https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-03/energy-retailers-offer-free-power-three-hours-dmo/105965472


Quote:

Australian households will be able to access free electricity for three hours every day, in an effort to encourage energy use when excess solar power is being fed into the grid. The federal government scheme will require retailers to offer free electricity to households for at least three hours in the middle of the day, when there is often more electricity generated than is being used, leading to very cheap or even negative wholesale prices.

The catch: you need a smart meter.

Part of the liberal party mythology behind their crazy power policies is that we need baseload power. This is partly the result of "dumb meters" - electricity meters that only measure power used, not when you use it, like your water meter. But the spot price of electricity varies greatly during the day. So electricity wholesalers are put in a challenging position where the price of electricity could skyrocket due to a shortage, but all their retail customers carry on using electricity, oblivious to the high cost, and only paying the fixed price.

Smart meters are the next step up from having a separate "off peak" power meter for your hot water system.

Once retail customers are switched over to smart meters, the Liberal party belief that we "need" baseload power will vanish. Not so much because the economics fundamentally changes (though that will obviously help), but because people will start to see electricity as a commodity like any other, whose price depends on both supply and demand (like petrol, only more variable). They will see the advantage both in having long periods of very cheap electricity because renewables are so cheap, and in avoiding the use of power hungry appliances (if they need to save the money) when there is a shortage.

I have a smart meter and solar panels.

Sounds good!

Great idea for air conditioning -
the middle of the day is when you need it most.

So those who are at work during the day get little to no benefit from this 3 hours of free electricity?

Baronvonrort wrote on Nov 16^th, 2025 at 5:39pm:

So those who are at work during the day get little to no benefit from this 3 hours of free electricity?

No - you can set your aircon on a timer to cool the place down for free
for 3 hours in the middle of the day with the aircon on maximum.
With good insulation it will still be cool when you come back home.
At least it won't be like an oven when you get home.

Good for some retail customers ... on overcast days you could charge a battery for free during that time to use at night.

However, it won't cover 24/7 power demand. It won't help industrial consumers either.

Great if you want the government to control your appliances and power usage for you.

freediver wrote on Nov 16^th, 2025 at 1:07pm:

Quote: Australian households will be able to access free electricity for three hours every day, in an effort to encourage energy use when excess solar power is being fed into the grid. The catch: you need a smart meter.

Excess solar is resulting in 3 hours free electricity per day.

In the US excess power from nuclear is virtually given away to power companies in off peak times.

Using the argument excess power becomes cheaper would mean those who charge EVs and use AC for heating and cooling at night should be able to benefit from off peak nuclear power.

Labor can't achieve net zero while relying on Gas as a backup for when solar and wind aren't working.

Quote:

Using the argument excess power becomes cheaper would mean those who charge EVs and use AC for heating and cooling at night should be able to benefit from off peak nuclear power.

Nuclear is the most expensive energy option.


Quote:

Great if you want the government to control your appliances and power usage for you.

That's not what a smart meter does.

Baronvonrort wrote on Nov 16^th, 2025 at 5:39pm:

So those who are at work during the day get little to no benefit from this 3 hours of free electricity?

Washing machine etc on timer....

Last bill we put in over 2100 KwH - and used 600..... we deserve a better deal on what we put in.  Hooked up direct to the neighbours with batteries and we'd power three homes... and it's not summer yet.

Sir Grappler Truth Teller OAM wrote on Nov 16^th, 2025 at 10:01pm:

Baronvonrort wrote on Nov 16th, 2025 at 5:39pm: So those who are at work during the day get little to no benefit from this 3 hours of free electricity? Washing machine etc on timer....

Great bonus, during the day when houses are getting free power from the sun they can also get free power.

If you use the free electricity during the day when your solar panels are producing its no gain except it is an incentive for people not to waste money on solar panels  and take advantage of free power when the panels would be supplying power.

More info:

https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/free-daytime-electricity-will-save-everyone-money/

Could you design a fridge/freezer combo to take advantage of this? One that makes a heap of ice when power is free, then uses the ice to cool the fridge for the rest of the day. Then just connect it to the smart meter so it knows when there is free power.

Maybe use timers or temperature controllers?

I am retired so this is not a major concern but will do my laundry in the free hours, why not? Charge electric lawnmower batteries etc.

Major power consumer: electric hot water service, a stored heat service. Bet solutions to have HWS run in the 3 hour window will soon be available.

Quote:

Maybe use timers or temperature controllers?

Fridges are a delicate balance. Too cold and the stuff at the back freezes. Too hot and you poo yourself to death.

freediver wrote on Nov 18^th, 2025 at 11:14am:

Could you design a fridge/freezer combo to take advantage of this? One that makes a heap of ice when power is free, then uses the ice to cool the fridge for the rest of the day. Then just connect it to the smart meter so it knows when there is free power.

The fridge is designed to keep the food at just below 4 degrees Celsius.
A block of ice will not do that.