The home solar battery rebate is coming soon. Here's what you need to know
From July 1 households will be eligible for up to 30 per cent off the installed cost of a home battery under a Labor election commitment.
Mr Kaser had old rooftop solar panels replaced just before the April 6 announcement and bought a battery at the same time.
But the 72-year-old, who is semi retired and lives in North Warrandyte north east of Melbourne, was philosophical about missing out on the subsidy.
"I think it's silly not to use solar when you can," he said.
"My main reason was it's just better for the environment.
"And the battery was because quite often the grid drops out here. So hopefully I have a bit of battery as a backup."
According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are 4.1 million small-scale solar installations across the country, making Australia the world's leader in rooftop solar.
Mr Kaser's installer, Solar Battery Group, has been putting in 40 batteries a day since the government's re-election on May 3.
"Since Labor won the election a week ago, we've already seen a 40 per cent increase in our web traffic," the company's chief executive, James Hetherington, said.
"We've seen a 60 per cent increase in sales just in the last five business days."
The discount is not means tested and will apply to any new home battery, but can only be used once, according to the Smart Energy Council.
As long as people don't switch on a new battery before the beginning of July, they will still be eligible for the rebate, but installers will likely charge the full rate up front and provide cash back when it formally kicks in.
The government expects it to drive a surge in home battery installations, taking the roughly 186,000 units now installed across Australia to one million by 2030.
The program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and does not require any changes to legislation.
For customers, it functions as a discount at the point of sale, with expected savings of $4000 on a typical 11.5kWh battery.
That means the installer claims the money direct from the government and the household automatically receives the discount.
The $2.3 billion cheaper home batteries program will reduce the cost of a typical installed battery by about 30 per cent.
According to government modelling, a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1100 on their power bill each year, while a household putting in new solar combined with a battery system could save up to $2300 annually.
Around 77 batteries were available to consumers in Australia, according to a Smart Energy Council report from 2024.
The 5-6kWh battery would suit the needs of about 90 per cent of households and prices started at $5000 for these.
"The cheaper home battery program will usher in one of the biggest changes in the energy sector since the introduction of solar," council chief executive John Grimes said.
Some small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the government subsidy.
James Hetherington from Solar Battery Group recommended households check their installer was signed up to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code).
This is voluntary industry code of conduct designed to protect consumers.
"There are government codes out there that protect the consumer from aggressive selling tactics, overselling and under-delivering," he said.
Solar Citizens, which has been lobbying for a home battery subsidy scheme since 2022, said people should also shop around using a service like Solar Quotes.
"We direct people to an organisation called Solar Quotes who provide three reputable quotes for you," chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said.
She also said anyone interested in getting a home battery should act soon.
"I'm going to move quite quickly, just in case the NSW government withdraw their rebate," Ms Lee Douglas said.
"We really want to show the government that we want people to adopt this and take advantage of it."
The advocacy group now wanted the government to extend the subsidy to apartment buildings.
"We've done a lot of research on electrifying apartments and apartments can act as great solar sponges in city landscapes," Ms Douglas said.
The federal home battery discount is "stackable", which means it can be claimed in addition to any assistance offered under state-based schemes.
Although it's not yet clear if - or how - these loans, grants and subsidies will change as the federal rebate is rolled out.
Existing programs include:
Bruno Kaser just missed out on the federal government's home battery subsidy, but he's looking forward to seeing the first electricity bill since he had one installed.
From July 1 households will be eligible for up to 30 per cent off the installed cost of a home battery under a Labor election commitment.
Mr Kaser had old rooftop solar panels replaced just before the April 6 announcement and bought a battery at the same time.
But the 72-year-old, who is semi retired and lives in North Warrandyte north east of Melbourne, was philosophical about missing out on the subsidy.
"I think it's silly not to use solar when you can," he said.
"My main reason was it's just better for the environment.
"And the battery was because quite often the grid drops out here. So hopefully I have a bit of battery as a backup."
According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are 4.1 million small-scale solar installations across the country, making Australia the world's leader in rooftop solar.
Mr Kaser's installer, Solar Battery Group, has been putting in 40 batteries a day since the government's re-election on May 3.
"Since Labor won the election a week ago, we've already seen a 40 per cent increase in our web traffic," the company's chief executive, James Hetherington, said.
"We've seen a 60 per cent increase in sales just in the last five business days."
The discount is not means tested and will apply to any new home battery, but can only be used once, according to the Smart Energy Council.
