NSW solar tariffs cause electricity price hike

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

New South Wales’s defunct Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in-tariff (FIT) programme is to blame for an AUD$A12 a year expected increase in household electricity bills from 2013, according to coalition government politicians – a finding met with incredulity by the Australian Solar Energy Society (AUSES).

AUSES believes solar is being used as a “scapegoat” for “simply another cash grab” in the latest state budget, while household solar panel owners continue to receive little to no return for the surplus electricity they export onto the grid. 

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Scheme subscribers had received AUD$0.60 per kWh, but in June of this year the rate was cut by a third and new users barred.

“Why is the government hitting householders including renters, those without solar and those that have done the right thing and invested in solar?,” AUSES chief executive John Grimes said. “The government should make power companies pay a fair price for the solar power they are currently getting from solar households if it wants to claw back funds for the budget.”

Grimes added the decision sets a bad national precedent where any government that wants to generate more revenue from households can hike power prices and blame it on solar power.

Read Next

July 3, 2025
Renewable energy curtailment in Brazil is set to reach 8% across the country, and be as high as 11% in the north-east, by 2035.
July 3, 2025
Spanish IPP Zelestra has secured a €235 million (US$277 million) increase to its sustainability-linked loan, bringing the total to €770 million.
July 3, 2025
US tracker manufacturer GameChange Solar has introduced the Genius Tracker TF, a new terrain-following solar tracker system designed to deliver “the industry’s lowest grading requirement on challenging terrain.” 
Premium
July 3, 2025
Meeting the UK’s solar targets will not simply require the installation of new capacity, but investment in grid infrastructure and training.
July 3, 2025
TotalEnergies has expanded its renewables assets in the Caribbean, sold a stake in projects in Portugal and begun construction on two PV parks in Spain.
July 3, 2025
Malaysian engineering and infrastructure giant Gamuda has expanded its presence in the Australian renewables sector by partnering with Tasmanian landowners to build a 1.2GW portfolio, which includes solar PV.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK