My Journey to a Zero Electricity Bill: Amber vs Origin vs AGL
Over the past 12 months, I've been experimenting with different electricity retailers to find the best way to maximise the value of my home battery system.
As someone who works in the solar and battery industry, I wanted to understand firsthand whether battery energy trading could genuinely reduce or eliminate my electricity bills.
My system consists of:
10kW Hybrid Inverter
30kWh Deye Battery
Rooftop Solar System
Battery export capability
What I discovered was that not all battery plans are created equal.
Here's my experience with Amber, Origin and AGL.
Starting with Amber Electric
Like many battery enthusiasts, I was initially attracted to Amber because of the potential to access wholesale electricity pricing.
The concept is appealing.
Instead of receiving a fixed feed-in tariff, Amber allows customers to access real-time electricity prices. This means there can be periods when electricity prices spike dramatically, creating opportunities to sell stored battery energy back to the grid for significantly more than a traditional feed-in tariff.
On paper, it sounds fantastic.
In practice, I found it required far more involvement than I expected.
To maximise returns, I needed to:
Monitor the Amber app regularly
Watch wholesale market pricing
Identify export opportunities
Decide when to export
Decide when to stop exporting
The market moves constantly and prices can change quickly.
While there were certainly opportunities to make excellent returns during peak pricing events, I found myself spending more time managing my battery than I wanted to. They have an option to set and forget allowing Amber to do the trading on your behalf once. You are able to set the parameters for them to follow however this option only allows you to start selling back once the buy back exceeds $0.15 per kW. Unfortunately these events can be days apart meaning your battery can sit there, full and not exporting.
For some homeowners, particularly those who enjoy actively managing their energy system, Amber may be a great fit.
For me, it felt more like a part-time job than a set-and-forget solution.
Moving to Origin's Battery Plan
After Amber, I decided to try Origin's battery offering.
The attraction was simplicity.
Rather than monitoring wholesale pricing throughout the day, I could rely on a higher fixed feed-in tariff for exported battery energy.
At the time, I was receiving approximately:
18 cents per kWh exported between the hours of 4 and 9 pm.
This was certainly better than many standard solar feed-in tariffs.
The challenge was volume.
Even with a sizeable battery system, I found it difficult to export enough energy consistently to offset all of my electricity costs.
While the plan improved my returns compared to a standard solar tariff, it wasn't delivering the level of savings required to consistently achieve a net-zero power bill.
I found myself thinking:
"This is better, but I'm still leaving money on the table."
Finding Success with AGL
My latest move has been to AGL, and so far it has provided the best balance between simplicity and financial return.
Under my current arrangement, I'm receiving:
28 cents per kWh exported
For me, this has completely changed the economics of battery ownership.
Rather than chasing wholesale pricing spikes throughout the day, I can simply schedule my battery to export energy during the nominated export window each day.
The process is largely automated.
My battery exports energy daily without requiring constant monitoring and intervention.
Most importantly, I can still control how much energy remains available for my own use.
Protecting My Battery Reserve
One of my concerns with aggressive battery exporting is preserving enough stored energy for the household.
Rather than exporting the battery down to very low levels, I've configured my system to maintain:
50% State of Charge (SOC)
This means:
50% of the battery remains available for household use.
50% can be used for energy trading.
I still have significant backup capability if required.
With a 30kWh battery, that leaves approximately:
15kWh reserved for the home
while allowing the remaining capacity to generate income through exports.
For my situation, this has proven to be an excellent balance between earning export revenue and maintaining energy security.
Why Bigger Batteries Have an Advantage
One thing this experiment reinforced is that larger batteries create more opportunities.
With a 30kWh battery, I have enough capacity to:
Store excess solar production
Run household loads
Maintain backup reserves
Export meaningful amounts of energy
Smaller battery systems can still benefit from premium feed-in tariffs, but larger batteries have more flexibility when it comes to participating in energy trading programs.
The more energy you can shift into high-value export periods, the greater the potential return.
What I've Learned
After trying all three approaches, I've come to a simple conclusion:
The best battery strategy isn't necessarily the one with the highest potential return—it's the one you'll actually use.
Amber offered exciting opportunities but required active micro management.
Origin simplified the process but didn't generate enough export value for my goals.
AGL has provided a balance that suits my lifestyle by allowing scheduled exports at a strong feed-in tariff while still preserving battery capacity for my own needs.
The result has been a much simpler system that requires very little day-to-day attention.
Will This Work for Everyone?
Not necessarily.
The ideal retailer depends on several factors:
Battery size
Solar system size
Household consumption
Electricity tariff structure
Backup power requirements
How actively you want to manage your system
However, one thing is becoming increasingly clear:
Modern batteries are no longer just about storing solar energy for nighttime use.
They are becoming energy assets that can actively participate in the electricity market and help offset household energy costs. It is important to note that with higher feed in rates often comes higher daily connection fees. It is important to consider ll fees being offered by the provider.
Final Thoughts
A year ago, I viewed my battery primarily as a tool for self-consumption and backup power.
Today, I see it differently.
With the right retailer and battery settings, a home battery can become a valuable income-generating asset while still providing the energy independence that most homeowners are looking for.
For my own system—a 10kW hybrid inverter paired with a 30kWh Deye battery—the combination of scheduled exports and a 50% battery reserve has delivered the best balance between profitability and practicality.
Sometimes the most successful energy strategy isn't the most complex one.
It's the one that works automatically every day.