As long as people don't switch on a new battery before the beginning of July, they will still be eligible for the rebate, but installers will likely charge the full rate up front and provide cash back when it formally kicks in.
The government expects it to drive a surge in home battery installations, taking the roughly 186,000 units now installed across Australia to one million by 2030.
The program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and does not require any changes to legislation.
For customers, it functions as a discount at the point of sale, with expected savings of $4000 on a typical 11.5kWh battery.
That means the installer claims the money direct from the government and the household automatically receives the discount.
The $2.3 billion cheaper home batteries program will reduce the cost of a typical installed battery by about 30 per cent.
According to government modelling, a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1100 on their power bill each year, while a household putting in new solar combined with a battery system could save up to $2300 annually.
Around 77 batteries were available to consumers in Australia, according to a Smart Energy Council report from 2024.
The 5-6kWh battery would suit the needs of about 90 per cent of households and prices started at $5000 for these.
"The cheaper home battery program will usher in one of the biggest changes in the energy sector since the introduction of solar," council chief executive John Grimes said.
Some small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the government subsidy.
James Hetherington from Solar Battery Group recommended households check their installer was signed up to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code).
This is voluntary industry code of conduct designed to protect consumers.
"There are government codes out there that protect the consumer from aggressive selling tactics, overselling and under-delivering," he said.
Solar Citizens, which has been lobbying for a home battery subsidy scheme since 2022, said people should also shop around using a service like Solar Quotes.
"We direct people to an organisation called Solar Quotes who provide three reputable quotes for you," chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said.
She also said anyone interested in getting a home battery should act soon.
"I'm going to move quite quickly, just in case the NSW government withdraw their rebate," Ms Lee Douglas said.
"We really want to show the government that we want people to adopt this and take advantage of it."
The advocacy group now wanted the government to extend the subsidy to apartment buildings.
"We've done a lot of research on electrifying apartments and apartments can act as great solar sponges in city landscapes," Ms Douglas said.
The federal home battery discount is "stackable", which means it can be claimed in addition to any assistance offered under state-based schemes.
Although it's not yet clear if - or how - these loans, grants and subsidies will change as the federal rebate is rolled out.
Existing programs include:
Bruno Kaser just missed out on the federal government's home battery subsidy, but he's looking forward to seeing the first electricity bill since he had one installed.
From July 1 households will be eligible for up to 30 per cent off the installed cost of a home battery under a Labor election commitment.
Mr Kaser had old rooftop solar panels replaced just before the April 6 announcement and bought a battery at the same time.
But the 72-year-old, who is semi retired and lives in North Warrandyte north east of Melbourne, was philosophical about missing out on the subsidy.
"I think it's silly not to use solar when you can," he said.
"My main reason was it's just better for the environment.
"And the battery was because quite often the grid drops out here. So hopefully I have a bit of battery as a backup."
According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are 4.1 million small-scale solar installations across the country, making Australia the world's leader in rooftop solar.
Mr Kaser's installer, Solar Battery Group, has been putting in 40 batteries a day since the government's re-election on May 3.
"Since Labor won the election a week ago, we've already seen a 40 per cent increase in our web traffic," the company's chief executive, James Hetherington, said.
"We've seen a 60 per cent increase in sales just in the last five business days."
The discount is not means tested and will apply to any new home battery, but can only be used once, according to the Smart Energy Council.
As long as people don't switch on a new battery before the beginning of July, they will still be eligible for the rebate, but installers will likely charge the full rate up front and provide cash back when it formally kicks in.
The government expects it to drive a surge in home battery installations, taking the roughly 186,000 units now installed across Australia to one million by 2030.
The program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and does not require any changes to legislation.
For customers, it functions as a discount at the point of sale, with expected savings of $4000 on a typical 11.5kWh battery.
That means the installer claims the money direct from the government and the household automatically receives the discount.
The $2.3 billion cheaper home batteries program will reduce the cost of a typical installed battery by about 30 per cent.
According to government modelling, a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1100 on their power bill each year, while a household putting in new solar combined with a battery system could save up to $2300 annually.
Around 77 batteries were available to consumers in Australia, according to a Smart Energy Council report from 2024.
The 5-6kWh battery would suit the needs of about 90 per cent of households and prices started at $5000 for these.
"The cheaper home battery program will usher in one of the biggest changes in the energy sector since the introduction of solar," council chief executive John Grimes said.
Some small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the government subsidy.
James Hetherington from Solar Battery Group recommended households check their installer was signed up to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code).
This is voluntary industry code of conduct designed to protect consumers.
