The Cook Government’s announcement of details for the $337 million residential battery rebate scheme is a major win for WA households, helping to slash power bills and make clean energy more affordable for families across the state.
Every WA household will be eligible for a cheaper home battery, with rebates capped at $5000 for Synergy customers and $7500 for Horizon Power customers - jointly funded and delivered with the Albanese Government's Cheaper Home Batteries program.
More than half a million households in WA have rooftop solar installed already; incentivising the take up of home batteries will potentially double the bill savings these customers are already experiencing.
The program begins from 1 July 2025, with one rebate per property and a requirement for the batteries (minimum 5 KWh of storage capacity) to be chosen from Synergy and Horizon Power's supported solutions lists, based on the Clean Energy Council’s own Approved Products List.
To take part in the scheme, households will need to connect their battery to a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program. This means their battery will work alongside thousands of others across the state to help manage energy demand and supply. By working together in this way, the batteries help reduce pressure on the electricity grid and avoid the need for costly upgrades, making better use of the existing poles and wires as more rooftop solar power flows through the system.
Clean Energy Council General Manager – Distributed Energy, Con Hristodoulidis, said that the program will help up to 100,000 households and small businesses supercharging the savings from their rooftop solar with a battery, while lowering system costs for all other energy customers.
We know that across Australia, approximately one in three households have rooftop solar installed; however, only one in forty have a home battery installed to maximise their energy bill savings by up to 80 per cent, by storing their home-grown electricity for more optimal use, or to trade into the grid.Con Hristodoulidis Clean Energy Council General Manager - Distributed Energy
“Similar to incentivising more drivers to use a freeway during off-peak to avoid the disruption and cost of building more lanes, having more home batteries installed and connected to VPPs means that they store energy from rooftop solar during the middle of the day can be used during the evening peak, leaving more capacity in the grid for other energy customers.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the state and Commonwealth Governments to support the implementation of this program critical to supercharging Australia’s energy transition – an endeavour which has been pioneered in no small part by the installation of 538,113 rooftop solar systems, totalling 2.9 GW of capacity in Western Australia alone,” he said.
Participating retailers must also be an Approved Seller under the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC), administered by the Clean Energy Council.
NETCC Approved Sellers, of which there are over 1700 across Australia, are committed to providing consumers with clear and transparent pricing and information, fair contracts and strong after-sales support in line with the Code.
Information for consumers in Western Australia:
The Clean Energy Council’s Approved Product List can be accessed here.
Information about the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) for solar retailers can be found here.
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Liam Straughan
Clean Energy Council Media Officer
+61 409 470 683