The Tasmanian feed-in tariff, and why it changes everything

What you’re paid to export

When your panels make more than your home is using, the surplus flows to the grid and you’re credited a feed-in tariff (FiT). The regulated standard FiT from Aurora Energy for 2025–26 is 8.782 c/kWh, set each year by the independent Tasmanian Economic Regulator.

That’s actually competitive by national standards — but here’s the catch.

Why self-consumption wins

You buy power back from the grid at roughly 25–32 c/kWh, but you’re only paid 8.782 c/kWh to export. So every kilowatt-hour you use yourself is worth around three to four times more than one you sell back.

• Run the dishwasher, washing machine and pool/hot-water during daylight.
• Pre-heat or pre-cool the house while the sun’s up.
• Charge an EV or a home battery on solar instead of exporting.

This is why “how big a system should I get?” is really “how much can I use during the day?”. A battery shifts daytime solar into the evening peak, squeezing more value out of every panel.

A quick worked example

Say a Hobart home runs a 13kW system making ~15,000 kWh a year. Every kWh you use yourself saves ~25–29 c; every kWh you export earns just 8.782 c. A system that size generates a lot of daytime surplus — so the trick is to soak it up with daytime appliances, an EV or a battery rather than spill it to the grid for small change. Sized and used well, a 13kW system turns far more of those kilowatt-hours into 25–29 c savings instead of 8.782 c exports — which is exactly why we steer most homes to a bigger system plus somewhere to put the power.

The FiT is reset annually and retail prices change, so treat these as 2026 guidance and confirm current rates with Aurora Energy and the Tasmanian Economic Regulator before deciding.