Nobody can honestly name one best STC trader for every installer. A sole operator doing ten jobs a month needs different things from a business lodging hundreds. What you can do is score traders the same way every time.
The six-point scorecard
| Test | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Rate | Published, current, and locked at a known point |
| Settlement | A stated time, in writing, with the start of the clock defined |
| Fees | None, or all listed in the contract |
| Claim checking | Photos, forms and serials reviewed before lodgement |
| Support | A named person who answers the phone |
| Stability | A long trading history and a clear registry status |
Rate versus cash
On a 14 kWh battery job, with about 95 STCs, 50 cents a certificate is about $48. On a 6.6 kW solar job in zone 3 with about 45 STCs it is about $22. Meanwhile a week of delay on a $3,700 discount is real working capital. Convert rate differences into dollars per job and compare them to the cost of waiting.
Why stability matters
You are extending credit to your trader between lodgement and payment. Greenbot, a large platform, was permanently suspended as a registered agent in 2024. Its clients moved mainly to Formbay and One Stop Warehouse. The former Greenbot platform is a reminder to read the contract, check how a trader handles unpaid claims and avoid holding large balances with any single counterparty. See our trader checklist.
Where to look for evidence
Reviews, industry forums and trader websites are all useful, but a trial claim tells you more. Send two or three real jobs, track the time from lodgement to cash, count the queries you receive and note whether the desk answers the phone. Evidence from your own jobs beats anyone’s marketing, ours included.
What this means for installers
Run the scorecard on your current trader and one alternative, using your last twenty jobs. Energy Merchants publishes rates daily and settles established partners within 24 hours, with no fees, so we are happy to be scored; see pricing. If a move makes sense, switching is mostly a login and a form. For how we work see how it works, and the STC trading pillar has more.