Load Advisor: Wednesday 25 March 2026
SA1 carries the standout opportunity today: predispatch prices are forecast to go **negative** from 09:00 AEST, dropping as low as -$1.10/MWh, representing savings of up to $139/MWh against the current spot of $107.84/MWh. NSW1, VIC1, QLD1, and SA1 all show an "excellent" quality window opening from 08:30 AEST, with prices collapsing sharply — NSW1 is forecast at $10–$12/MWh, VIC1 at $9–$11/MWh, and QLD1 at near-zero to $5/MWh. These low-price windows persist through 09:00–09:30 AEST before prices begin to recover as the morning demand ramp builds. The 08:00–09:30 AEST band is the clearest load-shifting target across all NEM mainland regions.
The peak periods to avoid are concentrated either side of this window. NSW1 sits at $134.89/MWh and QLD1 at $134/MWh right now, with forecasts pointing to sustained pricing above $100/MWh as the day progresses into the afternoon and evening demand peaks — predispatch forecasts for NSW1 range from $104–$125/MWh and QLD1 from $98–$118/MWh for later today. SA1 and VIC1 show similar afternoon risk at $107–$116/MWh and $97–$109/MWh respectively. TAS1 is the outlier: prices are elevated throughout the forecast window at $88–$108/MWh with no compelling cheap window on offer, and early forecasts flagged spikes toward $175–$178/MWh — Tasmanian loads should not be shifted today unless operationally essential, and should avoid the 08:30–09:00 AEST window where TAS1 pricing ticks up rather than down.
The concrete recommendation: schedule all deferrable NEM mainland flexible loads — industrial process, HVAC pre-cooling, EV charging, battery charging, hot water and irrigation — to run between **08:30 and 09:30 AEST today**. SA1 operators will capture the greatest absolute saving and should prioritise this window above all others given negative pricing. NSW1 and VIC1 operators will save approximately $75–$125/MWh versus current spot. QLD1 operators will see prices near zero, making this the cheapest charging window for behind-the-meter storage. Avoid committing flexible load in any region after 10:00 AEST as prices will climb with the business-day demand ramp and are expected to remain elevated into the evening peak.