The short answer
The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program takes around 30% off the upfront cost of an eligible home battery of 5 kWh to 100 kWh installed on or after 1 July 2025. You do not apply for it: your installer or retailer takes it off the price, or pays it to you as a rebate after installation.
A 10 kWh battery installed between May and December 2026 earns 68 certificates, worth up to $2,720 at the $40 STC Clearing House price. The discount falls every six months: the same battery installed in January 2027 earns 57 ($2,280).
Western Australia adds up to $1,300 for Synergy customers or $3,800 for Horizon Power customers, and NSW pays a virtual power plant incentive. Queensland's Battery Booster, South Australia's Home Battery Scheme and the NT battery grant have closed, as have Victoria's battery loans and Tasmania's Energy Saver Loan Scheme.
Battery rebate calculator
Type the usable capacity on the battery's spec sheet. The federal certificates use the factor for the install date and the 14 kWh, 28 kWh and 50 kWh steps; the WA rebate is paid per kWh up to 10 kWh.
Up to $2,720 off
- Usable capacity
- 10 kWh
- Certificates (STCs) at the May to December 2026 factor of 6.8
- 68
- Federal discount at $40 a certificate
- up to $2,720
- State rebate
- None added
- Installed price in our solar cost guide, Battery 10–13 kWh (mid-range)
- $8,000 to $15,000
Enter the price on your quote to see what you would pay. Ask the installer to show the number of certificates and the price per certificate on the quote.
The NSW payment is set by your virtual power plant provider and contract, so it is not added here. Prices are the installed bands from our solar cost guide.
How much is the battery rebate?
The discount comes as small-scale technology certificates (STCs). Each kWh of usable capacity earns certificates at the STC factor for the day the battery is installed - 6.8 for May to December 2026. Since 1 May 2026 the full factor applies to the first 14 kWh, 60% of it to each kWh from 14 to 28 kWh, and 15% of it to each kWh from 28 to 50 kWh. No certificates are created for capacity above 50 kWh.
| Usable capacity | Certificates, May to Dec 2026 | Discount at $40 | Certificates, Jan to Jun 2027 | Discount at $40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 kWh | 34 | $1,360 | 28 | $1,120 |
| 10 kWh | 68 | $2,720 | 57 | $2,280 |
| 13.5 kWh | 91 | $3,640 | 76 | $3,040 |
| 20 kWh | 119 | $4,760 | 100 | $4,000 |
| 30 kWh | 154 | $6,160 | 129 | $5,160 |
| 50 kWh | 174 | $6,960 | 146 | $5,840 |
The government buys these certificates through the STC Clearing House at a fixed $40 each, excluding GST. The discount your installer gives is based on the certificates the battery creates, so ask for the number of certificates and the price per certificate on the quote.
The discount drops every six months
The factor that counts is the one in force on the day the battery is installed, and it falls every six months from 1 May 2026. It is set to keep the discount at around 30% of the upfront cost.
| Battery installed | STC factor |
|---|---|
| January to April 2026 | 8.4 |
| May to December 2026 | 6.8 |
| January to June 2027 | 5.7 |
| July to December 2027 | 5.2 |
| January to June 2028 | 4.6 |
| July to December 2028 | 4.1 |
| January to June 2029 | 3.6 |
| July to December 2029 | 3.1 |
| January to June 2030 | 2.6 |
| July to December 2030 | 2.1 |
On a 10 kWh battery, installing in January 2027 instead of December 2026 means $440 less discount.
Who can get the federal battery discount
- The battery is connected to a new or existing solar PV system. A battery that only stores energy from the grid is not eligible.
- It is on the Clean Energy Council approved battery list and is installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia accredited installer with battery endorsement.
- The battery and its inverter are able to join a virtual power plant. You do not have to join one.
- It is the first battery at the premises to claim. A battery added later at the same premises cannot claim again.
- It was installed on or after 1 July 2025 and has a capacity of 5 kWh to 100 kWh.
- Households, businesses and community organisations can all claim it.
You do not apply to the government. The accredited installer or retailer takes the discount off the price, or pays it to you as a rebate after installation. You can instead create and sell the certificates yourself through the REC Registry.
State battery rebates
| State | What is available | Status |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | A virtual power plant payment for a battery of more than 2 kWh up to 50 kWh, on top of the federal discount. Zero-interest loans up to $15,000. | OpenOpen |
| Victoria | Solar Victoria's battery loans have closed. The federal discount applies. | ClosedClosed |
| Queensland | The Battery Booster rebate has closed. The federal discount applies. | ClosedClosed |
| WA | Up to $1,300 (Synergy) or $3,800 (Horizon Power), plus a no-interest loan of up to $10,000. You must join a virtual power plant. | OpenOpen |
| South Australia | The Home Battery Scheme has closed. Energy retailers may offer battery-to-VPP deals under REPS. | ClosedClosed |
| ACT | Sustainable Household Scheme loans of $2,000 to $20,000 at 3% interest. | OpenOpen |
| Tasmania | The Energy Saver Loan Scheme closed on 1 September 2025. | ClosedClosed |
| NT | The Home and Business Battery Scheme reached its $6 million allocation and is closed to new grants. | ClosedClosed |
The federal discount is meant to sit alongside state incentives, but whether you can combine them depends on each state's rules.
