How to Read Your Synergy Bill After Going Solar

Your first Synergy bill after installing solar can look confusing. There are new lines, new credits and sometimes a number that seems far too small or far too large. This guide walks through each part of the bill, explains how export credits are worked out, and shows you how to tell whether your system is really pulling its weight.

What changes on your bill after going solar

Before solar, your bill had one main job: to show how many kilowatt-hours (kWh, also called units) you bought from the grid and what you paid for them, plus a daily supply charge. After solar, the bill also has to record the electricity your panels send back to the grid. That is why a solar bill has two meter readings instead of one: import (electricity you bought) and export (electricity you sold).

What the bill does not show is the solar power you used yourself as it was generated. That self-consumed energy never passes through the meter as an import, so it simply shows up as a smaller usage figure. This is the most common source of confusion: many owners look for a “solar savings” line and cannot find one, because most of the saving is hidden inside lower usage.

If you would like a refresher on the general layout of a household bill before diving into the solar parts, our guide on how to understand your electricity bill covers the basics.

Line by line: the key items on a solar Synergy bill

Layouts change from time to time, but the core items on a residential Synergy bill with solar stay much the same. Here is what each one means and what to look for.

Why the meter matters

To record imports and exports separately, your home needs a bidirectional or advanced meter. When you connect a new system, the network operator, Western Power, upgrades or reconfigures the meter. Synergy explains that, until this is done, eligible customers may receive a Temporary Export Credit for net exports, paid at 7.135 cents per unit, before the normal buyback rate starts. If your first bill after installation shows that line, it is normal and temporary.

DEBS vs REBS: how your export credit is calculated

Synergy pays for exported solar through one of two State Government schemes. The Renewable Energy Buyback Scheme (REBS) is the older scheme with a flat rate. The Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) launched on 31 August 2020 and applies to new and upgraded systems, with a time-based rate that pays more for exports in the late afternoon and evening, when the grid needs them most.

The DEBS design is a response to the way WA’s grid now works. Rooftop solar floods the network in the middle of the day, which pushes demand down at noon and creates a steep ramp in the evening, a pattern known as the duck curve. Paying more for exports between 3pm and 9pm rewards systems that help during that ramp.

A worked example

The example below uses Synergy’s published rates as at 1 July 2025 (A1 usage 32.3719c per kWh, DEBS 10c and 2c per kWh) to show the arithmetic. The usage numbers are illustrative, not a forecast for your home, and the supply charge is left out because it is the same with or without solar.

Two things stand out. First, 480 kWh of midday exports earned only $9.60. Second, every kWh of that midday solar used at home instead of exported would have avoided buying a kWh at about 32 cents, roughly 16 times the off-peak buyback value. That gap is why shifting usage into daylight hours is the single biggest lever most solar households have.

Seven checks to run on every solar bill

1. Readings are actual, not estimated. An “E” next to a reading means the figure was estimated.
2. Exports are recorded. If exports show zero on a sunny bill, your meter or system may have a problem.
3. The right scheme is applied. Check the buyback rate matches REBS or DEBS as expected.
4. Peak exports appear on DEBS bills. A west-leaning array should show a healthy 3pm – 9pm export figure.
5. Average daily use is trending down compared with the same season before solar.
6. Compare with your inverter app. Total generation minus exports equals what you self-consumed.
7. Look for sudden drops in exports between similar bills, which can point to dirty panels, shading or an inverter fault.

How to get more value from your solar on future bills

Move flexible loads into daylight

Synergy itself recommends running appliances such as the dishwasher, dryer, pool pump and washing machine in the middle of the day. Timers and delay-start settings make this easy even when nobody is home. Hot water systems and heat pumps on a timer are another big win.

Think about orientation and timing

Synergy suggests talking to your installer about west-facing panels, which produce more in the afternoon and during the DEBS peak window. A split north and west array is a common compromise for Perth roofs.

Consider a battery

A battery stores midday surplus for use in the evening, when grid power costs the most and you would otherwise import. Read our guide to solar batteries in Perth and check what support is available under the WA Residential Battery Scheme.

Review your plan

Synergy offers time-of-use plans, such as the Midday Saver, alongside the standard A1 Home Plan. Whether one suits you depends on how much you can shift into cheaper hours, so compare your real usage pattern against each plan before switching.

Frequently asked questions