How to compare battery quotes

Battery quotes are built to be hard to compare. One shows the price after rebates, the next before. One bundles solar into a single line, the next itemises everything. We have analysed 246 real Australian quotes as at July 2026, and this page is the method we use to put any two quotes on a level playing field.

What the market actually looks like

Among battery only quotes in our data, the median price works out to about $791 per kWh of capacity before rebates, and the middle half of quotes fall between $14,632 and $21,433 in total. The spread is the story: for the same battery size, the dearest quotes run at close to double the cheapest. Whether your quote sits in the cheap half or the dear half is worth thousands, and you cannot tell by looking at the quote alone. Full size by size numbers are on our battery cost page.

In an earlier analysis of 40 quotes from a home electrification community, the average battery quoted was 19.6 kWh, larger than almost any household needs. Our simulations across real households rarely recommend more than 16 kWh.

The like for like checklist

1. Compare before rebate totals. Rebates vary by household and by install date, so they hide the real price. Strip them out first. It is how our quote checker compares peers too.
2. Compare usable capacity, not nominal. Two 13.5 kWh batteries can deliver different usable kWh. The spec sheet lists both, quotes usually do not.
3. Separate the battery from the solar. On bundled quotes, ask for the battery line on its own. A sharp solar price can disguise an expensive battery, and the other way round.
4. Name the exact model, then check the tier. A premium brand and a value brand can differ by thousands for the same capacity. Neither is wrong, but a value brand at a premium price is.
5. Check what the inverter story is. Retrofitting a battery to existing solar may need a new hybrid inverter or a separate battery inverter. Make sure every quote solves the same problem.
6. Confirm it is VPP capable. The federal rebate requires it for grid connected batteries, and a good VPP adds real money later. See our VPP comparison.
7. Compare warranties in kWh throughput or cycles, not just years. Ten years means little if the throughput cap is low.

Red flags we keep seeing

• A price per kWh far above the market. If a battery only quote works out well above the middle half range for its size, ask why. Sometimes there is a reason, like a complex install. Usually there is not.
• Serious oversizing. Batteries above 20 kWh suit households that will actively manage them, trading, VPP events, wholesale exposure. If that is not you, a right sized battery pays back faster.
• Discounts that expire today. A real price survives a week of thinking. Pressure pricing is a sign the margin is padded.
• Rebates presented as the installer's generosity. The federal rebate belongs to you whichever installer you choose. A quote that leans on it to look cheap deserves the before rebate comparison above.

Related: How much does a home battery cost? · Is a home battery worth it? · Best plans for a home battery