Why Sydney Homeowners Are Ditching Petrol and Ditching High Power Bills — At the Same Time
29 March 2026
The smartest thing you can do with your home right now has nothing to do with renovating the kitchen.
Petrol prices in Australia just hit a record high of $2.23 per litre — a 36% jump compared to just 12 months ago. Meanwhile, electricity rates in NSW are sitting at around 39 cents per kWh, which sounds expensive until you do the maths on what it actually costs to run a car on solar power.
That's exactly what a growing number of Sydney homeowners are figuring out — and it's why our phones at Better Electrical Co haven't stopped ringing.
Solar panels. Home battery storage. EV chargers. When these three things work together, the result is something remarkable: a home that generates its own energy, stores it, and then uses it to fuel the family car — for close to nothing.
Here's what you need to know.
At $2.23 per litre, filling up a standard 60-litre tank now costs you over $133 per fill. If you're filling up weekly, that's close to $7,000 a year going straight to the petrol station.
And it's not just the cost — it's the unpredictability. Prices fluctuate weekly, they're tied to global oil markets, geopolitical events, and currency shifts that you have absolutely no control over. Every time there's tension in the Middle East or a disruption to supply chains, Australian drivers feel it at the bowser.
The only way to opt out of that system entirely is to stop using petrol.
The average EV has a battery capacity of around 60-75 kWh. At the grid rate of 39 cents/kWh, a full charge from empty costs roughly $23–$29. That's already a fraction of a petrol fill - but it gets far better.
Charge your EV from your own solar panels, and the cost drops to near zero.
A typical Sydney home with a 6.6kW solar system will generate far more power than it uses during the day. Instead of sending that surplus back to the grid at a low feed-in tariff (often just 6-10 cents), you can direct that energy straight into your car battery. Free fuel, generated on your roof.
That's where the myenergi Zappi EV charger comes in.
At Better Electrical Co, we're certified installers of the myenergi Zappi — and there's a reason we recommend it above all others.
The Zappi isn't just an EV charger. It's a smart energy management device that communicates with your solar system, your home battery, and your electricity tariff simultaneously. It has three charging modes:
The Zappi is available in 7kW (single-phase, ideal for most Sydney homes) and 22kW (three-phase, for faster charging or commercial properties). It comes with built-in WiFi, requires no hub, and is managed through the intuitive myenergi app — so you can monitor and control your charging from anywhere in the world.
It also comes with a 3-year warranty and integrates seamlessly with home battery storage systems, making it the centrepiece of a fully self-sufficient home energy setup.
The real magic happens when all three systems work together.
Your solar panels generate power during the day. Your home battery stores the excess. After the sun goes down, that stored energy charges your EV overnight — all from power your roof made that morning. In the right setup, your electricity bill drops dramatically, your petrol spend goes to zero, and you've effectively opted out of two of the most volatile costs in modern household budgets.
Here's a simplified example for a typical Sydney household:
Most quality solar and battery setups pay for themselves within 5–7 years — and quality EV charger installations often qualify for government rebates that reduce the upfront cost further.
If you already have solar panels, adding a battery and the Zappi is a straightforward upgrade. If you're starting from scratch, we design and install the complete system solar, battery, and EV charger - as one seamless package.
We service the Sutherland Shire, St George, and surrounding Sydney suburbs, and our team of fully licensed electricians will walk you through every step of the process.
There's never been a better time to make the switch. Petrol prices aren't coming down. Grid electricity costs aren't coming down. But the cost of generating your own power and charging your own car? That's fixed to the sun — and the sun isn't sending you a bill.
We install solar systems, home battery storage, and myenergi Zappi EV chargers across Sydney. Our quotes are obligation-free, our advice is honest, and our workmanship is backed by a lifetime guarantee.
Call us on 0489 306 332 or fill out our contact form to get started.
Better Electrical Co — Your Trusted Local Electrician, Sutherland Shire & Sydney.
