Load Advisor: Friday 24 April 2026
VIC1 and SA1 are the standout opportunity regions today, with predispatch prices running deeply negative through the overnight and early morning hours — VIC1 is currently at -$8.89/MWh and SA1 at -$8.50/MWh, against NSW1 at $69.29/MWh and QLD1 at $64.83/MWh. The price differential between regions is substantial and will persist through the early morning window.
The prime load-shifting window across the NEM runs from approximately 8:30 AEST tonight through to 3:30 AEST Saturday morning. VIC1 prices will fall to between -$60/MWh and -$90/MWh across that window, with the deepest troughs forecast around 11:00–13:00 AEST tonight (1:00–3:00 UTC 25 April), where some predispatch intervals show prices reaching -$202/MWh. SA1 mirrors this profile, with prices in the -$60/MWh to -$190/MWh range over the same period. NSW1 and QLD1 will remain in positive territory but soften considerably overnight — NSW1 prices are expected to drop into the -$10/MWh to -$25/MWh range from around 11:30 AEST tonight, still offering meaningful savings against the current $69/MWh. TAS1 remains positive throughout, ranging from roughly $17/MWh to $55/MWh overnight, so load shifting in Tasmania is beneficial relative to daytime levels but delivers no negative-price windfall.
Evening peaks to avoid are concentrated between 17:00–20:00 AEST today across NSW1 and QLD1, where predispatch forecasts show prices in the $55–$70/MWh range. WA1 data in the dataset is stale (last settlement 09:30 AEST 24 April) and should not be used for today's scheduling decisions.
**Concrete recommendation:** Flexible loads in VIC1 and SA1 should be pre-scheduled to run from 21:00 AEST tonight through to 03:00 AEST Saturday, capturing the deepest negative price windows and maximising revenue from consumption. NSW1 and QLD1 operators should target the 23:00–03:30 AEST window for discretionary load, where savings of $80–$90/MWh against current spot are available. Loads in all regions should be curtailed or deferred between 17:00 and 20:00 AEST this evening ahead of the expected evening demand peak.