"There are government codes out there that protect the consumer from aggressive selling tactics, overselling and under-delivering," he said.
Solar Citizens, which has been lobbying for a home battery subsidy scheme since 2022, said people should also shop around using a service like Solar Quotes.
"We direct people to an organisation called Solar Quotes who provide three reputable quotes for you," chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said.
She also said anyone interested in getting a home battery should act soon.
"I'm going to move quite quickly, just in case the NSW government withdraw their rebate," Ms Lee Douglas said.
"We really want to show the government that we want people to adopt this and take advantage of it."
The advocacy group now wanted the government to extend the subsidy to apartment buildings.
"We've done a lot of research on electrifying apartments and apartments can act as great solar sponges in city landscapes," Ms Douglas said.
The federal home battery discount is "stackable", which means it can be claimed in addition to any assistance offered under state-based schemes.
Although it's not yet clear if - or how - these loans, grants and subsidies will change as the federal rebate is rolled out.
Existing programs include:
Bruno Kaser just missed out on the federal government's home battery subsidy, but he's looking forward to seeing the first electricity bill since he had one installed.
From July 1 households will be eligible for up to 30 per cent off the installed cost of a home battery under a Labor election commitment.
Mr Kaser had old rooftop solar panels replaced just before the April 6 announcement and bought a battery at the same time.
But the 72-year-old, who is semi retired and lives in North Warrandyte north east of Melbourne, was philosophical about missing out on the subsidy.
"I think it's silly not to use solar when you can," he said.
"My main reason was it's just better for the environment.
"And the battery was because quite often the grid drops out here. So hopefully I have a bit of battery as a backup."
According to the Clean Energy Regulator, there are 4.1 million small-scale solar installations across the country, making Australia the world's leader in rooftop solar.
Mr Kaser's installer, Solar Battery Group, has been putting in 40 batteries a day since the government's re-election on May 3.
"Since Labor won the election a week ago, we've already seen a 40 per cent increase in our web traffic," the company's chief executive, James Hetherington, said.
"We've seen a 60 per cent increase in sales just in the last five business days."
The discount is not means tested and will apply to any new home battery, but can only be used once, according to the Smart Energy Council.
As long as people don't switch on a new battery before the beginning of July, they will still be eligible for the rebate, but installers will likely charge the full rate up front and provide cash back when it formally kicks in.
The government expects it to drive a surge in home battery installations, taking the roughly 186,000 units now installed across Australia to one million by 2030.
The program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and does not require any changes to legislation.
For customers, it functions as a discount at the point of sale, with expected savings of $4000 on a typical 11.5kWh battery.
That means the installer claims the money direct from the government and the household automatically receives the discount.
The $2.3 billion cheaper home batteries program will reduce the cost of a typical installed battery by about 30 per cent.
According to government modelling, a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1100 on their power bill each year, while a household putting in new solar combined with a battery system could save up to $2300 annually.
Around 77 batteries were available to consumers in Australia, according to a Smart Energy Council report from 2024.
The 5-6kWh battery would suit the needs of about 90 per cent of households and prices started at $5000 for these.
"The cheaper home battery program will usher in one of the biggest changes in the energy sector since the introduction of solar," council chief executive John Grimes said.
Some small businesses and community facilities will also be able to access the government subsidy.
James Hetherington from Solar Battery Group recommended households check their installer was signed up to the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NET Code).
This is voluntary industry code of conduct designed to protect consumers.
"There are government codes out there that protect the consumer from aggressive selling tactics, overselling and under-delivering," he said.
Solar Citizens, which has been lobbying for a home battery subsidy scheme since 2022, said people should also shop around using a service like Solar Quotes.
"We direct people to an organisation called Solar Quotes who provide three reputable quotes for you," chief executive Heidi Lee Douglas said.
She also said anyone interested in getting a home battery should act soon.
"I'm going to move quite quickly, just in case the NSW government withdraw their rebate," Ms Lee Douglas said.
"We really want to show the government that we want people to adopt this and take advantage of it."
The advocacy group now wanted the government to extend the subsidy to apartment buildings.
"We've done a lot of research on electrifying apartments and apartments can act as great solar sponges in city landscapes," Ms Douglas said.
The federal home battery discount is "stackable", which means it can be claimed in addition to any assistance offered under state-based schemes.
Although it's not yet clear if - or how - these loans, grants and subsidies will change as the federal rebate is rolled out.
