Guide to Solar & Battery Rebates
Stop leaving your hard-earned cash on the table.
Here is exactly how to get the government to pay for your off-grid power setup.
There are a lot of rumours floating around the bush about government handouts for home wind turbines. Let's shoot straight: unless you are letting a commercial energy company build a 100-metre turbine on your back paddock, there is no residential wind subsidy in Australia.
But there is a massive pile of government cash available right now that you can claim for your off-grid shed, cabin, or home backup system. If you are building a heavy-duty battery bank, you need to know exactly what you are entitled to before the rules change.
The Federal Battery Rebate
No matter where you live in Australia, you have access to the Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program. This is a point-of-sale discount (using Small-scale Technology Certificates, or STCs) that knocks roughly 30% off the upfront price of an installed home battery. For a standard 10 kWh battery, that is currently worth around $2,500 off your invoice — the battery has to be VPP-capable and fitted by an accredited installer, alongside new or existing solar.
The Catch: the discount shrinks every six months — the certificate factor drops each January and July, so the figure above is a moving target and it only moves down. And since 1 May 2026, bigger banks earn at reduced rates: the full rate applies up to 14 kWh, about 60% of it from 14 to 28 kWh, and only a token rate above that. If a battery is in your plans, sooner is genuinely cheaper than later. Confirm the current figure at energy.gov.au/rebates before you budget.
2026 State-by-State
Depending on which side of the border you live on, you may be able to stack extra state help on top of that Federal cash — though fair warning, several state schemes have run out of money. Here is where every state and territory actually stands right now:
- Western Australia (still the best deal going): Through the WA Residential Battery Scheme, Synergy customers get an extra $1,300 and regional Horizon Power customers get $3,800 (both figures are for a 10 kWh battery). Stacked with the Federal rebate, the WA Government quotes combined support of $5,000 to $7,500 — realistically the low end if you're with Synergy, the top end if you're on Horizon. There's also a $10,000 interest-free loan if your household income is under $210,000. The catch: you have to sign your battery up to a Virtual Power Plant for two years to qualify.
- ACT (The Dream Build): While they don't offer a direct cash rebate, the ACT runs the Sustainable Household Scheme. This gives locals a loan of up to $20,000 for a battery, heating or hot water upgrade, paid back over up to 10 years. Fair warning: it's not the free money it used to be — since 1 July 2026 the standard rate is 3%, with zero-interest loans now reserved for eligible concession card holders. Full terms and eligibility are on the ACT Government's Everyday Climate Choices site.
- New South Wales: No cash off the battery itself, but the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme pays you for connecting your battery to a Virtual Power Plant. The amount floats with the certificate market and your VPP provider — typically a few hundred dollars — and it can only be claimed once per meter. Since 1 July 2026, solar is no longer a requirement and batteries up to 50 kWh are eligible.
- South Australia: The REPS incentive pays up to about $2,050 for connecting a battery to an approved Virtual Power Plant — but the 2026 funding ran dry in May, so for now it's limited to priority groups (pensioners, concession card holders and low-rent tenants). More funding is expected in 2027. The old SA Home Battery Scheme closed for good in December 2025.
- Victoria: The interest-free battery loan closed in May 2025, so for batteries it's the Federal rebate only. Solar Victoria does still offer a $1,400 rebate on the solar panels themselves, for households earning under $150,000 (the income cap dropped from $210,000 on 1 July 2026).
- Queensland: The Battery Booster scheme ran out of money and closed back in May 2024, and nothing has replaced it. The Federal rebate is what you get — and it works in every postcode.
- Tasmania: The Energy Saver Loan Scheme (interest-free, up to $10,000) closed on 1 September 2025 and hasn't been replaced. Federal rebate only.
- Northern Territory: The Home and Business Battery Scheme ($400 per kWh, up to $12,000) has hit its funding cap and is closed to new grants. If the NT Government tops it up, the official scheme page will say so first — until then, Federal rebate only.
Before you sign anything, confirm the numbers on the government's own pages — start at energy.gov.au/rebates. These schemes change fast, run out of funding without warning, and installers' ads are usually a season behind.