Five tips to maximise your solar savings

1. Make the most out of your daytime power

As solar absorbs its energy from the sun, make the most of this free electricity by using it during the day as it’s being generated.

Start by using your most energy-intensive appliances like your dishwasher and washing machine during the day. With the development of smart appliances, it’s now possible to schedule wash cycles to start automatically if you're not home during the day. By maximising the use of your solar electricity throughout the day, you can reduce or avoid the need to buy energy from your retailer at night.

2. Upgrade to an electric energy-efficient hot water system

Heating water typically accounts for 20% of energy use in the home. By installing an energy efficient system, you can significantly reduce your energy bills. Hot water heat pumps use less energy to heat water at home and have become the leading choice in energy-efficient electric systems in recent years.

The best part is, if you have rooftop solar, an electric hot water system such as a heat pump, can be run from the energy generated by your panels – saving you even more on energy bills.

With solar and hot water rebates under the Solar Homes Program, eligible households can save $2,400 when installing both solar panels and an energy efficient hot water system.

When it comes time to upgrade your hot water system, opt for an energy efficient system. Learn more about hot water heat pumps and how to select the right hot water system for your home.

3. Invest in a solar battery and store your unused solar power

Solar batteries work by storing energy produced by your solar panels for later use, this means it keeps excess energy at your home instead of sending it back to the grid.

If your solar panels produce more electricity than you need, the excess energy goes towards charging the battery. Later, when your solar panels aren't producing electricity, you can draw down the energy you stored earlier in your battery, to use electricity and appliances at night.

Most households with only solar panel (PV) systems use around 25% of the energy they generate while systems with a solar battery use around 50 to 60%.

Eligible households can also save on the upfront cost of a battery with an interest-free loan of up $8,800.

Before applying for a solar battery loan consider your energy use and financial situation to make the right choice for your home.

4. Maintain and take care of your solar system

We recommend having your system serviced at least once every two years by a licensed A-Grade electrician to keep it performing well. You can contact your original installer or look for a specialist to provide this service.

You can also check your energy bill and inverter to confirm how much energy is being generated or exported, and track this against expectations for your system and current weather conditions.

If you think that your system might be underperforming, you can check our helpful hints for getting the most from your solar system.

5. Make the switch to electric!

Going ‘all-electric’ means upgrading from gas to electric appliances. This can include water heaters, gas heaters, ovens, stovetops, and even your car.

All-electric homes use electricity instead of gas for heating and cooling, cooking and heating water.

Upgrading to an all-electric home unlocks the full potential of your rooftop solar system by using the energy generated from your panels to power your appliances during the day, and a solar battery to store the clean energy generated for use at night. When your gas heater, hot water system or cooktop nears the end of its life, it’s a great opportunity to consider upgrading.

Read our guide to help you transition your home to using electric appliances.