Victorian Midday Power Saver
The Victorian government will be introducing Victoria's Midday Power Saver from 1 October 2026.
Here's a detailed overview of what the offer is, how it works, if it may allow you to reduce your bill and how to sign up with Powershop on the offer.
What is the Midday Power Saver?
The Victorian Government has announced the Victorian Midday Power Saver which will give consumers in Victoria three hours of electricity in a free usage period in the middle of the day.
One of the aims of this initiative is to encourage Victorians to move their energy usage to the middle of the day, and ease demand on the electricity grid during peak periods. The Victorian Government's website has comprehensive details about the scheme.
How it works
For people on the Midday Power Saver offer, there is a free usage period from 11am till 2pm, but there are some important details to keep in mind.
Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
Start date | October 1, 2026 |
Free usage period | 11am - 2pm every day including weekends, across Victoria. |
Eligibility | Any home in Victoria with a smart meter. This includes rental properties. You do not need to have solar panels. |
Fair use limit | There is a limit of 24kWh per day during the 11am-2pm period. If you use more than 24kWh in the free usage period, you may be charged an excess usage charge. |
Outside the free usage period | The rest of the day, the time of use rates become higher relative to our other Time of Use plans. |
Daily supply charge | This still applies, like a regular time-of-use plan. |
Controlled load | If you have a dedicated circuit for large, high-energy appliances like pool pumps or electric hot water (known as "controlled load"), electricity used on this circuit is not free and is still metered and charged at your specified [controlled load rates] during the 11am-2pm window. |
Source: Victorian Midday Power Saver: 3 Hours of Free Electricity Explained
Is this the right plan for you?
At Powershop we want to make sure you make an informed decision before changing from your current plan or retailer. The Midday Power Saver applies time-of-use pricing, meaning the rates you pay depend on when you use electricity. The free usage period is 11am to 2pm every day.
The plan may not be suitable for:
Customers who use most of their electricity in the evening or overnight.
Customers who are unable to change when they use electricity. You may end up paying more for your energy use if you can't shift your usage to the free usage period.
For existing Powershop customers, we recommend checking your usage patterns in the Powershop app or online portal. The 21 hours outside the free usage period are charged at different rates depending on the time of day. Finally, there is a fair usage cap of 24kWh implemented for the free usage period. If you use more than 24kWh within the 3-hour free window in a day you may be charged for the excess usage with an excess usage charge.
Information about high-energy use appliance and equipment
If you are on a plan with a free usage period, it is a good idea to spread out the use of appliances that use a lot of energy. If you've got high-energy use appliances like a battery and an EV charger, spreading out their usage across the window can help avoid unexpected power interruptions.
If your home has older wiring or an old switchboard, it may be best to speak to a licensed electrician before running multiple high-energy appliances at the same time.
The Energy Safe Victoria website has more information on electrical safety and high usage appliances.
The Victorian Government website also has more information on the Midday Power Saver.
How do I sign up?
If you think you might like to move from your current plan, to the Victorian Midday Power Saver, you can request a call back by completing the form below.