Save with solar

Do you know how to make the most of your solar investment?

Here's the hot tip: It's not your feed-in tariff. 

With government bonus rates on solar feed-in at an end, getting the most out of your solar takes a little more effort than just relying on your feed-in tariff rate. 

On average Tasmania gets 5 sunlight hours a day, which is a little lower than the rest of the country, but that doesn't mean solar can't be a great investment for Tasmanians. While we may not be the sunniest state, there are plenty of things you can do to get the most out of your solar. 

Tips to maximise your solar

1. Use as much free power as you can while the sun is shining! Use power-hungry devices during the day. Because of the difference between what you pay to buy power and what you sell power for, you'll save more doing this than selling your power back to the grid. Every kWh you use of your own power saves you from having to buy it from the grid. 

2. Keep your panels clean.  Dust and dirt can build up on your panels over time and prevent them from working at their peak. Most solar providers recommend cleaning them every 6-12 months. 

3. Use timers to turn on things like dishwashers and washing machines during the day so that you use your solar to power them. 

4. Check you're on the right energy product. The product you're on could help you make the most of your solar. Our Peak and Off-Peak product (Tariff 93) is a good option for solar customers. When you’re on “Peak and Off-Peak” all your electricity is off-set by the solar you generate (lights, power, heating, and hot water). This is not always the case with some of our other energy plans like Flat Rate (which might only allow your lights and power to be offset by your solar generation). Find out more here.

5. Get a battery and supercharge your investment. Save the excess power you generate in the off-peak time (when you're on Tariff 93, during the middle of the day), so you can use it later in peak times (during the evening and mornings).

6. Keep an eye on what you're exporting every hour. aurora+ lets you see exactly how much solar you're exporting hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly.  Learn the times of day your panels are generating power and use your solar power yourself to save. Find out more here.