What a home battery costs
Installed prices from our solar cost guide:
- Battery 5 kWh (e.g. Sungrow): $5,000 to $9,000
- Battery 10–13 kWh (mid-range): $8,000 to $15,000
- Tesla Powerwall 3 (13.5 kWh): $12,000 to $17,000
Ask every installer whether their price is before or after the federal discount, so you compare like with like.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a government rebate for solar batteries in 2026?
Yes. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program takes around 30% off an eligible battery of 5 kWh to 100 kWh installed from 1 July 2025, and Western Australia and NSW add their own incentives.
How much is the rebate on a 10 kWh battery?
Installed between May and December 2026, a 10 kWh battery earns 68 certificates, worth up to $2,720 at the $40 Clearing House price. Installed from January to June 2027 it earns 57 certificates ($2,280).
Do I need solar panels to get the battery rebate?
Yes, for the federal discount. The battery has to be connected to a new or existing solar PV system; a battery that only stores energy from the grid is not eligible.
Do I have to join a virtual power plant?
Not for the federal discount: the battery and inverter must be able to join one, but joining is your choice. The WA rebate does require you to join a virtual power plant, and the NSW payment is for connecting to one.
Can I get the federal and a state battery rebate together?
It depends on the state. The WA rebate and the NSW virtual power plant payment are both paid on top of the federal discount. A battery could not claim both the old NSW installation discount and the federal one, and that NSW discount has ended.
Is the battery rebate going down?
Yes. The STC factor falls every six months, from 6.8 for batteries installed May to December 2026 to 5.7 for January to June 2027, and the certificate scheme behind it ends in 2030.
Compare quotes from local battery installers, and ask each one how many certificates the battery creates and what they pay per certificate.
Get battery quotes →Sources
Rebate rules, amounts and dates change, and every program has its own eligibility rules - confirm with the program below before you sign a quote. Checked against these pages in October 2026:
- Sustainable Household Scheme - Climate Choices (climatechoices.act.gov.au) · www.climatechoices.act.gov.au/policy-programs/sustainable-household-scheme
- Small-scale technology certificates (STCs) for batteries - DCCEEW (dcceew.gov.au) · www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries/small-scale-technology-
- Solar batteries | Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au) · cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/s
- Cheaper Home Batteries Program - DCCEEW (dcceew.gov.au) · www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries
- Eligibility information for the Cheaper Home Batteries Program - DCCEEW (dcceew.gov.au) · www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries/eligibility-information
- Calculate small-scale technology certificate entitlements | Clean Energy Regulator (cer.gov.au) · cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/s
- Install a battery | NSW Climate and Energy Action (energy.nsw.gov.au) · www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/household-energy-saving-upgrades
- Home Energy Saver | NSW Climate and Energy Action (energy.nsw.gov.au) · www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/home-energy-saver
- energy.nsw.gov.au (energy.nsw.gov.au) · www.energy.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-08/Home-Energy-Saver-Loans-guidel
- Virtual power plant (VPP) incentive | NSW Climate and Energy Action (energy.nsw.gov.au) · www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/household-energy-saving-upgrades
- Home and Business Battery Scheme | NT.GOV.AU (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20260414221410/https://nt.gov.au/industry/business-grants-fu
- Battery Booster rebate for householders | Homes and housing | Queensland Government (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20250430110038/https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/home-modificat
- Home Battery Scheme closed | Energy & Mining (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20251114054457/https://www.energymining.sa.gov.au/consumers/
- Energy saving rebates | Energy & Mining (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20260103103714/https://www.energymining.sa.gov.au/consumers/
- The Energy Saver Loan Scheme is Now Closed | ReCFIT (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20260909165112/https://www.recfit.tas.gov.au/get_involved/ne
- Tasmania's Energy Saver Loan Scheme | ReCFIT (web.archive.org) · web.archive.org/web/20260215083840/https://www.recfit.tas.gov.au/grants_programs
- Solar battery loans (solar.vic.gov.au) · www.solar.vic.gov.au/solar-battery-loan
- WA Residential Battery Scheme (wa.gov.au) · www.wa.gov.au/organisation/energy-policy-wa/wa-residential-battery-scheme
- WA Residential Battery Scheme - Eligibility Requirements (wa.gov.au) · www.wa.gov.au/organisation/energy-policy-wa/wa-residential-battery-scheme-eligib
Related guides
- Solar battery rebate in NSW
- Solar battery rebate in Queensland
- Solar battery rebate in WA
- Solar battery rebate in Victoria
- Solar battery rebate in South Australia
- Solar panel rebates in 2026: federal and state
- Solar Calculator: STCs, Output, Cost and Payback
- Solar + Battery vs Solar Only: 2026 Cost Comparison (with Rebates)
- Solar & Battery Cost Australia 2026