Existing programs include:
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The Age
23 minutes ago
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Allan flags equal opportunity path to work-from-home proposal
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'They could just go ahead and pass a law [enshrining work from home], understanding that it may not be enforceable in the private sector, and any attempt to enforce it might be met with a constitutional challenge,' Stewart said. 'Alternatively, they could include the right to work from home in the Equal Opportunity Act, but then there's a dilemma because it would be limited to workers for whom working from home is going to help with their caring responsibilities or managing a disability.' Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra called the change 'perplexing', considering the federal government was currently focused on boosting productivity through an economic reform roundtable. 'If Victoria moves away from the legislated national system, businesses will move interstate and jobs will be lost,' he said. 'If we want businesses to be productive – and to raise the economic prospects of everyone in this state and this country – we need to get out of their way and let them operate in a way that best suits their model.' Guerra said the proposal could damage productivity and teamwork, and might create further inequity because only a small number of people would actually be able to work from home. Loading '[Working from home] certainly works well in some contexts, but that should be determined by the employer in consultation with the employee,' he said. Allan denied that the policy would create division within workplaces between those who could work from home and those that could not. She said many people who had to come into work benefited from these arrangements through partners or friends who could take advantage of the opportunity. Victorian Trades Hall secretary Luke Hilakari was supportive of the move, noting that 40 per cent of workers were already doing some variation of hybrid work, according to the Grattan Institute. 'Working from home is probably the greatest improvement to work-life balance since we won the weekend ... so for [Labor] to enshrine it, it's a big deal,' he said. 'There's some mistrust out there that people will be doing the wrong things [while working from home]. 'But the truth is, it just makes people's lives easier. That's especially so for women – women's participation in the workforce has gone up a whole notch.' Consultation on the laws will be led by the Department of Premier and Cabinet. It will consider the type and size of businesses covered by the scheme, who can reasonably do their job from home, and must also arrive at an acceptable definition of what constitutes remote working. Loading Daniel Victory, principal lawyer in employment and industrial law at Maurice Blackburn, called the topic of working from home a 'barbecue stopper' – it was the No.1 employment issue people wanted to talk about. He said it would likely be easier for the government to enshrine hybrid work in law for those in the public sector under current workplace laws. 'Trying to enshrine a right [to work from home] for the private sector might be open to challenge, but we'll just have to wait and see what the legislation is and how it's framed,' he said. 'Even if an employer could challenge it, I don't know why they would challenge a right like this if it's reasonable ... any employer who doesn't want to allow work from home, it sort of like feels like they want to go back to the dinosaur ages.' Gordon Legal head of industrial law Marcus Clayton said the legislation could be written in a way that covers a 'very substantial proportion' of the population, even if the provisions were woven into the anti-discrimination or health and safety laws. 'The key aspect about it is that it will put the onus on the employer to show that a person actually can't work from home, as opposed to just making it up and having an ideological objection to employees having the temerity to demand the right to work from home,' he said. Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece told Nine's Today program it was clear that hybrid work arrangements were not going away but it was important not to lose 'collaboration and new ideas' that came with being physically present in the workplace. 'Family-friendly, flexible workplaces should absolutely be here to stay,' he said. 'But I also know that Melbourne's at its best when it's full of people, and I think workplaces are at their best when they're full of people.' The government expects to pass the laws next year, setting the stage for the 2026 state poll as the first major policy announcement to be debated in an election year. Loading After widespread outcry earlier this year, former federal opposition leader Peter Dutton backflipped mid-campaign on his election promise to end flexible work rules for public servants in Canberra. State Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the Victorian Liberals recognised that hybrid work arrangements had become a 'valuable' option for workers. 'We support measures that help Victorians enjoy a better work-life balance, and will review any legislation closely, to ensure it supports flexibility, productivity, and personal choice,' he said. The premier's appearance at Saturday's Labor state conference served as a quasi-launch for the 2026 state election campaign, with Labor speakers drawing attention to the fact the poll was less than 500 days away. A promotional video for Allan also debuted the political slogan 'Jacinta Allan: On your side'. Anthony Albanese adopted a similar slogan in 2021 as opposition leader. In her speech to the conference, Allan spoke about a worker who she had talked to about the difference working from home had made to her life. She said the worker, who she called Jane, had been told during a video meeting – by another employee who was working from home at the time – that it was no longer sustainable for her to work remotely. 'Losing that one day has taken a toll on her, on her kids and on her parents,' Allan said. 'She's had to cut back her hours. She's earning less and spending more, and she's stressed constantly. 'This isn't about whether the work gets done, it gets done. This is about power. It's about who gets to call the shots and who gets pushed around, and we will not stand by while workers, especially women, single mums and carers, get punished for needing balance in their lives.' Hilakari warned the Liberal Party should be 'very cautious' about opposing any legislation which enshrined working from home in law. 'They saw what happened at the last federal election ... If the Victorian Liberal Party goes against it, well, the trade union movement will be running on this all the way to the ballot box.'
