Should you switch to Synergy's Midday Saver tariff after getting solar?

Switch to Midday Saver if you can shift solid daytime consumption, or run a battery that discharges through the 3pm-9pm peak. Stay on A1 if your biggest loads sit in the evening and you don't have a battery to cover them: Midday Saver's peak rate is 55.33c/kWh, well above A1's flat 33.26c/kWh, and Midday Saver also carries a higher daily supply charge. The right answer depends on when you actually use grid power, not on solar ownership alone.

Here's the rate breakdown and the worked examples to check your own numbers against.

---

What's the rate difference between A1 and Midday Saver?

Synergy A1 (standard, flat rate):

• All consumption: 33.26c/kWh
• Supply charge: 119.24c/day
• DEBS export, peak (3pm-9pm): 10c/kWh
• DEBS export, off-peak (all other hours): 2c/kWh

Synergy Midday Saver:

• Super off-peak (9am-3pm): 8.85c/kWh
• Peak (3pm-9pm): 55.33c/kWh
• Off-peak (all other hours): 24.34c/kWh
• Supply charge: 132.78c/day
• DEBS export, peak (3pm-9pm): 10c/kWh
• DEBS export, off-peak (all other hours): 2c/kWh

Two things catch people out here. First, Midday Saver's supply charge is 13.54c/day higher than A1's, about $49 a year before you've imported a single kilowatt-hour. That's a real cost of switching, and it needs to come off any savings estimate. Second, the DEBS export rates are identical on both plans. Export payments run on the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme, which pays by the time of day you export, not by which consumption tariff you're on. Switching to Midday Saver doesn't change what you earn for the power your panels send back to the grid.

---

When does Midday Saver actually save you money?

You can shift appliances into the 9am-3pm window

Every grid-imported kWh consumed between 9am and 3pm on Midday Saver costs 8.85c instead of A1's 33.26c: a saving of 24.41c/kWh. The catch is that on most solar systems, daytime load is already running on free self-consumed solar rather than grid power on either plan, so this saving only applies to the portion you're still pulling from the grid during that window (an undersized system, high daytime load, or a run of cloudy days).

For a household routinely importing 4 kWh/day of grid power during 9am-3pm, say a dishwasher and washing machine cycle that outpaces the panels:

• Daily saving vs A1: 4 kWh x 24.41c = $0.98/day
• Annual saving: roughly $357/year from appliance shifting alone

You run a battery that discharges through the evening peak

A battery discharging during 3pm-9pm on Midday Saver offsets 55.33c/kWh of grid electricity. On A1, the same discharge only offsets 33.26c/kWh. That's 22.07c more value per kWh, every day the battery covers the peak.

For a 10kWh battery cycling 8kWh/day through that window:

• A1 value: 8 kWh x 33.26c = $2.66/day
• Midday Saver value: 8 kWh x 55.33c = $4.43/day
• Extra value from Midday Saver: roughly $644/year, assuming the battery covers the full peak period most days

That's before the higher supply charge. Net it against the ~$49/year difference and the battery case still clears comfortably. For the full charging strategy, see our Midday Saver battery arbitrage guide.

---

When is Midday Saver worse for you?

You have high evening consumption and no battery

If your household's biggest draw is evening cooking, TV, or air conditioning between 6pm and 9pm, you're paying 55.33c/kWh on Midday Saver for exactly the load that cost 33.26c/kWh on A1.

For 8 kWh of evening grid consumption:

• Midday Saver cost: 8 x 55.33c = $4.43
• A1 cost: 8 x 33.26c = $2.66
• Extra cost: roughly $1.77/day, or around $644/year

Without a battery or a real ability to shift that load later or earlier, Midday Saver will likely cost more than it saves.

Your solar mostly exports outside the 9am-3pm window

Because DEBS export rates are the same on both plans, the timing of your exports doesn't change the switching decision at all. A north-facing system exporting mostly during the middle of the day earns the same 2c/kWh off-peak DEBS rate on A1 and on Midday Saver. A west-facing system exporting into the 3pm-9pm window earns the same 10c/kWh peak rate on either plan too. Export timing is a reason to think about panel orientation or a battery, not a reason to switch tariffs.

---

How do you work out your own break-even?

1. Pull your interval data. Log in to Synergy MyAccount and export a full year of half-hourly consumption, so you're not judging the switch on one unusual season.
2. Cost your current A1 usage. Multiply total consumption by 33.26c/kWh, then add the annual supply charge (119.24c x 365).
3. Cost the same usage under Midday Saver. Apply 8.85c to the 9am-3pm portion, 55.33c to the 3pm-9pm portion, and 24.34c to everything else, then add Midday Saver's higher supply charge (132.78c x 365).
4. Compare the totals. DEBS exports don't need to be recalculated: they're identical on both plans, so they cancel out of the comparison.

If the Midday Saver total comes out lower, switch. If it's close, the extra ~$49/year supply charge is often the deciding factor.

---

How do you switch to Midday Saver?

Midday Saver needs an Advanced (smart) Meter. If you don't have one, request the upgrade through Synergy: they arrange it, and Western Power carries out the physical install, typically within 5 working days in the metro area. You can check what your current meter is already reporting through Synergy's smart meter data in MyAccount.

Once you have a smart meter, request the tariff change directly with Synergy:

• Online, via MyAccount under "Manage my plan"
• By phone, on 13 13 53

Synergy confirms your switch date when you request the change. If Midday Saver doesn't suit your usage once you're on it, you can switch back to A1 at any time with 5 business days' notice: there's no lock-in period to worry about.

For a side-by-side look at both plans across more household types, see our Midday Saver vs A1 comparison.