The AGL Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Trial is testing how electric vehicles can be used not only for transport, but also to help power your home and support the electricity grid. It involves bi-directional charging technology, which enables energy to flow to and from your car’s battery.  V2G’s potential benefits include savings on home energy usage costs by using energy stored in the EV and contributing to local grid stability by sending surplus stored energy back to the grid. The trial will help AGL understand customer needs, technology performance, and how V2G could be scaled in the future. 

As a participant, you’ll play a key role in shaping the future V2G experience in Australia. Because this is an innovation trial, the experience won’t necessarily be perfect – which is exactly why your feedback is so important. Your real-world use will help us design a better, smoother, more valuable V2G service for customers in the future. 

The trial will commence in stages as participants are onboarded and will run until 30 June 2027. We’ll be gathering insights and learnings throughout the trial. Participation in the trial will commence after the applicant has met the eligibility criteria, including having an approved bi-directional charger installed and onboarded, and having received the V2G trial Welcome letter. 

No, AGL’s V2G is a limited innovation trial designed to test technology, customer experiences, and customer reward structures. The trial is by invitation only, where compatibility and other criteria are met. This is not yet a commercially available energy product. 

To participate, you must:

• Be an AGL electricity customer prior to commencing the trial, and remain an AGL customer throughout the trial 

• Have a Smart Meter (or agree to have one installed)

• Own an eligible electric vehicle

• Complete any required vehicle software upgrades

• Be able to obtain grid export approval and have an approved bi-directional charger installed at your premise

Further details on these and other requirements are set out in the Participation Agreement.   

Trial participation is not linked to a specific energy plan. You can choose whichever AGL electricity plan that best suit your needs.  

AGL’s “Night Saver EV electricity Plan” provides a cheaper overnight rate for EV charging (currently 8c/kWh between 12pm and 6am), and could suit those who primarily charge their vehicle overnight using the grid.  

Participating BYD Atto3 vehicles will receive a manufacturer-approved software upgrade, and arrangements have been put in place with BYD to maintain the vehicle’s warranty protections during the trial.  

You will receive a letter from BYD confirming that the vehicle warranty will remain fully in force during your participation in the V2G Trial within the operating parameters, and that warranty coverage continues to be governed by the terms and conditions outlined in your BYD Australia Warranty & Service Handbook.  

The V2G trial will involve charge cycling of the EV’s battery. Protecting battery health is a key design principle of the trial and the vehicle manufacturer has implemented safeguards, including minimum battery reserve levels and maximum discharge limits per calendar year, to avoid excessive battery discharge and minimise battery impacts. 

Driving always comes first. Participants remain in control of their vehicle and discharging settings throughout the trial, subject to the built-in operating parameters (minimum battery reserve level, maximum discharge limit per calendar year). 

For participants requiring a V2G charger installation, they will contribute towards the cost of the charger hardware and installation work. Additional costs may apply for switchboard upgrades, complex works or cable runs longer than 15 metres. Once the installer has conducted a site assessment for the property, they will send a quote for the supply and installation of the charger.  

For those participants who already have a compatible V2G charger installed at their property, and who meet the other eligibility requirements for the trial, there aren’t expected to be any further upfront costs to join the trial.  

Participants will remain responsible for all their own energy charges under their AGL electricity plan. 

AGL's installation partner, Revcharge, will manage the installation process for those participants who don’t yet have a V2G charger installed, including electrical works and grid application approvals.  You will have separate contract terms with Revcharge for the supply and installation.

Installation timing varies depending on site assessment, grid approvals and installer availability. Participants will receive updates throughout the installation process.

If your own V2G charger is compatible, and you meet the other eligibility requirements for the trial, you can apply to join the Bring Your Own (BYO) charger stream of the trial.

V2G’s potential benefits include reducing household energy costs by using low-cost energy stored in the EV battery to power the home during peak times, or to export surplus energy to the grid to earn bill credits. V2G technology also contributes to grid stability during peak energy demand by the exporting of energy to the grid. 

