Load Advisor

Prices are negative across NSW, VIC, QLD, and SA through the overnight period, with the NEM's deepest discounts concentrated in the 10:00–13:30 AEST window (00:00–03:30 UTC). NSW prices are forecast to touch −$26/MWh at 13:00 AEST, VIC reaches −$39/MWh near 13:30 AEST, QLD dips to −$25/MWh around 12:00–13:00 AEST, and SA hits −$34/MWh at 14:00 AEST. Current spot prices sit at $57/MWh (NSW), $32/MWh (VIC), $72/MWh (QLD), and $103/MWh (SA), making the overnight window a significant cost arbitrage opportunity for any consumer with flexible scheduling capability. Tasmania is the exception — prices remain sticky in the $60–$80/MWh range overnight with no negative windows forecast, so load shifting carries limited upside there.

The clearest peak avoidance signals are in SA and QLD. SA is currently clearing at $103/MWh and predispatch shows continued volatility with prices bouncing between $0 and $60/MWh through 09:30–11:30 AEST before negative prices consolidate. QLD sits at $72/MWh now and will see prices lift toward $40/MWh again from approximately 14:30 AEST (04:30 UTC) as the morning demand ramp approaches. NSW and VIC prices will drift back toward $20–$22/MWh from 15:30 AEST onward as morning load builds.

For NSW and VIC, the optimal load window is 10:00–13:30 AEST today, where average prices are expected to range from −$3 to −$39/MWh — operators running interruptible processes, EV fleet charging, hot water systems, or battery charging should target this band. For SA, the 13:00–16:00 AEST block offers the deepest discounts (−$4 to −$34/MWh) and represents the strongest opportunity on the NEM today. QLD flexible loads are best scheduled across 08:30–13:30 AEST (−$3 to −$25/MWh), before morning prices firm.

Concrete recommendation: schedule all deferrable loads — industrial processes, HVAC pre-conditioning, water heating, EV charging, battery charge cycles — to run between 10:00 and 14:00 AEST across NSW, VIC, QLD, and SA. Avoid committing new load in SA and QLD after 14:30 AEST and in NSW/VIC after 15:30 AEST as the morning demand ramp will push prices above $20/MWh. TAS operators should treat today as a flat-price environment with no material shifting advantage on overnight intervals.