Regional Queensland's feed-in tariff is now 6.006c. What that means if you have, or want, solar

If you have solar panels in regional Queensland, the power you send back to the grid is now worth less than it was a few months ago. In practice, the solar you use yourself now counts for more than the solar you export. It matters whether you already have panels or are still weighing them up.

The Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) set the regulated feed-in tariff for 2026-27 at 6.006 cents per kWh, down from 8.660 cents. That is a cut of about 31%, and it took effect on 1 July 2026.

Who the rate applies to

Each year the QCA sets a flat-rate solar feed-in tariff for regional Queensland, at the direction of the state's Minister for Energy. It published the final decision for 2026-27 on 5 June 2026.

The rate applies across regional Queensland to customers in the Ergon distribution region, and to Queensland customers on the Essential Energy network who are supplied by Origin Energy at regulated prices. It is credited by Ergon Retail, or by Origin Energy for those Essential Energy customers, to qualifying customers for each kilowatt-hour their small solar system sends to the grid.

The regulated rate does not cover households in south east Queensland. The QCA's figures exclude GST.

Why it fell

The QCA uses what it calls an avoided cost method. Put simply, it estimates the costs a retailer avoids when it buys power from its solar customers instead of from the National Electricity Market, and sets the tariff at that value.

Two things drove the drop:

• Lower energy costs. The wholesale energy cost a retailer avoids fell by about 2.5 cents per kWh, and other avoided costs, such as market fees and losses, also fell.
• Better data on exports. More solar homes now have advanced digital meters, which record when solar power is actually exported. That data shows exported solar is worth less than the older estimates implied. The QCA says this effect is likely to continue as more of these meters are installed.

The QCA also warns that customers should not expect the feed-in tariff to stay the same when deciding whether to install or upgrade a solar system. It is reset every year.

What it means for you

To give a sense of scale, every 1,000 kWh you export now earns about $60, compared with about $87 at last year's rate. How much you export depends on your system size, your household's use and the season.

A few practical steps:

• Use more of your own solar. When the export rate falls, running appliances during the day is a better use of your panels' output than sending it to the grid. Timers on pool pumps, dishwashers and washing machines can help.
• Check the numbers in any quote. If an installer's savings estimate for a new system assumes a feed-in tariff, ask what rate they used. If it is higher than the current 6.006 cents, ask why, and remember the rate may change again next year.
• Re-run the payback maths. Our solar payback calculator lets you set your own feed-in tariff. Our guide on what size solar system you need explains why the share of your output you use yourself matters so much.
• Think about batteries carefully. A lower export rate can make storing solar for the evening more attractive, but a battery is a large purchase. Start with is a home battery worth it, then check the federal discount in the battery rebate calculator and what else is available on our Queensland rebates page.

For more on how export payments work around the country, read our guide to solar feed-in tariffs.

Our take

We would not panic about a lower export rate, but we would plan around it. At 6.006 cents, the case for solar in regional Queensland rests more on the power you use at home than on what you send back, and the QCA itself says not to count on the rate staying the same. So when we look at a quote, the first thing we check is the feed-in tariff behind the savings estimate. If the numbers only work at last year's 8.660 cents, or at an even higher rate, they need redoing. A battery may look more interesting now that exports earn less, but it is a large purchase and deserves the same careful maths.