The following statement is attributable to Clean Energy Council General Manager – Distributed Energy, Con Hristodoulidis:
“Today’s commitment by Federal Labor to provide a 30 per cent discount on the upfront cost of purchasing a home battery, through its Cheaper Home Battery Program, is a significant and welcome cost of living measure that will supercharge energy savings for the four million Aussies with rooftop solar on their homes.
“The Clean Energy Council has been at the forefront of advocating for a national battery scheme over the last two years as a pathway to cheaper energy – it’s been the missing piece of the energy transition puzzle when it comes to further reducing energy bills for Aussie households.
Rooftop solar has become a staple of the modern Australian home, alongside the Hills Hoist and the Victa lawnmower, providing energy reliability and value for money – Aussie households lead the world in rooftop solar uptake, with over four million installations and 25 GW of installed capacity.Con Hristodoulidis Clean Energy Council General Manager - Distributed Energy
“The upfront cost of purchasing a battery averages around $14,000 and has been a barrier to entry for many homeowners who want to generate even further savings on their energy bills. Our data shows less than five per cent of households with rooftop solar currently have invested in battery storage to-date.
“The Government’s proposed discount of $4000 on a medium sized (11.5 kWh) battery will see homeowners save around $1100 per year on their bills.
“Not only is this good news for homeowners, but small businesses and community battery owners stand to save even more with the first 50 kWh of capacity for eligible larger batteries (up to 100 kWh), also covered by the scheme.
“We’re pleased to see the Government using the existing Small-scale Energy Scheme (SRES) to deliver the discount – with batteries to be added to the scheme retailers and installers already know well, making the process easy.
“Today’s announcement is consistent with what we have been calling for, as part of our “It’s time to back batteries” campaign, including: a significant discount to consumers to ease the upfront costs; the use of the SRES to deliver the program; and for batteries to be virtual power plant-ready – it’s great to see that the ALP has heard our calls to back home batteries and provide sustainable and lasting bill savings for all Australians.
“The more batteries we have in the system, the more power we can store and use for those peak times when energy is more expensive and taking pressure off the distribution network leads to lower power bills for everyone. Our analysis shows this network saving can be as high as $190 million for all energy users.
A national battery scheme will ensure more households will be empowered to turbocharge their energy independence and save on their bills. It’s good news for everybody’s wallets and the long-term future of Australia’s modern energy system - built on the cheapest form of renewable energy backed by storage.Con Hristodoulidis Clean Energy Council General Manager - Distributed Energy
“We welcome the imminent timing of the scheme which commences as soon as 1 July 2025 if the Government is re-elected in May and our members stand ready to work hand-in-hand with Government to be ready by July.”
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Liam Straughan
Clean Energy Council Media Officer
+61 409 470 683
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