Time-of-Use Tariffs vs Solar in Brisbane (2026)
Energex peak rates hit 58c/kWh from 4–9pm. Time-of-Use can save you $1,800/yr — or cost you $1,100/yr — depending entirely on whether you have solar, a battery, and shift-flexible loads.
Free ToU tariff modelling on every quote · Energex-network specialists
The four tariff types Brisbane households face in 2026
Energex and Queensland retailers offer four tariff structures in 2026. Picking the wrong one — even with a great solar system — can wipe out $1,000+/yr in savings.
Flat Rate (Tariff 11)
The traditional default. ~32c/kWh anytime. Your bill is simple: consumption × rate. Energex and most retailers are phasing this out for new smart-meter customers from mid-2026 — existing customers can stay on it but won't be offered it on plan renewal.
Time-of-Use (TOU)
Three windows: peak 4–9pm (~58c/kWh), shoulder 9am–4pm + 9pm–midnight (~22c), off-peak midnight–9am (~12c). Best for households that can shift load off peak — and brutal for households that can't.
Demand Tariff
Cheap energy rate (~18c/kWh anytime) PLUS a 'demand charge' based on your highest 30-minute usage during peak window each month. Punishes brief high-draw events (oven + A/C + EV charger simultaneously). Great for low-demand, steady households; terrible for everyone else.
Solar Sponge / Super Off-Peak
An emerging tariff with extremely cheap power 10am–3pm (~8c/kWh) to encourage daytime load when the grid is solar-saturated. Brilliant if you have no solar but can run heat pump hot water, EV charging or pool pumps midday. Marginal if you have rooftop solar.
Who actually saves on Time-of-Use
Solar + battery homes
ToU is a goldmine. You charge the battery from solar all day, then discharge it across the 4–9pm peak window when grid power costs 58c/kWh. A 13.5 kWh battery on ToU saves $1,800–$2,400/yr vs flat rate, before any export FiT.
Shift-flexible households
If you can put the dishwasher, washing machine, pool pump, heat pump hot water and EV charging on timers for off-peak (after midnight) and shoulder (9pm-midnight), ToU saves a typical 3-person household $300-$500/yr even without solar.
Daytime-heavy WFH households
Work-from-home families with daytime solar self-consumption (5kW+ system used in real time for A/C, computers, cooking) win on ToU because solar covers the day and they can avoid the 4-9pm peak with smart appliance use.
Who gets hammered by Time-of-Use
No-solar evening-cooking families
If your peak load is 5-9pm (oven, dishwasher, A/C, TV, kids' devices), ToU charges you 58c/kWh for everything that flat rate billed at 32c. A typical 4-bed Brisbane home loses $680-$1,100/yr by switching to ToU without solar.
Small solar-only homes (3-5kW)
Small systems run out of generation by 3pm. By the time peak window starts at 4pm, you're importing at 58c. ToU is break-even at best on solar-only setups under 6.6kW — sometimes a loss.
Shift workers and elderly households
If usage can't be shifted off peak (medical equipment, fixed mealtimes, climate control for health reasons), ToU is purely a tax. Stay on flat rate while you can, and only switch if you add a battery.
Real example: Carindale 4-bed family on Energex network
Real Carindale 4-bed family — 8,500 kWh/yr consumption, evening cooking + ducted A/C. Before vs after solar + battery + ToU.
No solar — ToU switch only
- Flat rate consumption (8,500 kWh)32c/kWh
- Annual grid cost (no solar)$2,720/yr
- Switched to ToU (same usage)$3,410/yr
- Penalty for ToU without solar+$690/yr
10kW solar + 13.5 kWh battery + ToU
- Added 10kW solar + 13.5 kWh battery—
- ToU peak imports (now near zero)$140/yr
- ToU off-peak top-up (winter)$210/yr
- Solar export FiT credit-$190/yr
- Net annual grid cost on ToU$160/yr
ToU-optimised solar packages
Every quote includes a tariff modelling spreadsheet showing your projected ToU bill vs flat rate — so you know exactly what to pick at retailer time.
ToU Solar Booster
- Sized to cover daytime + shoulder loads
- Sungrow SG10RS, battery-ready DC strings
- Free smart-plug starter pack for timer loads
- ToU tariff modelling before switching
- Energex pre-approval included
- 10-yr workmanship warranty
ToU Battery Optimised
- Battery discharges across full 4–9pm peak
- Sungrow SH10RT hybrid + SBH200 stack
- Federal Cheaper Home Batteries rebate applied
- ToU-aware battery scheduling
- Smart load control (EV / hot water)
- 12-mo performance guarantee
ToU + Powerwall 3
- 13.5 kWh battery + integrated 11.5kW inverter
- Whole-home backup during outages
- Tesla app ToU automation built-in
- Federal battery rebate applied
- Energex export-limit configured
- 10-yr Tesla warranty
Don't switch to ToU without modelling first
Retailers are aggressively marketing ToU as "lower rates" in 2026 — they cherry-pick the off-peak number. Always pull your last 12 months of half-hourly interval data (free from your retailer or Energex portal) and model your actual peak-window usage before switching. A 30-minute spreadsheet exercise can save you $1,000/yr.
Frequently asked questions
Brisbane Time-of-Use and tariff questions, answered.
Beat the 4–9pm peak with the right solar + battery combo
Free ToU modelling using your real interval data. Battery sizing based on your actual peak usage — not a generic 13.5 kWh default. Brisbane-wide, Energex-specialist.