EnergyAustralia has admitted breaching Australia’s Electricity Retail Code after failing to launch a mandatory plan offering eligible households three hours of free electricity each day. The offer is available to eligible households with smart meters in New South Wales, South Australia and South-East Queensland, including customers without rooftop solar panels or batteries. It provides up to 24kWh of free electricity during a three-hour daily window, running from 11am to 2pm in NSW and South-East Queensland and noon to 3pm in South Australia. Households could potentially reduce their bills by shifting energy-intensive activities, including running washing machines and dishwashers or charging electric vehicles, into the free period. However, consumers have been warned the opt-in plan may not suit households unable to move their electricity use, as charges outside the free window could result in higher overall costs.