QLD 44c Solar Bonus Scheme Ending July 2028 | What to Do Now

If you installed solar in Queensland before July 2012, you're one of the lucky ones. The Solar Bonus Scheme locked you in at 44 cents per kilowatt hour for every unit of solar electricity you export to the grid. That's been an incredible deal, and some households have earned $2,000-$4,000 a year from it.

But the clock is ticking. On July 1, 2028, the scheme expires permanently. No extension has been announced, and none is expected. When it ends, you'll drop to whatever your electricity retailer offers as a standard feed-in tariff, currently somewhere between 3c and 12c per kWh in Queensland.

That's a drop from 44c to maybe 7c. For a system exporting 15 kWh per day, that's going from earning $6.60/day to $1.05/day. About $2,000 a year wiped off your energy savings.

This is the bit that catches people out. You can lose the 44c tariff before 2028 if you do any of these things:

This is the question everyone's asking. Should you add a battery now and lose the 44c, or wait until the scheme ends in 2028?

Let's run the numbers for a typical Queensland household exporting 15 kWh/day.

When the 44c disappears, your economics flip overnight. Exporting at 5-7c becomes almost worthless compared to using that energy yourself. Here's what to plan for:

When you do make the switch to batteries, there's solid government support to bring the cost down. Here's what's available:

The 44c tariff doesn't transfer to a new owner. If you sell, the buyer gets the solar system but not the feed-in rate. They'll receive whatever the retailer's standard FIT is at that time.

That said, the solar system still adds value to the property. A functioning solar system on the roof is an asset regardless of the feed-in tariff. But if maximising the value of the 44c rate is important to you, staying put until July 2028 is worth $5,000-$10,000 depending on your system size and export volume.

The 44c Solar Bonus Scheme was one of the most generous solar incentives anywhere in the world. It turned early adopters into mini power stations, earning thousands a year from their rooftops. That era is ending.

But the end of the 44c isn't the end of solar savings. It's a shift in strategy. Instead of earning from exports, you'll save by using your own energy. A modern battery system paired with upgraded panels can save you $1,500-$2,500 a year through self-consumption alone, and battery arbitrage can boost that further on time-of-use plans. Add a decent feed-in tariff on top, and you're still well ahead. For a broader look at how feed-in rates are changing nationally, see our feed-in tariff hub page.

The smart play: milk every dollar from the 44c until July 2028, then have a battery and panel upgrade ready to go the moment it expires. Compare the leading battery systems now so you're ready when the time comes. Start getting quotes 3-6 months beforehand so you're not scrambling with 160,000 other households who all had the same idea on the same day. For more on life after premium feed-in tariffs, see our guide on what to do when feed-in tariffs drop.