Cheaper Home Batteries Program

1. Cheaper Home Batteries Program New Update (1 May 2026): What Australian Homeowners Should Cheaper Home Batteries Program New Update (1 May 2026): What Australian Homeowners Should Do Now Do Now Cheaper Home Batteries Program New Update (1 May 2026): What Australian Homeowners Should Do Now On 1 May 2026, the way Australia’s Cheaper Home Battery Program delivers incentives will change and it matters for anyone thinking about adding a solar battery system this year or in the next few years. The government has expanded the program’s funding significantly and adjusted how incentives are calculated to ensure the scheme remains sustainable as uptake has far exceeded early expectations. In this blog, we’ll break down what changed, how it affects your home battery incentive in Australia, and what you should do now to get the best value from the federal home battery incentive. What Is the Cheaper Home Batteries Program? The Cheaper Home Batteries Program is a federal initiative designed to reduce the high upfront cost of installing a home battery system by delivering a discount of around 30 % off eligible solar battery storage systems. It expands Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) the which has historically supported rooftop solar to include batteries and between 5 kWh and 100 kWh nominal capacity 1300 345 365 www.solarjunction.com.au

2. Under the cheaper home battery program: Households receive a incentive via Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), which installers typically factor into pricing. The discount applies whether you’re installing a new system or adding storage to an existing solar array. No separate application to the government is required; installers or retailers usually handle the paperwork. This home battery incentive Australia initiative removes barriers to battery adoption, helping Australians maximise their solar energy, cut grid dependence, and reduce power bills. What Exactly Changed on 1 May 2026? Incentive Value Changes Explained Simply The government announced on 13 December 2025 that the cheaper home batteries program would be expanded from the original $2.3 billion budget to about $7.2 billion over the next four years; after very strong uptake in 2025. From 1 May 2026, the way the home battery incentive Australia is calculated will change so that: The STC Factor (which determines how many STCs a battery can create per kilowatt-hour of usable capacity) will decline more frequently; every six months instead of annually. STC values will reduce faster over time through to 2030. These changes aim to keep discounts around 30% across a range of battery sizes while ensuring the cheaper home battery program remains sustainable. In practical terms, this means that the incentive you receive depends on the date your system is installed not the date you apply. Installing before 1 May 2026 locks in the current, more generous STC factor, whereas installations after that date will receive a reduced STC factor based on the updated schedule. Battery Size Tiers (What Now Gets the Best Support) Previously, batteries up to 100 kWh were eligible under the scheme, but the incentive was not applied uniformly per kWh across the full capacity. Under the new structure, the incentive per kWh will taper according to battery size, with different percentages of the STC factor applied across capacity bands: 1300 345 365 www.solarjunction.com.au

3. 0–14 kWh (inclusive): Full STC factor applies >14–28 kWh: 60 % of STC factor applies >28–50 kWh: 15 % of STC factor applies Batteries above 50 kWh still qualify for support up to the 100 kWh program limit, but only the first 50 kWh of usable capacity will attract incentives. This tiered model encourages homeowners to choose right-sized systems rather than oversized ones driven solely by incentive value. To Know More About CHEAPER HOME BATTERIES PROGRAM UPDATE CLICK HERE 1300 345 365 admin@solarjunction.com.au | www.solarjunction.com.au follow on