Cheaper Home Batteries Program: how the discount works
How the federal home battery discount works, why it steps down every six months until 2030, and what solar costs with and without a battery.
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program is a federal discount on home batteries that has applied since July 2025. It works through certificates, much like the STC discount on solar panels, and it reduces every six months until 2030. In practice that means the support on a battery is worth more the sooner you install. Right now a 6 kW solar system without a battery typically costs $7,500 installed, and the same system with a 5 kWh battery about $8,900, both after STCs and including GST.
How the discount works
The program runs through certificates created for an eligible battery installation. You rarely deal with them yourself: in most cases the installer claims them and takes their value off the price you pay, in the same way solar installers handle STCs on panels. So the discount usually shows up as a lower quoted price, not a cheque after the job.
Three things follow from that:
- Ask for the discount on the quote. A good installer will show the battery price and the discount as separate lines, so you can see what you are really paying for the hardware and installation.
- Compare the price after the discount. Two quotes with very different "before discount" prices can end up close once the certificates are taken off. The number that matters is what you pay.
- Check eligibility before you sign. Ask the installer to confirm in writing that the battery and the installation qualify, and who is responsible if the claim is rejected.
Why it steps down every six months
The discount reduces every six months until 2030. Rather than ending in one go, it shrinks in steps, so the same battery installed in the next period attracts a smaller discount than one installed in this one.
That has two practical effects:
- Timing matters. If you have decided you want a battery, there is a cost to waiting, because each step-down takes some of the support away.
- Watch for rushed selling. Step-down dates are also when some sellers push hardest. A deadline is a reason to plan, not a reason to sign a quote you have not compared. Get at least three quotes and check they are for comparable batteries.
If your installer might not finish before a step-down, ask how the timing affects the discount and get it in writing: an agreed price should say what happens if the date slips.
Battery or no battery: what it costs
Our estimates for a 6 kW rooftop system on a pitched tiled roof:
| System | Typical price | Usual range |
|---|---|---|
| Panels only, 6 kW string inverter | $7,500 | $5,850 – $9,750 |
| Panels + 5 kWh battery, hybrid inverter | $8,900 | $6,950 – $11,600 |
| Panels + 10 kWh battery, three-phase hybrid inverter | $10,600 | $8,250 – $13,800 |
All three include about 13–14 all-black 450 W panels, rail mounting, DC isolation and surge protection, cabling to the switchboard, Wi-Fi monitoring, scaffolding, roof anchor points and commissioning. The figures are after STCs on the solar and include 10% GST. They do not include a switchboard upgrade, network connection fees or roof repairs. See the full breakdown and change the system size in our Solar panels.
We build each price from the equipment and the hours it takes licensed electricians to install it, at local labour rates, then check it against market prices and real quotes. Battery prices are moving quickly while the discount steps down, so check the date on any quote you compare.
When a battery pays off
A battery stores daytime solar for the evening, when grid power is dearest and feed-in tariffs pay little. It tends to earn its keep when:
- The house is empty during the day and most of your use is in the evening.
- You already export a lot of solar at a low feed-in rate.
- You run air conditioning, a pool pump or an electric car in the evening.
It makes less sense when someone is home all day using the solar as it is generated, or when your total usage is low. Size the battery to your evening use, not to the panels.
State rebates on top
Some states add their own support. In WA, the residential battery scheme pays up to $1,300 (Synergy) or $3,800 (Horizon Power) with virtual power plant participation. In Victoria, Solar Homes offers a solar panel rebate of up to $1,400, with a household income cap of $150,000 from 1 July 2026. Check the eligibility conditions for any state program before you sign, not after installation.
Licensing and your quote
Battery and solar installation is electrical work and must be done by licensed tradespeople under state licensing. Quotes to households include 10% GST, and so do our figures.
Once you have a quote, compare it with typical prices in your state using our "Is my quote fair?" tool: Is my quote fair?. Enter the price you will actually pay, after any discounts the installer takes off.