Midday Power Saver (3 free hours) vs Amber's wholesale offer: what you need to know

Daniel from Amber

Updated July 3, 2026 at 4:37 PM

The government's new Midday Power Saver scheme launches on 1 October 2026, giving smart-meter households in Victoria three hours of free electricity each day. This article explains what it is and what it means for Amber customers.

Key thing to know: Midday Power Saver is a separate standing-offer plan — it is not part of, or an add-on to, Amber's wholesale offer. Switching to the Midday Power Saver plan means leaving wholesale pricing behind, as well as access to the Amber app, SmartShift and your feed-in tariff.

In this article

• What is Midday Power Saver?
• Is Midday Power Saver the same as my Amber wholesale plan?
• Does Amber offer Midday Power Saver?
• If I opt in with Amber, what rates would I be on?
• What do I lose by moving off wholesale?
• How do I transfer, and how much notice do I need to give?
• How will billing work after I switch?
• How do I confirm I want to go ahead?

What is Midday Power Saver?

Midday Power Saver is a Victorian government-regulated standing offer, which means retailers required to offer it in eligible regions must do so using the regulated tariff structure. The government determines the free usage window, daily supply charge and maximum usage rates that apply to the offer, including the maximum charge for usage above the 24 kWh daily free-period cap. There's no variation between retailers on this.

Amber's Midday Power Saver structure is straightforward. The free window runs from 11am to 2pm in Victoria. Outside that window, government-prescribed maximum usage rates apply. It's also worth knowing that usage above 24 kWh during the free period incurs an additional charge, so it's not completely uncapped. There's no feed-in tariff attached to the offer, no subscription fee and no access to Amber's technology or app. And it's opt-in only: nothing changes on your current plan unless you actively choose to switch.

Is Midday Power Saver the same as my Amber wholesale plan?

No — they are two different plans.

• Amber's wholesale offer passes through real 30-minute wholesale prices with a flat monthly subscription and no usage markup
• Midday Power Saver is a fixed standing-offer tariff with a free midday window and fixed rates outside of this window. There is no wholesale passthrough with Midday Power Saver, Midday Power Saver has prescribed maximum rates which you can see below

You will not get access to both the Midday Power Saver three free hours and wholesale rates.

Does Amber offer Midday Power Saver?

Amber will be offering Midday Power Saver as a separate standing offer, at the maximum rates the government has prescribed. This will be separate to Amber's wholesale offering and the typical Amber experience.

For many Amber customers, especially those already benefiting from wholesale pricing, batteries or SmartShift, staying on wholesale pricing will be much better value, as the rates outside of the free window will typically be much higher than the wholesale price overall.

If you choose to switch to the Midday Power Saver plan, you will lose access to the Amber app, SmartShift and your feed-in tariff drops to zero cents.

If I opt into Midday Power Saver with Amber, what rates would I be on?

The rates vary depending on which network you're in, but the structure is the same everywhere. There's a free usage period in the middle of the day (capped at 24kWh per day), and outside that window you're paying whatever the maximum rate the government has set for your network. Here's what that looks like by region:

Victorian Midday Power Saver time of use tariffs for general usage for the period 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2027 — domestic customers without controlled load. Charges are inclusive of GST.

Compare that to Amber’s wholesale plan, where you pay real wholesale prices. During that same midday window, wholesale prices can sit at or near zero and may sometimes go negative, meaning there may be times when you can actually get paid to use electricity. Outside that window, prices reflect what's happening on the grid rather than a fixed rate set months in advance. For battery owners, that difference is where the real value is: buying cheap when prices drop and earning the full wholesale feed-in rate when prices spike in the evening.

AER's own modelling flags that customers already on a competitive market offer may not save money on Midday Power Saver even if they shift their usage behaviour. For many Amber customers, that's exactly the situation you're in.

What do I lose by moving off wholesale?

Moving onto the Midday Power Saver Standing Offer means giving up Amber's wholesale rates and the tools that help you minimise usage costs and maximise feed-in. Specifically:

• No access to the Amber app
• No access to SmartShift
• Your feed-in tariff drops to zero cents

You may also forfeit any accrued benefits associated with your current contract on transfer to the Standing Offer, including under Amber's Price Guarantee.

What should I know before I switch?

• This offer is best suited to residential customers who are able to shift their electricity usage to the free usage period
• Not shifting electricity usage to the free usage period could result in higher overall electricity costs
• The first 24 kWh you use during the free usage period each day is free. If you use more than 24 kWh during that period, the usage above the cap may be charged at the applicable excess-usage rate
• You can compare electricity plans, including other available offers, using the Victorian Energy Compare website

How do I transfer, and how much notice do I need to give?

You can cancel your current contract and elect to transfer to Amber's Standing Offer by contacting us and providing at least 20 business days' notice of your election. You remain responsible for all charges incurred under your current contract up to the transfer date and must pay the Final Bill issued for those charges.

How will billing work after I switch?

Your billing will work a little differently in the short term if you choose to switch to the Midday Power Saver Standing Offer between 1 Oct 2026 and 31 Dec 2026.

• Instead of monthly, we'll bill you at the end of the quarter in early January
• This applies even if you choose to switch electricity providers and leave Amber before 30 Sep 2026 — we will issue your bill after the end of the quarter
• We expect this to move back to monthly billing starting from 1 January if you choose to stay on the offer

How do I confirm I want to go ahead?

Reach out to Amber and let us know you want to make the switch to the Midday Power Saver Standing Offer. We'll send you a list of terms & conditions that you will need to confirm before making the switch.

Once you approve this, we'll process your switch after you pay your Final Bill.