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Buyback rates
If you export excess energy into the network you could be eligible to sell that power back to us. The buyback rate offered for each town will differ, as it reflects our cost of electricity generation and distribution in that town.
You should be aware that the buyback price may increase or decrease over the life of your renewable energy system due to changes in our cost to supply electricity. Buyback rates are reviewed annually and the amount payable is subject to change. We will advise you of any changes that affect your buyback rates.
You’ll also need to meet the minimum technical requirements for customers connecting renewable energy to our low voltage networks, which we will assess when you apply to install solar.
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Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS)
DEBS offers a buyback rate for electricity exported back into the Horizon Power network, which appears on your bill as a credit, and is available available to residential, educational and charitable and not-for-profit organisations.
Small renewable energy systems (like solar) up to 5kW are eligible for DEBS. The scheme also allows for customers exporting from the home battery or electric vehicle-to-grid systems even if these systems have a capacity greater than 5kW.
DEBS replaces the previous Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS) and will be offered to eligible customers with new and upgraded eligible systems, and those moving into a property with an existing system.
Read the DEBS Terms and Conditions
Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS)
REBS was available to residential, educational and charitable and not-for-profit organisations with a small-scale renewable energy system like solar. REBS offers a buyback rate for energy exported from a system (up to 5kW in size) which appears as a credit on your Horizon Power bill.
REBS is no longer available for new applications. If you are already exporting power and receiving the REBS buyback rate, there will be no impact to your buyback rate, and you will remain on REBS, subject to the REBS terms and conditions.
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Time of Export DEBS has two time-of-export buyback rates, with the rate you get paid based on the time of day electricity is exported by your system. |
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Peak rate 3 pm - 9 pm |
Off-peak rate All other times |
Horizon Power Commercial Buyback (COBS)
For systems that are over 5kW in size, we offer a buyback price in towns where the cost of generating electricity is high.
Buyback will be offered at Horizon Power’s discretion and may require further commercial negotiations.
Not all customers will be eligible for the buyback, so it’s important to check if you are eligible before you apply.
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Check your eligibility Your eligibility for a buyback scheme depends on the type of system installed, the town the system is located and if you are a residential or business customer. |
Information for DEBS customers
Customers on the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) will receive the current Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS) rates until 5 November 2020. From 6 November DEBS time-of-export rates will apply.
- DEBS rates are available in the calculator or in the DEBS terms and conditions.
- REBS rates are available in the REBS terms and conditions.
The Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) was launched by the State Government on 31 August 2020. DEBS offers a buyback rate for electricity exported back into the Horizon Power network, which appears on your bill as a credit.
Small renewable energy systems (like solar) up to 5kW are eligible for DEBS. The scheme also allows for customers exporting from the home battery or electric vehicle-to-grid systems even if these systems have a capacity greater than 5kW.
DEBS replaces the previous Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS) and will be offered to eligible customers with new and upgraded eligible systems, and those moving into a property with an existing system.
Rooftop solar systems, batteries, electric vehicles, microgrids and other technologies are transforming Western Australia’s electricity system. These small-scale devices, known as Distributed Energy Resources (or DER) present both challenges and opportunities for the way we produce, manage and consume electricity in our State.
DEBS has been introduced to give customers the ability to harness value from the DER technology, such as batteries, and sell excess energy back to the grid.
With the WA Government’s introduction of DEBS, the price paid for electricity exported by eligible customers will better represent the actual cost of electricity at different times of the day.
The new pricing structure will encourage households to make more use of their solar in the middle of the day and encourage the installation of west-facing panels and batteries, producing solar power for longer in the day so households can make the most of using the renewable energy or exporting at the peak rate under the new scheme.
DEBS is available to households, schools, educational institutions and not-for-profits in WA who:
- Are an existing REBS customer who wants to switch to DEBS;
- Are looking to install a new eligible renewable or distributed energy system;
- Are looking to upgrade their existing renewable or distributed energy system; or
- Are moving into a property with an existing renewable or distributed energy system.
All systems need to be eligible as per the DEBS Terms and Conditions and meet the Horizon Power technical requirements.
If you are already exporting power and receiving the REBS buyback rate, there will be no impact to your buyback rate, and you will remain on REBS (subject to the REBS terms and conditions) if no changes are made to your renewable energy system.
