The NRN 60-Day Trial

The most common question we get asked.

When people hear about the Smart Grid for the first time, that NRN installs solar, a battery, and an EV charger on your home at no upfront cost, pays you a monthly credit, and owns and maintains the equipment for the life of the agreement, the reaction is usually some version of the same question.

"That sounds good. But what if I change my mind?"

It's the right question to ask. Any arrangement that involves equipment on your home, a new energy plan, and a long-term agreement deserves careful scrutiny before you sign anything. And the answer to that question is the reason NRN built the 60-day trial into the Smart Grid from the very beginning.

The short version: If you change your mind on day 60, you walk away with every dollar NRN has paid you, and nothing has been installed on your home. Nothing to undo, nothing to pay back, no penalty.

Here's the longer version, because understanding exactly how the trial works is the best way to decide whether starting one is right for you.

What the 60-day trial actually is

The 60-day trial is a period at the start of your Smart Grid journey during which you experience the financial benefit of being on the Smart Grid, the credit on your electricity bill, the competitive Smart Grid Plan rate, before any equipment is installed on your home.

It is not a trial of the equipment. It is a trial of the outcome.

NRN's position is straightforward: they want you to be able to see, in real terms, what being on the Smart Grid does to your electricity bill before you commit to having the system installed. Day 60 is your decision point, not day one.

This is significant because it inverts the normal logic of solar. In a traditional solar arrangement, the panels go on first and you spend the next several years working out whether the investment was worth it. With the Smart Grid, you see the benefit first. The installation only happens if you decide to continue.

What happens during the 60 days

The timeline is straightforward, and it helps to understand each stage clearly:

• Before day one: You check your address, complete the Smart Grid assessment, choose a participating energy retailer, and sign up to a Smart Grid Plan. No equipment has been ordered or scheduled for your home yet.
• Day one: Your 60-day trial begins when your Smart Grid Plan starts. From the first full billing period, the Smart Grid Credit lands on your electricity bill. You begin receiving the payment immediately.
• Days one to 60: Your electricity is billed at your Smart Grid Plan rate. The Smart Grid Credit lands on each bill as a payment from NRN. NRN monitors the arrangement. Nothing is installed on your home during this period.
• Day 60: This is your decision point. You have seen at least one, and likely two, electricity bills with the Smart Grid Credit applied. You know exactly what you're better off by. Now you decide.
• If you continue: NRN schedules the installation of the Smart Grid Equipment, solar, battery, EV charger, and Smart Link, at your home. From that point forward, NRN owns and operates the equipment for the life of the agreement.
• If you walk away: Your Smart Grid Plan ends, no equipment is installed, and you keep every dollar NRN has paid you as Smart Grid Credits during the trial. No debt, no penalty, no further obligation.

What you keep if you walk away

This is the part most people want to be completely clear on before they apply, so let's be direct.

If you walk away at day 60:

• You keep every Smart Grid Credit that landed on your electricity bill during the trial. If you were on the Smart Grid Home tier at $75 per month and two full months of credits landed during your trial, you keep $150. It is not clawed back, invoiced, or offset against anything.
• No Smart Grid Equipment will have been installed at your home. There is nothing to remove, nothing to return, and no remediation work required.
• You are not charged for the Smart Grid Plan you were on during the trial. You pay your energy retailer for the electricity you used, as you would on any energy plan.
• There is no exit fee, no cancellation charge, and no penalty for walking away.

NRN earns nothing from a trial that doesn't proceed to installation. The credit you received during the trial is a cost NRN wears. That is deliberate, it is how NRN puts its own money behind the claim that you will be better off, rather than simply asking you to trust that you will be.

How the Smart Grid Credit works during the trial

You earn one Smart Grid Credit for each full calendar month of the trial. Credits are not pro-rated for part-months, so the timing of when your trial starts relative to your billing cycle is worth understanding before you apply.

The credit amount is based on the tier NRN has assessed your home for during the application process. That assessment is based on your household's energy usage, the size of your home, and whether you have higher-draw appliances like a pool or an EV.

It is worth noting that the tier assigned at the start of the trial is indicative. During the trial, NRN completes a site inspection and may confirm a different tier based on what the inspection reveals. If the tier changes, NRN will confirm that with you before day 60, your decision point, so you are never surprised by a change after you have committed to continuing.

What the trial does not cover

Being clear about the boundaries of the trial matters as much as explaining what it includes.

The trial does not cover the installation phase. Once you decide to continue past day 60 and the equipment is installed, you are entering the full Smart Grid agreement. The Host Agreement, the Always Better Off guarantee, the quarterly better-off review, the monthly credit, all of those apply from installation onward. The trial is specifically the pre-installation period.

The trial also does not give you access to the Smart Grid Equipment's generation or storage. During the trial period, your home does not have solar panels or a battery installed, so your electricity is drawn from the grid in the same way it always has been. The credit lands on your bill regardless, but the physical equipment comes with the installation, after day 60.

Common questions about the trial

Can I extend the trial beyond 60 days?

The trial is 60 days. Day 60 is the decision point, and the structure is designed to be clear and finite. If you need more time to make a decision, the best thing to do is speak to the NRN team directly.

What if I'm in the middle of a billing cycle when day 60 arrives?

Credits are applied for each full month of the trial. If your billing cycle means that day 60 falls mid-bill, the credit for that partial period would not be paid. This is worth confirming with NRN at the time of your application so you understand the exact timing.

Does the trial lock me into the Smart Grid retailer permanently?

No. If you walk away at day 60, your Smart Grid Plan ends and you can return to any energy retailer you choose. If you continue past day 60, you remain on a Smart Grid Plan with a participating retailer for the life of the agreement, but the quarterly better-off review ensures your total bill is always competitive with the market.

Can I start the trial and still be reviewing the Host Agreement terms?

The trial begins when you sign up to a Smart Grid Plan with a participating retailer. The Host Agreement, the full agreement that governs the installation and long-term arrangement, is signed if you decide to continue at day 60. Before your trial begins, you'll have access to the Smart Grid Credit terms that apply post-installation, and it's worth reading those carefully so that day 60 is a genuine decision, not a rushed one.

Why the trial exists at all

It would be easy to offer the Smart Grid without a trial. NRN could require a commitment upfront, install the equipment on the basis of that commitment, and let the credits begin from the first bill post-installation. That's how most solar arrangements work.

The trial exists because NRN wants every Host to be on the Smart Grid because it's clearly the right decision for their household, not because a salesperson made it sound compelling. Seeing the credit land on your bill before anything is installed on your home is the most concrete demonstration of the value that NRN can offer.

If the trial doesn't convince you, walking away is the right outcome. NRN would rather lose a trial than install equipment on a home where the Host is uncertain. The 1,500-home limit in Campbelltown is real, and every spot in phase one matters.

How to start the trial

Visit nrn.com.au/campbelltown to check your address and begin the Smart Grid assessment. It takes around three minutes. You'll find out which tier your home qualifies for and what your monthly Smart Grid Credit would be, before you've committed to anything.

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

Applications close Sunday 19 July. Once the 1,500 phase one spots are filled, applications for Campbelltown close.

Learn more about the Smart Grid, or visit NRN to see how the hosted network works.

NRN - Making energy cheaper, cleaner, and fairer.