Load Advisor — Thursday 30 April 2026

NSW1 sits at 78.07 $/MWh, QLD1 at 74.04 $/MWh, and TAS1 at 88 $/MWh right now, while VIC1 is at 0 $/MWh and SA1 is negative at -3 $/MWh — the most attractive entry points on the NEM at this hour. Predispatch forecasts show a sustained overnight trough across NSW1, VIC1, and SA1 running from roughly 08:30 AEST through to 14:30 AEST today, with prices in NSW1 forecast to drop as low as 0.88 $/MWh and VIC1 reaching -20 $/MWh or deeper across multiple intervals. SA1 will sustain negative prices well into the 12:30–13:30 AEST range, with spot forecasts touching -25 to -28 $/MWh in isolated intervals — the deepest values on the NEM today. QLD1 is forecast to follow a similar shape, with prices falling to sub-5 $/MWh between approximately 09:00 and 12:00 AEST before recovering toward the high 30s by late afternoon. TAS1 is the outlier: prices remain elevated in the 70–80 $/MWh range across nearly the entire forecast window, with no sub-50 $/MWh interval visible, making it unsuitable for discretionary load shifting today.

The optimal load shifting window is **09:30–13:30 AEST** for NSW1, VIC1, SA1, and QLD1. VIC1 and SA1 offer the strongest savings in absolute terms, with predispatch prices averaging -10 to -20 $/MWh across that block — effectively paying consumers to consume. NSW1 offers excellent value in the 11:00–13:00 AEST range with prices forecast near 0.88–3.55 $/MWh, a saving of over 84 $/MWh against the current spot. QLD1's best window opens slightly later, centred on 10:00–12:30 AEST, where prices are forecast sub-5 $/MWh against a current 74.04 $/MWh reference.

Loads should be wound back ahead of the evening peak, which is expected to begin reasserting in NSW1 and QLD1 from approximately 15:00–16:00 AEST onward, with prices likely recovering into the 37–42 $/MWh range by 15:30–16:30 AEST. In VIC1, the recovery is shallower, with prices expected to remain negative or near zero through to the 17:00 AEST mark before the evening ramp. SA1 prices similarly lift through the 15:30–16:00 AEST window as solar output declines with 98% cloud cover forecast today limiting generation offset.

**Concrete recommendation:** Schedule all deferrable loads — industrial processes, water heating, battery charging, EV fleet charging, and HVAC pre-conditioning — to run between **10:00 and 13:30 AEST** across NSW1, VIC1, SA1, and QLD1. Within that window, prioritise VIC1 and SA1 assets first given the deepest negative prices. Curtail or defer those same loads from **15:00