Free midday power: is it an option for your club?

This short guide is for club treasurers who have heard about free midday power and wondered if the club can get it.

How clubs do it

1. Residential or business? The tariff name and the ABN on the club's bill show this. A tariff is the price plan on the bill. ABN stands for Australian Business Number.
2. Which tariff type? The bill shows whether it is flat, time-of-use or demand. Flat means one price at every hour. Time-of-use means the price changes with the time of day. Demand means part of the charge is set by the most power used in any half hour during set hours. On Energex's small business time-of-use tariff, 11am to 1pm is already the cheapest time of day.
3. On a demand tariff, which hours set the demand charge? On Energex's small business demand tariff it is weekdays 5pm to 8pm. The retailer can confirm it for the club's plan.

The hours in steps 2 and 3 come from the Energex Network Tariff Guide 2026-27, read in October 2026; the file may no longer open for every reader.

Why a club cannot get it

Since 1 July 2026, the Solar Sharer Offer has given free power for three hours in the middle of the day. It is opt-in, for customers with a smart meter, as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says on its page About the Electricity Retail Code. In South East Queensland the free hours for 2026-27 are 11am to 2pm, set by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). The Electricity Retail Code says retailers must offer it to residential customers (s.11(1)). It does not require it for small business customers.

The Code defines a residential customer as one whose power is "principally for personal, household or domestic use" (s.6(2)). Power for a clubhouse is not used that way, so the club is a small business customer. ENGIE puts it plainly: "Business customers are not eligible to access the Solar Sharer Offer."

Regional Queensland on the Ergon network has its own version, Tariff 12F. The Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) says it is for "Residential customers with advanced digital meters". A club account is not a residential account, so it is not eligible for Tariff 12F.

Where this comes from

1. Electricity Retail Code
2. ACCC, About the Electricity Retail Code
3. AER, Default market offer 2026-27 final determination, chapter 10
4. ENGIE help page: Understanding the Solar Sharer Offer
5. QCA decision notice on Tariff 12F
6. Energex Network Tariff Guide 2026-27