Smart Energy Strategy
Stop Paying Peak Rates.
Use the Grid's Own Pricing Against It.
Australian electricity prices swing 10–20x between midday lows and evening peaks. Households with the right setup charge a battery at 2–10¢/kWh and use that stored energy instead of buying at 35–45¢/kWh. That gap is worth $900–$1,400/year.
How arbitrage works in four steps
No solar required. Works with the right battery and tariff plan.
01
Switch to a TOU tariff
A time-of-use plan separates cheap off-peak periods (10am–3pm midday, nights) from expensive peak periods (4pm–9pm). This creates the price spread that makes arbitrage possible.
02
Charge during the cheap window
Your battery charges from the grid (or solar) during the midday super off-peak window at 2–10¢/kWh. Some systems automate this entirely.
03
Discharge during peak
From 4pm–9pm, your battery powers the home instead of the grid. You avoid paying 35–45¢/kWh for those hours.
04
Repeat every day
A full daily cycle saves $3.00–$3.50 per day. Over 300 cycles per year, that's $900–$1,050 in bill reduction — from one behaviour change.
Real savings example — 10kWh battery, SA household
Charge cost
$0.80
10kWh × 8¢/kWh off-peak
Peak cost avoided
$4.20
10kWh × 42¢/kWh avoided
Annual saving
$1,020+
300 daily cycles × $3.40
Assumes 90% round-trip battery efficiency, one full cycle/day, no solar generation. Adding solar reduces the charge cost toward zero.
What you need
- A battery system with grid charging capability (Tesla Powerwall 2, Sungrow SBR, AlphaESS, BYD + compatible hybrid inverter)
- A time-of-use tariff with a midday off-peak or super off-peak period
- A smart scheduler or EMS to automate the charge/discharge cycle
Find out if your home is ready for arbitrage
Get matched with an installer who can assess your tariff and system compatibility.