Load Advisor: Monday 1 June 2026
Predispatch prices are negative or near-zero across VIC1 (−$0.10 to $0.01/MWh) and SA1 (−$3.00/MWh) right now, with NSW1 sitting at $61/MWh, QLD1 at $111/MWh, TAS1 at $80/MWh, and WA1 at $123/MWh. The overnight window from 09:30 AEST tonight through to 16:30 AEST tomorrow morning is the standout load-shifting opportunity across the NEM, with all "excellent"-rated predispatch windows concentrated in this period. SA1 and VIC1 offer the deepest discounts: SA1 prices are forecast to stay in the −$2 to −$3/MWh band from roughly 10:00 AEST tonight through to 16:00 AEST tomorrow morning, while VIC1 is expected to hold at effectively zero (−$0.05 to $0.20/MWh) across the same window. NSW1 will drop from its current $61/MWh into the $24–$38/MWh range after 10:00 AEST tonight, with the deepest troughs around $8–$14/MWh forecast between 13:00 and 14:30 AEST. QLD1 is the strongest price-reduction opportunity in absolute dollar terms: predispatch prices will fall from the current $111/MWh to $0.76–$6.96/MWh around 13:00–14:30 AEST tonight, representing savings of up to $499/MWh against current pricing. TAS1 prices are largely flat at $79–$86/MWh through the period with limited shifting upside.
The clearest periods to avoid are the current window in QLD1 ($111/MWh) and WA1 ($123/MWh), and the morning ramp in QLD1 from around 16:30 AEST onwards where predispatch prices jump back to $57–$74/MWh. NSW1 morning demand pick-up is forecast to push prices back toward $38–$40/MWh by 16:00 AEST, so loads in that region should be completed before that inflection. SA1 and VIC1 prices are expected to tick up from their deep overnight troughs around 06:00–07:00 AEST, returning to $9–$15/MWh range, still cheap but no longer negative.
The concrete recommendation: schedule all deferrable load in SA1 and VIC1 to run between 10:30 AEST tonight and 06:00 AEST tomorrow — these are the deepest and most sustained negative prices in the forecast with savings up to $101.62/MWh against today's reference price. In QLD1, target the 13:00–15:00 AEST tonight window where prices forecast as low as $0.76/MWh represent savings of nearly $500/MWh versus the current spot. NSW1 flexible loads (industrial process heating, EV charging, cold storage) should be dispatched between 10:00 AEST tonight and 12:00 AEST tomorrow, focusing on the 00:00–05:00 AEST period where prices dip to $8–$24/MWh. TAS1 offers limited