NT Feed In Tariff Information
Last Updated: 31st May 2024
For a long time, the Northern Territory was the best place in Australia to install rooftop solar. This was thanks to high levels of sunshine and the NT having the last remaining generous feed-in tariffs for new installations.
This came to an end on April 5, 2020, when the Northern Territory Government announced a new standard Feed-in Tariff (FiT) of 9.13 cents per kWh was to apply to all new business and residential solar installations up to 30kW capacity. Existing installations were to keep the previous rate for a while – but more on this below.
As of March 2024, the standard feed-in tariff rate remains at 9.13 c/kWh.
But there’s still plenty of sunshine, so solar is still certainly worth it in NT. However, the payback period will now be longer.
The “Premium” Feed-in Tariff
The Northern Territory previously offered a gross feed-in tariff equal to the standard tariff for electricity, including GST. So every kilowatt-hour of electricity your rooftop solar system generated would save you the same amount of money on your electricity bill whether you used the energy yourself or sent it into the grid.
This previous rate was called the “Premium” feed-in tariff.
Unusually for Australia, commercial electricity rates in the Northern Territory are higher than residential rates, so the NT commercial Premium feed-in tariff was a slightly higher.
Keeping The Premium Feed-In Tariff
For those lucky enough to have a system already installed as of April 5, 2020 (or have their paperwork lodged with Power and Water), they were able to keep the PFiT for four years from installation date assuming they don’t upgrade system capacity, move premises or take advantage of a new battery subsidy that was announced the same day as the rate cut.
For those who had received the Premium feed-in tariff for four years or more, the rate changed to the standard rate of 9.13 c/kWh from July 1 2022.
The Northern Territory’s Power And Water Corporation
Electricity, water, and sewage disposal services in the Northern Territory are provided by the Territory Government owned corporation, Power And Water. It is run by very talented people who never confuse the three, so taking a shower in Darwin is not a shocking experience – but don’t forget check for crocs in the shower before you get in.
Jacana Energy is the largest electricity retailer in the NT, but there are now several others operating in the Territory.