Home battery rebates in Australia

A home battery rebate is money the government takes off the cost of buying and installing a battery. In 2026 the big one is federal and applies right across the country, and most states or territories add something on top. This page sets out what is on offer, how much it is worth, and how to make sure a quote gives you the rebate rather than pocketing it. Every figure is dated and linked to its source, and where an amount moves with the market we say so rather than guess.

Figures are current as at July 2026. Rebate rates and state funding change often, so confirm the detail on the official program page before you sign anything.

The federal rebate: Cheaper Home Batteries Program

The Cheaper Home Batteries Program launched in July 2025 and is the largest battery rebate in the country. It takes roughly 30 per cent off the installed price of an eligible battery, delivered as an upfront discount, not a payment you chase later. It is available in every state and territory. As at July 2026 it is worth about $271 per usable kWh for the first 14 kWh, then $162 per kWh up to 28 kWh, and $40 per kWh up to 50 kWh. The rate steps down every year through to 2030, so the rebate on the same battery shrinks the longer you wait. Rough estimates by battery size:

Usable capacity	Estimated federal rebate
10 kWh	about $2,710
13.5 kWh	about $3,659
20 kWh	about $4,766

To qualify, the battery must meet a handful of conditions:

The battery is on the Clean Energy Council approved product list
Nominal capacity between 5 and 100 kWh, and only the first 50 kWh of usable capacity attracts the discount
One battery system per property, and the rebate is claimed once
The battery must be VPP capable if it connects to the grid
Installed by an accredited installer

You do not have to join a Virtual Power Plant to get the rebate, but the battery has to be capable of joining one. Full terms are on the federal program page.

State and territory rebates on top

The federal rebate is the same everywhere. What differs is what your state or territory adds. Some pay a cashback for joining a Virtual Power Plant, some offer a low interest loan, and several have wound their schemes back to nothing now that the federal rebate does the heavy lifting. Here is where each stands as at July 2026.

State or territory	State scheme	On top of the federal rebate	Detail
New South Wales	Peak Demand Reduction Scheme battery incentive	Up to around $1,100	New South Wales pays a certificate based incentive when you connect an eligible battery to an approved Virtual Power Plant. It is worked out on the usable capacity you make available to the grid, up to 28 kWh, so the exact amount depends on your battery, your Virtual Power Plant provider and the certificate price at the time. It sits on top of the federal rebate. From 1 July 2026 batteries up to 50 kWh can take part.
Victoria	Solar Victoria battery loan (closed)	Federal rebate only	Victoria’s state battery loan closed in May 2025 and has not been replaced, so there is no separate Victorian battery rebate as at July 2026. Victorian homes claim the federal rebate, which comes off the installed price. Solar Victoria still runs a separate rebate for solar panels, but that does not cover batteries.
Queensland	Battery Booster (closed)	Federal rebate only	Queensland’s Battery Booster rebate closed in May 2024 once its funding ran out, and it has not returned. Queensland homes now rely on the federal rebate. Treat any site still advertising Battery Booster as out of date, and watch for a new state announcement rather than counting on one.
South Australia	Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme VPP cashback	Up to around $2,050	South Australia’s original Home Battery Scheme has closed, but you can still get a cashback of up to around $2,050 for joining an approved Virtual Power Plant under the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme, on top of the federal rebate. Funding is limited and ran out for most households around May 2026, with priority kept for concession card holders, so confirm what is open before you rely on it.
Tasmania	Energy Saver Loan Scheme (closed)	Federal rebate only	Tasmania’s Energy Saver Loan Scheme, which offered interest free loans that could cover a battery, closed in September 2025. As at July 2026 there is no state battery rebate or loan, so Tasmanian homes claim the federal rebate.
Australian Capital Territory	Sustainable Household Scheme (low interest loan)	Loan up to $20,000	The Australian Capital Territory does not pay a cash battery rebate, but its Sustainable Household Scheme lends up to $20,000 (raised from $15,000 on 1 July 2026) at a low 3 per cent interest rate to cover a battery and other upgrades, with no income test. Eligible concession card holders can access zero interest loans. This is finance rather than a rebate, and it stacks with the federal rebate.
Western Australia	WA Residential Battery Scheme	$1,300 to $3,800 plus loans	Western Australia pays a rebate of around $130 per kWh in the Synergy network, up to about $1,300, or around $380 per kWh in the Horizon network, up to about $3,800, and offers interest free loans of $2,000 to $10,000. You must join an approved Virtual Power Plant. Western Australia is not on the national electricity market, so our own quote price benchmarks are thinner there.
Northern Territory	Home and Business Battery Scheme (funding exhausted)	Closed to new applications	The Northern Territory’s Home and Business Battery Scheme offered a grant of $400 per usable kWh up to $12,000, but it reached its funding cap and stopped taking new applications around March 2026. The Northern Territory is not on the national electricity market, so our own quote price benchmarks are thinner there. Check the Northern Territory Government site for any new round.

As at July 2026, New South Wales, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia still run their own battery support on top of the federal rebate. Everywhere else it is the federal rebate alone. State funding rounds fill up fast, so a scheme that is open today can pause between rounds.

Make sure the rebate lands in your pocket

Rebates are where battery quotes get slippery. One installer shows the price after the rebate, the next shows it before, and a discount that is really just the federal rebate can be dressed up as the installer's own generosity. The rebate belongs to you whichever installer you pick, so compare quotes on the price before any rebate. That is the only way to see who is actually cheaper, and it is exactly how our free quote checker lines your quote up against real ones.

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