Understanding Solar Feed-In Tariffs In Tamworth: Are You Getting A Fair Rate?
A fair feed-in tariff in NSW for 2026–27 sits roughly between 3.4 and 6.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to the state pricing regulator’s benchmark. If your bill shows a rate in that range, you’re getting a typical deal. But the bigger question for most households with solar in Tamworth isn’t the export rate at all. It’s how much of your solar you use yourself.
In this guide, Max Fox Electrical & Inland Solar explains how feed-in tariffs work, what the current NSW benchmarks look like, and when a battery earns you more than shopping around for a better export rate.
What Is a Solar Feed-In Tariff?
A solar feed-in tariff is the credit your electricity retailer pays for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar power you send back to the grid. Your panels power your home first. Anything left over flows out through your meter, and your retailer credits it on your bill.
Your retailer sets the rate, not your installer or the network. Two neighbours with identical systems can earn different amounts simply because they’re with different retailers.
How Does the Solar Feed-In Tariff Work in NSW?
In NSW, retailers set their own solar feed-in tariff, and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) publishes a yearly benchmark range as a guide, not a minimum. Retailers don’t have to offer a rate within the range, or offer one at all (IPART).
Here’s how it plays out on your bill:
- Your inverter converts solar power for use in your home.
- Any surplus exports to the grid and your meter records it.
- Your retailer multiplies those exported kWh by your feed-in rate.
- The total appears as a credit against what you owe for grid power.
Most plans pay a flat, all-day rate, but some pay different rates depending on when you export.
What NSW Solar Owners Can Expect to Earn in 2026–27
IPART’s all-day benchmark for 2026–27, which applies from 1 July 2026, is 3.4 to 6.5 c/kWh. That’s down from 4.8 to 7.3 c/kWh in 2025–26. IPART bases the range on the wholesale value of electricity at the times solar exports hit the grid, which is mostly the middle of the day (IPART all-day fact sheet).
What that means in dollars depends on how much you export, which is where property size matters.
Example: A rural lifestyle property outside Tamworth exports an average of 15 kWh a day because no one is home in daylight hours. That’s about 5,475 kWh a year.
At 3.4 c/kWh, the credit comes to roughly $186. At 6.5 c/kWh, it’s roughly $356. That’s a real gap, but it’s about $170 a year, not thousands.
For a deeper look at solar savings in Tamworth, read
How Much Does Solar Really Save You in Tamworth?.
Why Feed-In Tariffs Have Dropped Since the Early Solar Days
Early NSW solar owners earned far more because the state government subsidised their exports. The NSW Solar Bonus Scheme ran from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2016 (NSW Parliament review). When it ended, participants moved onto unsubsidised retailer rates.
Since then, feed-in tariffs have tracked the market value of solar exports, and that value keeps falling. Rooftop systems across the state export at the same time of day, which pushes midday wholesale prices down. IPART points to this as a key reason its 2026–27 benchmark came in lower.
Who Has the Best Solar Feed-In Tariff in NSW?
There’s no single answer, because the best feed-in tariff isn’t always the best plan. IPART warns that plans with higher feed-in tariffs may come with conditions or higher prices for the power you buy. A plan paying an extra 3 cents on exports can still cost you more if it charges higher usage or supply rates.
For a fair feed-in tariff comparison in NSW, use the government’s Energy Made Easy website, which compares plans by postcode. Before you switch, check:
- the feed-in rate, and whether it applies to all exports or only the first few kWh each day
- usage rates and the daily supply charge
- any conditions, such as buying a battery or joining a program
- whether the rate can change during the contract
A comparison based on your actual usage and exports beats one based on averages.
Time-of-Day Export Rates on the Essential Energy Network
Time-of-day plans set solar export rates by the hour, paying more in the evening when the grid needs power most. IPART sets a separate benchmark for each NSW network, and Tamworth falls within the Essential Energy network area (your bill names your distributor). Its 2026–27 benchmarks are:
| Time window | 2026–27 benchmark (c/kWh) |
|---|---|
| 10am–3pm | 3.3–4.4 |
| 3pm–5pm | 6–10 |
| 5pm–8pm | 26.6–33.3 |
| 8pm–10am | 3.3–5.3 |
Source: IPART time-of-day fact sheet.
The catch is timing. Panels produce most of their power between 10am and 3pm, when export value is lowest, and output fades fast by 5pm. Without a way to shift energy into the evening, most solar-only homes won’t earn much from the high evening window.
Why Using Your Own Solar Usually Pays More Than Exporting It
Every kWh you use from your panels is a kWh you don’t buy from your retailer. IPART states that the biggest benefit of solar comes from using the power you generate, because retail electricity prices are much higher than feed-in rates. Exporting earns you a few cents. Self-consuming saves you the full retail price.
That makes daytime habits more valuable than a slightly better feed-in rate. Practical ways to use more of your own power include:
- running the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer between 10am and 3pm
- setting the pool pump or irrigation pump to run during peak sun
- pre-cooling or pre-heating the house in the early afternoon
- switching the hot water system to heat during the day
- charging an electric vehicle at home in daylight hours
If you’re still weighing up
solar in Tamworth, size the system around your daytime usage, not just your roof space. A well-matched system means less power leaves your property at 3 or 4 cents.
When a Battery Makes More Sense Than Chasing a Higher Rate
A battery makes sense when you export a lot during the day and buy a lot back at night. Instead of selling midday solar for a few cents, you store it for the evening, when grid power costs the most. On a time-of-day plan, it can also export into the 5pm–8pm window.
A battery is worth a serious look if your household:
- exports a large share of its solar, as many larger rural and acreage properties do
- uses most of its power in the evening and overnight
- is on, or can move to, a time-of-day tariff
- wants backup power during outages, which matters on long regional lines
Payback depends on battery size, usage and tariff, so have a qualified installer assess it against your meter data. Our
solar batteries Tamworth page has more detail, and
Battery Storage Options for Solar Homes in Tamworth covers the main types.
The Bottom Line
Check your current feed-in rate against IPART’s 2026–27 benchmark, then compare whole plans on
Energy Made Easy, not just export rates. If you’re exporting heavily and buying back at night, the bigger win is usually using more of your own power, by changing habits or adding a battery. If you have solar in Tamworth and you’re reviewing your rate or weighing up a battery, the team at
Max Fox Electrical & Inland Solar can help you work through your options.
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