Every step-down to 2030
The discount gets smaller every six months until the end of 2030. Here is what a 10 kWh and a 13.5 kWh battery get, by when they are installed.
| Installed | 10 kWh battery | 13.5 kWh battery |
|---|---|---|
| May to December 2026 | $2,720 | $3,640 |
| January to June 2027 | $2,280 | $3,040 |
| July to December 2027 | $2,080 | $2,800 |
| January to June 2028 | $1,840 | $2,480 |
| July to December 2028 | $1,640 | $2,200 |
| January to June 2029 | $1,440 | $1,920 |
| July to December 2029 | $1,240 | $1,640 |
| January to June 2030 | $1,040 | $1,400 |
| July to December 2030 | $840 | $1,120 |
Source: Clean Energy Regulator, the government body that runs the program.
When the battery rebate finishes
The final date you can have a battery put in and still claim the federal discount is 31 December 2030. Batteries installed from 1 July 2025 onward have been able to claim it.
Right now the discount works out to roughly 30 % off what a typical home battery costs. There is no form for you to fill in. Your installer simply knocks it off the price before you pay.
A government-set number decides how big the discount is, and that number is reduced every 6 months. That is why the same battery fitted in late 2026 earns a bigger discount than one fitted in early 2027.
Rebate amounts by battery size before the next drop
Here is what gets taken off the price, depending on when your battery goes in. The amounts assume one certificate sells for $40.
- A 5 kWh battery earns $1,360 off if fitted by the end of 2026, $1,120 in the first half of 2027, and $1,040 in the second half.
- A 10 kWh battery earns $2,720, then $2,280, then $2,080 across those same periods.
- A 13.5 kWh battery earns $3,640, then $3,040, then $2,800.
- A 20 kWh battery earns $4,760, then $4,000, then $3,640.
- A 50 kWh battery earns $6,960, then $5,840, then $5,320.
Some totals are a few dollars lower than the amount for each kWh suggests. That is because certificates are counted in whole numbers, rounded down.
A kWh measures stored power. Roughly speaking, a 10 kWh battery holds about a full evening's worth of power for a typical home.
On 1 January 2027, the discount on a 10 kWh battery falls from $2,720 to $2,280, and on a 13.5 kWh battery from $3,640 to $3,040. After the federal discount, a 10 kWh battery usually costs somewhere in the range of $7,000 to $11,000, so the drop matters, but it is not the whole story.
How big is each drop in the rebate?
Certificates are how the discount gets paid. A certificate is a credit the government creates, your installer sells it, and the sale money is what reduces your bill. The Clean Energy Regulator pays $40 for each one, and on the open market they sell for between $37 and $40.
Every kWh of battery earns a fixed number of certificates, and that fixed number is the thing that shrinks every 6 months. The government's published figures show how it falls:
- Batteries fitted from May to December 2026 earn 6.8 certificates per kWh, worth $272 per kWh for the first 14 kWh.
- From January to June 2027 that falls to 5.7 certificates, worth $228 per kWh.
- From July to December 2027 it drops again to 5.2 certificates, worth $208 per kWh.
In the second half of 2030, the scheme's final stretch, each kWh earns just 2.1 certificates. That is under a third of the 2026 rate.
Larger batteries earn less per kWh as they get bigger. The first 14 kWh count fully. After that, the next chunk counts at 60 %, the chunk after that at 15 %, and anything past 50 kWh counts for nothing. This is why a 50 kWh battery earns roughly two and a half times what a 10 kWh battery earns, rather than five times as much.
What you need to qualify
The eligibility rules stay the same right through to the end date, so waiting does not mean extra paperwork.
- You need solar panels already on your home, or fitted at the same time. A battery by itself earns nothing.
- The usable size range runs from 5 kWh up to 100 kWh.
- Each address can claim for just one battery.
- Only batteries the Clean Energy Council has approved are eligible.
- The battery must be capable of joining a virtual power plant, which is a program where a company runs lots of home batteries as one. You are not required to join.
- Your installer must be accredited.
Installers check all this before they quote, because if any rule is missed they are the ones who miss out on the certificates.
See your own rebate, then get quotes
Enter your postcode and battery size to see the federal discount and your state's extra. Accredited installers near you can then quote with the rebate already taken off.
Work out my battery rebateCommon questions
Do solar panel incentives change in 2026 too?
Yes. The discount for panels also drops at the start of January. In Sydney, a 6.6 kW solar system earns about $1,800 off in 2026, falling to roughly $1,440 the following year. In Melbourne the numbers are $1,560 during 2026 and $1,240 the year after.
Does Western Australia chip in anything extra?
Yes. The state runs its own rebate, worth $1,300 for Synergy customers and $3,800 for Horizon Power customers. On a 10 kWh battery, that lifts the total saving to $4,020 or $6,520.
Does New South Wales have its own battery payment?
The state pays you for joining a virtual power plant, roughly $36 for every kWh, capped at 28 kWh. A 10 kWh battery earns about $360 this way. But the virtual power plant company pays it only if you sign up, so it does not come off the installer's price.
When does Victoria's battery rebate finish?
Because the federal scheme runs nationwide, Victoria sees the same 31 December 2030 end date and the same January and July step-downs as every other state.