Retail electricity plans change quietly while your panels keep exporting. Some households glance at FiTs once a year; sharper operators review monthly after energisation. This comparison shows when each cadence makes sense in Australia’s 2–11c/kWh FiT world, how whole-of-bill checks beat rate chasing, and why solar design still matters more than spreadsheet theatre.
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A feed-in tariff is only one line on a plan that also includes supply charges and import rates. Monthly reviews catch sudden product changes, bill shock after seasonal shifts and metering errors early. Annual reviews suit stable households on simple plans who will not act monthly anyway. Either cadence fails if you ignore export limits that cap how many kWh can earn a FiT. Keep decisions grounded in your interval data, roof constraints and written DNSP settings rather than national averages or salesperson screenshots. Use this comparison to brief installers with a clear preference and a fallback — then price both options with the same CEC-accredited shortlist via MrSolar so hardware choices stay constant. Save PDFs of every plan, approval and datasheet — warranty claims years later depend on that trail.
Each month, compare inverter export kWh with bill credits, note import rates by time band, and scan Energy Made Easy (or your state comparator) for better total offers. This is valuable in the first six months after install when metering and retailer setup glitches appear. It is also useful if you joined a VPP or wholesale-linked plan with moving parts. Keep decisions grounded in your interval data, roof constraints and written DNSP settings rather than national averages or salesperson screenshots. Use this comparison to brief installers with a clear preference and a fallback — then price both options with the same CEC-accredited shortlist via MrSolar so hardware choices stay constant. Photograph your switchboard and roof planes before quoting day to cut variation risk.
Once a year, reassess plan structure, controlled-load status, and whether a battery or EV has changed your load shape. Re-run payback with a conservative FiT (3–5c) rather than the rosy figure on your original sales sheet. Confirm your DNSP export limit has not been revised after network works. Keep decisions grounded in your interval data, roof constraints and written DNSP settings rather than national averages or salesperson screenshots. Use this comparison to brief installers with a clear preference and a fallback — then price both options with the same CEC-accredited shortlist via MrSolar so hardware choices stay constant. Save PDFs of every plan, approval and datasheet — warranty claims years later depend on that trail.
Self-consumption — daytime loads, timers, EV charging, and batteries supported by ~$372/kWh usable federal discount since 1 July 2025 — shrinks dependence on FiT generosity. Solar sized only for export income is fragile in 2026. CEC-accredited designers on MrSolar should model self-consumption explicitly. Model bill outcomes with a conservative FiT (often 3–5c/kWh stress-test) and your real weekday daytime load — exported energy rarely beats displacing retail imports in 2026. Use this comparison to brief installers with a clear preference and a fallback — then price both options with the same CEC-accredited shortlist via MrSolar so hardware choices stay constant. Photograph your switchboard and roof planes before quoting day to cut variation risk.
Choose monthly for the first year or for complex plans; otherwise schedule an annual whole-of-bill review each spring. Keep PDFs of plans. Do not churn retailers weekly for a 0.2c FiT bump that raises supply charges by more than you gain. Keep decisions grounded in your interval data, roof constraints and written DNSP settings rather than national averages or salesperson screenshots. Use this comparison to brief installers with a clear preference and a fallback — then price both options with the same CEC-accredited shortlist via MrSolar so hardware choices stay constant. Save PDFs of every plan, approval and datasheet — warranty claims years later depend on that trail.
Save PDF plan confirmations, enable retailer app alerts and export inverter monthly CSVs. Energy Made Easy (or your state comparator) should be bookmarked. A 20-minute monthly habit in year one prevents silent plan regressions. Keep decisions grounded in your interval data, roof constraints and written DNSP settings rather than national averages or salesperson screenshots. Use this comparison to brief installers with a clear preference and a fallback — then price both options with the same CEC-accredited shortlist via MrSolar so hardware choices stay constant. Photograph your switchboard and roof planes before quoting day to cut variation risk.
If your self-consumption exceeds ~70% and exports are tiny, obsessing over 0.5c FiT changes wastes time. Focus on import rates, daily supply charges and battery schedules instead — especially once federal battery support (~$372/kWh usable) is in play. Model bill outcomes with a conservative FiT (often 3–5c/kWh stress-test) and your real weekday daytime load — exported energy rarely beats displacing retail imports in 2026. Use this comparison to brief installers with a clear preference and a fallback — then price both options with the same CEC-accredited shortlist via MrSolar so hardware choices stay constant. Save PDFs of every plan, approval and datasheet — warranty claims years later depend on that trail.
Design solar for self-consumption first — compare CEC-accredited quotes on MrSolar, then keep a simple tariff review habit.
Written and reviewed by Daniel (Marketplace lead, Epic Unicorn Pty Ltd). We build pages from Australian solar datasets and regulatory references, then map you to CEC-accredited installers only.
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