Solar Power Buy-Back Rates
Written by
Kristy Hoare, Founder & Solar Market Research Specialist
Last updated:
Solar power buy-back rates are the price per unit at which energy retailers pay for excess/exported solar power from homes or businesses.
The buy-back price ranges between 8¢ to 23¢ per kWh for exported solar power. Up to 40¢ is offered for exported stored battery capacity. View the New Zealand solar buy-back price list below.
To find out how much the buy-back price will affect how much you save on electricity bills, try out our solar calculator.
Solar Buy-Back Rates In New Zealand
Electric Kiwi
MoveMaster
23¢ Peak
11.5¢ Off Peak
None
On Electric Kiwi's MoveMaster plan, the 23¢ peak buy-back applies only on weekday mornings (7–9am) and evenings (5–9pm) - times when solar panels produce little or nothing. So unless you're exporting stored solar from a battery during those windows, you're unlikely to sell at that rate. Most if not all solar you produce and export will be sold at the 11.5¢ rate.
A non solar related benefit of their Move Master plan is cheaper off-peak import rates, half price overnight (11pm–7am).
Meridian
15¢ Standard 24¢ ** Winter Peak Rate
10kW
The 24¢ winter peak rate applies during morning and evening periods from July to September - times when solar panels produce little or nothing. So unless you're exporting stored solar from a battery, you're unlikely to sell at that rate.
Octopus
Flexi
19¢ Peak
14¢ All other times
10kW max - Larger on application
Only available in certain regions of New Zealand. Click here to find out if this offer is available where you live.
Octopus
Peaker
23¢ Peak
10¢ at all other times
10 - 20 kW
Only available in certain regions of New Zealand. Click here to find out if this offer is available where you live.
Table last updated: 05/06/2026
Switching Energy Retailers When Going Solar
Before switching your electricity retailer to a company that offers a better buy-back rate, please check with them what your price for using / importing power bill be. Some electricity retailers have been known to increase the power price for solar power system owners.
Tip: As soon as you decide on going solar and have figured out which energy retailer to switch to, make the switch asap, as it can cause delays in turning on the system once the solar panels have been installed.
How Do Solar Buy-Back Rates Work?
When solar panels generate more power than what is needed in the home or business, and there are no batteries in the solar power system that can soak up the excess power, the solar power is then exported to the grid. Your chosen electricity retailer will have a set price (as above) at which they will pay for this solar power.
This will show up as a credit on your power bill, which is normally subtracted from the cost of buying regular grid power. If the solar buy-back credit piles up you may be able to be paid for the solar power solar, but not all energy retailers will do this, so best to ask them first.
How Much Difference Does The Buy-Back Price Make?
A good buy-back price is more important for homes and businesses that plan on selling a good portion of their solar power to the grid. For example, a home that uses 50% of the solar power in its home and 50% of its power will be exported will need to focus on getting a good solar buy-back rate. If the home is able to use closer to 80% of the power generated then a good buy-back price won't matter as much.
Using our solar calculator, you can see how different buy-back prices would change the amount of savings achieved each year, and you'd be able to see the difference between rates of return.
Learn more about why solar buy-back rates are important in New Zealand.
