Time-of-use plans and home batteries: what to look for

A battery changes when you buy power from the grid. You buy less in the evening and more of what you buy shifts to other times. So the plan that was cheapest before the battery may not be the cheapest now.

What matters most with a battery

• The peak window: how long it is and what it costs. A battery can cover more of a short evening peak.
• Overnight and off-peak prices, if you charge from the grid when solar is low.
• Cheap or free midday periods that some plans offer, which can top up the battery on cloudy days.
• The daily supply charge, which you pay whatever you use.
• The feed-in credit, which matters less once you store more of your own solar.
• Demand charges on some network tariffs, which are based on your highest use in a set window. A battery set up for them can reduce the charge; one that isn't won't.

How to compare plans properly

1. Get your half-hourly meter data from your retailer or distributor.
2. Price each plan against that data, including supply charges and feed-in credits, rather than an average household.
3. Read the plan's Energy Fact Sheet for fees, conditional discounts and how long prices are fixed.
4. Check again at least once a year. Prices often change from 1 July, and new plans appear all the time.

The government sites Energy Made Easy and Victorian Energy Compare list every available plan. Battery Coach prices those plans against your own half-hourly data and re-checks every month.