Can Renters Benefit From Solar?

Solar has always had a renter problem.

If you rent, the solar conversation has never really been for you. You've watched homeowners install panels, reduce their bills, and collect feed-in tariff payments, and none of it was available to you because you don't own the roof.

The advice was always the same: ask your landlord. And most people who rented knew exactly how that conversation would go. Landlords weren't lining up to spend tens of thousands of dollars on solar systems for the benefit of someone else's electricity bill. The upside didn't stack up for them, so it went nowhere, and renters kept paying full price for their electricity.

That's the problem the Smart Grid is built to fix. And for renters in Campbelltown right now, it's no longer a future possibility, it's open for applications until Sunday 19 July 2026.

How the Smart Grid works for renters

The Smart Grid model turns the traditional solar equation on its head, and for renters specifically, it removes the single obstacle that has always made solar inaccessible: ownership.

Here's how it works. NRN installs solar panels, a battery, an EV charger, and a Smart Link on the property. NRN owns all of it, not the landlord, not the tenant. The landlord hosts the Smart Grid Equipment on the property, which means they sign the Host Agreement with NRN. But the Smart Grid Credit, the monthly payment that makes the whole arrangement worth having, comes to you, the tenant, on your electricity bill every single month.

You don't need to own the property to receive the credit. You don't need to pay anything upfront. And critically, whether your landlord is enthusiastic, indifferent, or has never thought about solar in their life, NRN can speak to them on your behalf to help get the conversation started.

What renters actually receive

The Smart Grid Credit is a fixed monthly payment that lands on your electricity bill as a payment. It is not a variable discount, a government rebate, or a percentage off your usage rate. It is a payment, from NRN, to you, every month your home is on the Smart Grid.

The amount is set by the size of the system installed on the property, which NRN determines based on the home's energy needs. There are four tiers:

• Smart Grid Home: $75 per month ($900 a year)
• Smart Grid Family: $90 per month ($1,080 a year)
• Smart Grid Plus: $120 per month ($1,440 a year)
• Smart Grid Max: $160 per month ($1,920 a year)

On top of the monthly credit, you move onto a Smart Grid Plan with a participating energy retailer. Every quarter, NRN compares your total electricity cost, including Smart Grid Credits, against equivalent plans in your area. If another plan would have cost you less, NRN tops up your Smart Grid Credit to cover the difference. Your total cost of electricity is always at least as competitive as the best available option in the market. You're always better off.

The landlord question: What's actually in it for them?

This is usually where renter interest stalls. You can see the benefit for yourself clearly enough, but getting a landlord to engage with something new, unfamiliar, and that requires them to sign an agreement is a different matter.

The good news is that the Smart Grid is genuinely a good deal for landlords too, and not just in an abstract "it's the right thing to do" sense. Here's what NRN puts on the table for them:

• The Smart Grid Equipment, solar, battery, EV charger, and Smart Link, is installed at no cost to the landlord. NRN owns it, installs it, and maintains it for the life of the agreement. The landlord signs nothing that costs them money upfront.
• The property becomes more attractive to prospective tenants. A home with a Smart Grid Credit already running on the electricity bill is a tangible financial benefit that makes the rental easier to let and harder for good tenants to walk away from.
• When the landlord sells the property, the Smart Grid Equipment goes with it, adding genuine asset value at settlement. NRN handles the transfer directly with the solicitor.
• If anything stops working, NRN fixes or replaces it. The landlord does not receive maintenance calls, repair bills, or warranty headaches.

For a landlord who has avoided solar because the investment return didn't justify the outlay, the Smart Grid removes the outlay entirely.

What if your landlord says no?

It's worth being realistic here. Not every landlord will say yes immediately, some will want to read the terms, some will have questions, and some may take time to get comfortable with the idea. NRN is experienced in having this conversation and can walk landlords through the details at their own pace.

What NRN cannot do is install Smart Grid Equipment without the property owner's agreement. The landlord does need to sign the Host Agreement. But the process of getting there is one NRN actively supports, you don't have to navigate it alone, and you don't have to know the answers to every question your landlord might ask.

If your landlord ultimately declines, the Smart Grid isn't available for that property in its current form. But it costs nothing to find out, and NRN has found that landlords who understand the full picture, no cost, no maintenance, no liability, and a more valuable and lettable property, come around more often than renters expect.

What the 60-day trial looks like for a renter

The Smart Grid comes with a 60-day trial period, and it works the same way for renters as it does for owner-occupiers. Here's what to expect:

• From the first billing period of the trial, the Smart Grid Credit lands on your electricity bill. You start receiving the payment before any equipment is installed on the property.
• On day 60, you decide. If you walk away, you keep every dollar NRN has paid you. Nothing has been installed. Nothing to undo.
• If you choose to continue, installation is scheduled and NRN owns and operates the equipment from that point forward.
• For the life of the agreement, NRN monitors the Smart Grid Equipment 24/7 and handles all maintenance and repairs at no cost to you or your landlord.

There is no risk in starting the trial. The credit runs from day one, and the decision to continue is entirely yours at the end of it.

Will your electricity plan change?

Yes, and it's worth understanding what that means before you apply.

To be on the Smart Grid, you need to move onto a Smart Grid Plan with one of NRN's participating energy retailers. These are retailers who are set up to support the Smart Grid, and being on their Smart Grid Plan is what allows the credit to land on your bill.

On a Smart Grid Plan, all electricity is billed at the same rate, whether it comes from the solar and battery on your roof or from the wider grid. You are not penalised for importing from the grid, and you are not paid separately for electricity your system generates. The Smart Grid Credit is the mechanism through which you benefit, and it applies on top of your usage charges as a payment.

The quarterly better-off review means that your total energy cost, usage charges plus credits, is always benchmarked against the market. You will never be worse off for having moved onto a Smart Grid Plan.

What happens when you move out?

Renting means moving, and it's a fair question to ask what happens to the Smart Grid Credit when you do.

The Smart Grid Credit is tied to the property, not to you personally. When you move out, the credit stops landing on your bill. If your next rental property is also on the Smart Grid, the credit at that address would come to you as the tenant there, subject to the same eligibility and agreement structure.

NRN handles the transition process directly. If you're moving out of a Smart Grid property, the process of ending your Smart Grid Plan is managed through your retailer in the same way any energy plan transfer works when you change address.

How to get started as a renter

The first step is to check whether your current address qualifies. Visit nrn.com.au/campbelltown, enter your address, and you'll see whether the property is in the eligible area and what Smart Grid tier it would likely qualify for. The check takes about three minutes.

From there, NRN can help you start the conversation with your landlord or you can start the conversation with your landlord or property manager, whichever is the right contact for your rental. You don't need to have it already resolved before you apply, and speaking to your property manager first is often the easier place to start. NRN can provide you with everything you need to share with them so the conversation is straightforward.

You can also call 1800 671 946, read the NRN FAQ, or visit the NRN pop-up at Macarthur Square, Centre Court, open Thursday 11 June to Sunday 19 July 2026.

Applications for the Campbelltown phase one close Sunday 19 July. The 1,500-home limit applies to the area as a whole, not just to owner-occupiers.

NRN - Making energy cheaper, cleaner, and fairer.