Load Advisor

The standout opportunity today is in NSW1 and VIC1, where predispatch prices are forecast to collapse to single digits from 08:30 AEST onwards — with NSW1 touching $2.45/MWh and VIC1 as low as $1.56/MWh against current spot prices of $119.69/MWh and $114.69/MWh respectively. QLD1 offers similarly aggressive off-peak windows from 08:30 AEST, with prices dropping to $0.84/MWh — a saving of over $120/MWh against the current $92.59/MWh spot. These windows persist through to at least 09:00 AEST and represent the strongest load-shifting opportunity across the NEM today.

SA1 is the region to avoid. Spot sits at $129.04/MWh and predispatch forecasts range between $138/MWh and $262/MWh through the morning, with no relief windows apparent in the near-term outlook. Any deferrable load in SA1 should be held until prices normalise, and operators should watch the interconnector closely given the volatility spread between SA and VIC. TAS1 is trading around $96–100/MWh with modest softening to the high $80s expected through late morning — acceptable for non-critical loads but not a standout savings window compared to the mainland eastern states.

The priority recommendation is clear: schedule all flexible load in NSW1, VIC1, and QLD1 between 08:30 and 09:30 AEST today. Industrial users, battery charging cycles, irrigation pumping, and demand-response assets in those regions should front-load consumption into this window. Avoid the 07:00–08:30 AEST period in NSW1 and VIC1 where prices remain elevated in the $34–55/MWh range before the sharpest troughs arrive. SA1 loads should remain curtailed until the $138–262/MWh predispatch band clears, with timing to be reassessed at the next predispatch update.