Overview
The SSO was announced on 4 November 2025. It would introduce a generally available electricity offer with a daily $0/kWh window during a specific period of the day.
The aim of the initiative is to:
help households cut costs and make informed choice by promoting simple behaviour changes
help households, such as those without rooftop solar or batteries, benefit from cheaper daytime renewable electricity
help use excess renewable energy instead of wasting it, which reduces curtailment and supports a more reliable, stable and efficient electricity grid.
The SSO also aims to address cost-of-living pressures by:
enhancing energy affordability
empowering consumers
lower system costs through smoothing the consumption profile over the day
ensuring the benefits of Australia’s clean energy transition are shared more equitably.
The intention is for the SSO to be made available from 1 July 2026 in areas covered by the Default Market Offer (DMO): New South Wales, South Australia, and South-east Queensland. Further consultation will be done on potentially rolling out a nationally available SSO, or an equivalent offer in other jurisdictions.
The SSO would be introduced through the Electricity Retail Code and the DMO framework. Consideration would be given to important consumer protections and communication requirements.
