Synergy Electricity Rates Explained (and How Solar Changes the Maths)
Derek McKercher
Founder · CEC Accredited Designer · 20+ years industry experience
Published 18 April 2026
Understanding your Synergy bill is the first step to sizing solar correctly. Here's the 2026 picture for Perth households.
What you pay
The standard Synergy Home Plan (A1 tariff) charges around 32c/kWh plus a daily supply charge of about $1.10. A typical Perth family using 20kWh/day pays roughly $2,700 a year.
What you earn back: DEBS
The Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) pays for exported solar at two rates: about 10c/kWh during the 3pm–9pm peak and just 2c/kWh off-peak. Since most solar exports happen off-peak (midday), the average export earns very little.
The strategic conclusion
The 30c gap between what you pay (32c) and what you earn exporting (2–10c) means every kilowatt-hour you self-consume is worth 3–15x more than one you export. That maths drives three decisions:
- Run appliances during solar hours (timers on pools, dishwashers, hot water)
- Size your system generously — oversupply costs little, undersupply costs 32c/kWh
- Store the surplus — a battery converts 2c exports into 32c savings, which is why payback periods have fallen to 4–6 years