“What do traders pay per STC?” has a different answer every day, which is why the more useful question is how to tell a good offer from a poor one.
The ceiling and the floor
The clearing house sells at a fixed $40, excluding GST, so spot rarely goes beyond it. At the time of writing spot has been roughly $38 to $40. A trader paying near the top of that range, net of fees, is paying close to the market. A trader paying several dollars below needs a clear reason. See why trader price differs from spot.
The five-point test for a good price
- Net, not gross. Is it what you receive after every deduction?
- Locked. Is it fixed when you lodge a complete claim, or exposed to the market while it clears?
- Fast. Is payment in a day or two, or weeks?
- Predictable. Is the rate published, with a clear process for changes?
- Backed by a compliance check. Do claims get pre-checked so they do not fail?
Pass all five and a rate a little below the best headline can still be the better deal.
What it looks like in dollars
A typical 6.6 kW zone 3 system creates about 45 STCs. Each dollar per certificate is $45 a job.
| Per STC | On 45 STCs | On 400 jobs a year |
|---|---|---|
| $38.00 | $1,710 | $684,000 |
| $38.50 | $1,732 | $693,000 |
| $39.00 | $1,755 | $702,000 |
A 50-cent difference is about $9,000 over 400 jobs. A 20-day payment delay on that volume costs more than that in finance and stress, which is why timing matters as much as price.
Volume, partner tiers and negotiation
Larger and steadier books often earn better treatment. See negotiating and volume discounts and volume rates.
What this means for installers
Check the published rate, then ask how it is locked and when you are paid. Energy Merchants publishes its daily rate on pricing, locks it on lodgement of a complete claim and charges zero fees, with 24-hour settlement for established partners. The Partner Program adds perks as your volume grows: see partner program. For the market view read what an STC is worth in 2026 and the STC trading pillar.
Checking a rate yourself
On the day you compare, note the date and time, ask each provider for a written rate on the same job, and compute net dollars. Repeat once a month. Rates move together with spot, so the useful signal is the relative gap between providers and how that gap changes with your volume.