Participants can earn rewards in the form of bill credits when exporting electricity from their vehicle to the grid during designated time periods. The bill credits will appear as credits on your AGL electricity bill.

The trial will test different reward levels. The base rewards start from 16 cents per kWh for electricity exported to the grid during peak times (5 to 9pm). The V2G bill credits will be measured using your electricity billing meter and calculated based on the energy exports and applicable reward rate. This will be added on top of any export rates you may already receive through your electricity plan. 

From time to time, there may also be optional ‘special events’ where you can earn more by exporting energy to the grid.  These events will be communicated to participants ahead of time as well as the ‘special event’ reward rate. These events could, for example, represent periods of increased electricity demand on the grid, helping us understand how V2G may support grid stability.

Yes. Participation in special events is voluntary, and participants stay in control throughout the trial. 

The total benefit you receive as bill credits during the trial will depend on how often you utilize your V2G charger and how much energy you export to the grid. The trial is designed to help us understand real-world participation and potential customer benefits. In addition to the bill credits for exporting energy, you could further benefit from reducing your household energy usage costs by using energy stored in your EV to power your home. 

Depending on your hardware:

• StarCharge participants will use the AGL V2G participant portal.

• Sigenergy participants will use the Sigenergy app.

An onboarding and user guide will be provided for each type of hardware to assist you with using the features provided.  

A key principle for the trial is that the customer remains in control of their vehicle’s charging and discharging, subject to the built-in operating parameters for V2G (minimum battery reserve level, maximum discharge limit per calendar year).  

For participants with a StarCharge Halo V2G charger, we may offer opportunities to take part in events where you can choose to allow AGL to manage your charging or discharging through the V2G charger on your behalf. Participation is always optional, and it will be entirely up to you whether you would like to take part in an event or opt out. 

Trial participants will be able to join a dedicated V2G Trial community on AGL’s Neighbourhood. It’s a space where you can share experiences, ask questions, and provide feedback both with the AGL V2G team and other trial participants. To join, sign in, or create an AGL Neighbourhood account if you don’t already have one. 

There will also be onboarding guides specific to your V2G charger hardware, as well as these V2G Trial FAQs – and direct support from the AGL team throughout the trial.  

If you have any questions at any stage, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at AGL Neighbourhood or direct at v2g@agl.com.au.  

The trial will collect information about your V2G trial participation, such as charging and discharging sessions, energy exports, energy usage, electricity meter data, your EV’s battery system, your survey responses and participant feedback to help understand how V2G works in real homes and shape future V2G propositions. 

Your personal information will be handled in accordance with the trial Terms and Conditions and AGL's privacy obligations. Participant data shared with installers and other trial partners is limited to what is necessary to deliver the trial.

Please notify AGL as soon as possible and in advance if you know that you will be moving. Your participation is tied to your address, so moving effectively ends your participation at that property. 

You may terminate the trial by giving AGL at least 30 days' notice. If you have received a subsidized V2G charger, leaving the trial early could trigger an early termination fee to allow us to recover some of the subsidised cost. 

Keeping an eligible EV is a condition of the trial. If you sell it, you must tell AGL right away as it will end your participation in the trial. 

The charger is supplied by and warrantied through the installer, not AGL, so it is recommended to contact your installer in the first instance.  

If you have any questions at any stage, you're always welcome to get in touch with the AGL team. 

Yes, you can choose the AGL electricity plan that suits you best, however you will need to stay with AGL to stay in the trial, as credits are applied direct to your AGL bill.  

The trial will be ending on 30 June 2027. When the trial ends:

• You keep the charger: the V2G charger will remain your property.

• The vehicle manufacturer’s V2G trial warranty protection stops: During the trial, AGL arranges for your vehicle manufacturer to issue you with a letter to confirm that the vehicle warranty will remain fully in force during your participation in the trial within the operating limits.  This applies for the duration of the trial — so once the trial ends, that assurance no longer covers you for V2G operation, and you'd need to confirm with your vehicle manufacturer whether continued V2G use affects your warranty.