Up-to 5 November 2020
The DEBS Buyback Rate will be the same as the current REBS Buyback Rate for your town (Please refer to REBS T&Cs) – including for energy exported from other distributed energy sources like home batteries and vehicle-to-grid electric vehicles. This will allow time for us to complete software and technical upgrades.
From 6 November 2020
The time of export DEBS Buyback Rate will apply for eligible DEBS customers.
That means if you have applied to install or upgrade a renewable energy system and export any power before 6 November 2020 then you will be paid at the existing REBS rate for your town. Any power exported from 6 November 2020 onwards will be at the DEBS rate for your town.
If you are using our online move-in form, you can apply to receive a buyback rate as part of this process. You will be applying for REBS if:
- You are moving into the property by 7 September 2020; and
- You agree to the REBS Terms and Conditions by 7 September 2020.
All other applications will be DEBS applications.
Before 5 November 2020, the DEBS Buyback Rate will be the same as the current REBS Buyback Rate for your town (For REBS pricing see the REBS terms and conditions)– including for energy exported from other distributed energy sources like home batteries and vehicle-to-grid electric vehicles.
From 6 November 2020, a time of export DEBS Buyback Rate will apply for eligible DEBS customers.
DEBS has two time of export rates. The time you export power determines the buyback rate that you are paid.
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Off-peak Before 3 pm, after 9 pm |
Peak Between 3 pm – 9 pm |
The DEBS rates will depend on the town where your system is installed. The DEBS rates vary between towns across our vast service area, because of the different costs of generation supply to each town, and that means in some towns the peak and off-peak rates are the same.
The DEBS rate will be reviewed and adjusted each year, just like other electricity prices.
The wholesale electricity (power generation) cost only makes up about 20% of the total cost to supply electricity to residential customers. The remaining 80% of the cost to supply includes network costs (building and maintaining poles and wires), capacity costs (maintaining enough generators to meet peak demand) and other costs such as those associated with renewable schemes and retail. These costs contribute to the reliability of the grid, so that power is available whenever you need it.
When we purchase electricity from our customers we don’t receive any of the other services such as network, capacity and retail services that are needed to supply electricity to another home. Therefore, the DEBS is closer to the wholesale electricity cost rather than the total electricity supply cost. In some towns this wholesale cost is very high, and therefore higher buyback rates apply.
Customers looking to install a new eligible distributed energy system or upgrade their existing system will be eligible under DEBS if they submit a completed application with Horizon Power, meeting all the other terms and conditions of the scheme.
If you are already in the process of finalising your application for buyback payments for your solar export, then you will have a week’s grace to finalise and submit it to Horizon Power. Provided Horizon Power receives your eligible completed application on or before 7 September 2020, you will receive REBS.
Customers who undertake the following changes to their systems will be required to apply for DEBS;
- Increase the size of their renewable energy system up to the maximum permitted size (e.g. upgrade a 2kW solar PV system up to a maximum 5kW solar PV system); or
- Install a home battery storage system at their premises, including an electric vehicle that is or isn’t set up to be able to export energy to the grid (vehicle-to-grid, or V2G).
If you are already in the process of finalising your application for buyback payments for your solar export, then you will have a week’s grace to finalise and submit it to Horizon Power. Provided Horizon Power receives your eligible completed application on or before 7 September 2020, you will receive REBS.
No, we are not able to offer an extension for new REBS applications beyond 7 September 2020.
Yes - if you are already on REBS you can request to change over to DEBS.
We offer buyback rates for each town which reflect our cost of electricity generation and distribution in that town. Because these costs vary greatly between towns across our vast service area, the rates differ. The DEBS rate will be reviewed and adjusted each year, just like other electricity prices.
Yes, if you’re on a MyPower plan, and you’re eligible then you will receive the applicable DEBS buyback rate for your town.
The DEBS rates will be paid based on when your system exports power to the grid.
No, as long as you don’t make any changes to the size of your system.
If you are a FIT customer, you will still be governed by the respective FIT terms and conditions and will continue to receive FIT payments until your respective FIT scheme end date.
If you do make any change to your system you will receive any future payments under the DEBS scheme, provided your system still meets the eligibility criteria under DEBS.