-in Tariff | Other notes and conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Energy | 6 c/kWh | 6 c/kWh | |
| AGL | 5 c/kWh | 15 c/kWh | The 15 c/kWh is only available for AGL solar savers plan customers and only for the first 10 kWh of daily export. After that, the rate rolls back to 5 c/kWh. |
| Alinta Energy | 8 c/kWh | 8 c/kWh | This rate applies to all of their electricity plans (Carbon Balance, BetterDeal Energy, and Standing Offer). |
| CovaU | 5.5 c/kWh | 5.5 c/kWh | |
| Diamond Energy | 5.2 c/kWh | 5.2 c/kWh | |
| Electricity in a Box | 6.00 c/kWh | 6.00 c/kWh | |
| Energy Locals | 6.00 c/kWh | 10.70 c/kWh | The 10.7 c/kWh rate applies to the first 10 kWh of export per day. It rolls back to 6 c/kWh thereafter. Both of these rates also apply to their Local Member and Online Member plans. |
| Energy Australia | 6.6 c/kW | 6.6 c/kW | |
| Ergon Energy | 13.441 | 13.441 | |
| Future X Power | 3 c/kWh | 3 c/kWh | |
| GloBird Energy | 4 c/kWh | 11 c/kWh | The 11 c/kWh rate applies to the first 8 kWh of export per day. It rolls back to 4 c/kWh thereafter. |
| Kogan Energy | 5 c/kWh | 5 c/kWh | |
| OVO Energy | 7 c/kWh | 14 c/kWh | The 14 c/kWh rate applies to the first 4000 kWh of energy exported per year. It rolls back to 7 c/kWh thereafter. |
| Origin Energy | 5 c/kWh | 20 c/kWh | |
| Powershop | 5 c/kWh | 11 c/kWh | The rates of their solar feed-in tariffs depend on the plan. Their Switch Saver and Power Offset plans have a flat rate of 5 c/kWh, while their Power Drive plan has a high 11 c/kWh rate during super off-peak periods. |
| Red Energy | 1 c/kWh | 8 c/kWh | Rates depend on the plan you choose. The 8 c/kWh rates only apply to the following plans: Living Energy Solar Saver, Qantas Red Solar Saver, Red BCNA Saver, and Red EV Saver. |
| Simply Energy | 7 c/kWh | 7 c/kWh |
The 5 Best Solar Feed-in Tariffs in QLD (2024)
1. Origin Energy
- Maximum: 20 c/kWh
- Minimum: 5 c/kWh
This company is the largest energy retailer in all of Queensland and the whole of Australia. It also has the best solar feed-in tariff rates in Queensland and other states.
Having said that, their 20 c/kWh max rate is remarkable, even compared to the other retailers on this list. It does have a few conditions, though.
For one, you only qualify for the 20 c/kWh rate if you buy your new solar panels system from this company. The system size. also has to be less than 7 kW. Otherwise, your maximum feed-in tariff rate becomes 17 c/kWh.
Furthermore, the above rates are also only applicable for their Origin Solar Boost Plus plan. The next best thing is their Origin Solar Boost plan with a solar feed-in tariff rate of 12 c/kWh. All other plans have a rate of 5 c/kWh.
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2. AGL
- Maximum: 15 c/kWh
- Minimum: 5 c/kWh
AGL comes second only to Origin Energy in terms of market share and, of course, their solar feed-in tariff rates. With a 15 c/kWh maximum rate, this deserves serious consideration.
As it is with the aforementioned company, however, AGL’s high solar feed-in tariff costs come with conditions.
First, this solar feed-in tariff is only available for their AGL Solar Savers Plan. All other plans only come with a FiTs rate of 5 c/kWh.
Next, it only applies to the first 10 kWh of your daily solar power export. It rolls back to 5 c/kWh after that. Truth be told, though, 10 kW is so huge, the average solar panels system wouldn’t have that much excess. If yours does, then I suggest you consider investing in a solar battery instead.
3. OVO Energy
- Maximum: 14 c/kWh
- Minimum: 7 c/kWh
OVO Energy is a much, much smaller energy provider compared to both Origin and AGL. That doesn’t matter here, however, because their solar feed-in tariffs are among the most generous in all of Queensland.
At 14 c/kWh, their max FiT rate is only slightly smaller than AGLs. Their minimum feed-in tariff? Also more generous than most at 7 c/kWh.
Their terms are easy to understand, too.
The 14 c/kWh rate applies to the first 4000 kWh of power your solar system exports per year. After that, the rate rolls back to 7 c/kWh.
4. Ergon Energy
- Flat rate: 13.441 c/kWh
Like OVO, Ergon Energy’s market share in Queensland isn’t anywhere near Origin or AGL. It’s a much smaller company by comparison, but that’s not stopping it from having one of the best solar feed-in tariffs in QLD.
Ergon Energy offers a flat rate of 13.441 c/kWh, which is great for a handful of reasons.
For one, that’s an increase from the last rate they offered (9.3 c/kWh). That’s rare to see, especially since the value of the typical feed-in tariff has generally gone down over the past few years.
Moreover, it’s a flat rate. This means that no matter how much electricity you send to the grid, that rate won’t change.
5. Powershop
- Maximum: 11 c/kWh
- Minimum: 5 c/kWh
Powershop owns 0.5% of the energy market share in Queensland. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s actually larger than what Ergon and OVO command. Not nearly as big as Origin and AGL, but still. It’s larger than most other small energy providers.
Having said that, its 11 c/kWh maximum rate is among the most generous feed-in tariffs in Queensland. Looking at the bigger picture, however, Powershop’s rates feel a little underwhelming, especially compared to Origin, AGL, OVO, and Ergon.
I say this because this only applies to their Power Drive plan. Their other plans, Switch Saver and Power Offset, are only good for 5 c/kWh.
Not only that, the 11 c/kWh rate only applies to super off-peak hours. On other occasions, this rolls back to a lower rate.
Conclusion
To summarize, there are many energy retailers in all of Queensland, but not a lot of them offer higher than standard feed-in tariffs. Among those that do, Origin, AGL, OVO, Ergon, and Powershop have the highest maximums.
FiT rates shouldn’t be the only factor you consider when choosing between energy providers, though. Even the highest feed-in tariff fees aren’t anywhere near the price you pay for buying power from the electricity grid.
So, look at the bigger picture. What’s their customer service like? Have you read their contract terms and conditions? How are you going to be billed?
Now, if you’re ready to make the switch to solar, we have a network of pre-vetted solar panels installers ready to give you 3 free quotes right away. Just let us know, and we’ll help.