7NEWS
8 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Working from home could be a legal right for millions of Aussies under new plan
A state government has revealed plans to enshrine the right to work from home for both public and private-sector employees. The premier behind the Australian-first push hails its as the next frontier in worker rights that would benefit working parents. However a legal right to work from home would be divisive and likely send jobs elsewhere, business groups say. The Victorian government has promised to introduce legislation in 2026 for the right to work from home on two days per week, in contrast to other states that want public servants to spend more time in the office. The proposed law would apply to all public and private sector employees in Victoria who can reasonably do their job from home. Details are yet to be worked through and Premier Jacinta Allan signalled the changes could come into effect under Victoria's Equal Opportunity Act, as private workplaces are regulated by federal laws. Allan promoted the plan as beneficial to both the economy and families, likening it to other significant workplace changes in recent decades including more women entering the workforce. 'There's been many, many gains over many, many generations that have supported women's opportunity to increase their workforce participation, this is just another important, big step,' she told reporters. Issues such as the definition of remote work, who can do it, how it would affect part-time workers and the types of businesses to which the law would apply, will be figured out through a consultation process. Allan said the decision had gone through cabinet and brushed off suggestions it could trigger a court challenge. The plan drew sharp criticism from business groups, with Australian Industry Group Victorian head Tim Piper describing it as serious government overreach that undermines business autonomy. He described it as 'pure political theatre' designed to wedge the opposition while also running counter to both global trends and business best practice. 'These policies foster an 'us versus them' dynamic, privileging some white-collar workers while leaving blue-collar employees with no choice,' he said. 'It's divisive, disruptive, and dangerous.' Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra claimed businesses would move interstate and jobs would be lost if Victoria moved away from the legislated national system. '(Work from home) certainly works well in some contexts, but that should be determined by the employer in consultation with the employee,' he said. Allan promised to introduce the law in 2026 prior to the state election. Polls indicate Labor is on track to win a fourth term but the November 2026 poll will be the first as premier for Allan, who lags opposition leader Brad Battin as preferred state leader. Battin said working from home was a valuable option for many workers and families. 'We support measures that help Victorians enjoy a better work-life balance, and will review any legislation closely, to ensure it supports flexibility, productivity and personal choice,' he said. The federal coalition's push to end to working-from-home for public servants was partly blamed for its unsuccessful result at the May federal election, despite abandoning the policy before polling day. NSW Premier Chris Minns has described remote-work provisions as a thing of the past but stopped short of seeking an end to working from home, instead ordering public servants to work principally in offices. More than one third of Australian employees usually work from home but that number swells to 60 per cent of managers and people in professional services, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The bureau says 43 per cent who work from home do overtime, compared to one quarter of those who do not.
The Age
9 hours ago
- The Age
On Labor's pitch for working from home, Allan finds her cause
In the nearly two years since she became Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan has never been entirely in sync with the Labor machine. Where Dan Andrews was both a central cog and its chief engineer, it has taken a while for Allan and the other moving parts on Victorian Labor's election-winning assembly line to fully understand each other and how best to roll the finished product into the November 2026 state poll. At Moonee Valley Racecourse on Saturday, the venue for this year's ALP state conference, we saw the pieces coming together. The premier walked in and left the conference main hall to a standing ovation, the room having been primed by a slick campaign video marrying Allan's voice and image with the 'On your side' slogan the party will use in the lead-up to the election. When the video started playing before Allan's putative rival, Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, had finished his speech, it was further evidence that Labor gods are now smiling on a state leader who, only a few months ago, was put in deep freeze by her own party during the federal campaign. The change in Allan and Victorian Labor from the dog days of late summer, when senior party figures were reeling from the results of a Resolve poll published by this masthead showing only one-fifth of voters intended to vote for the party at the next state election, goes beyond the atmospherics on the conference floor. The centrepiece of Allan's speech was a promise to legislate the right of people to work from home two days a week in jobs where this is possible. This is very much Allan's policy, developed by her advisers and approved by a cabinet subcommittee of senior ministers she chairs, rather that going to full cabinet or caucus for debate.
