{"id":5511,"date":"2026-04-26T01:01:32","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T01:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.totalsolarsolutions.com.au\/blog\/?p=5511"},"modified":"2026-04-26T01:01:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T01:01:33","slug":"the-cheaper-home-battery-program-what-changes-from-may-1-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.totalsolarsolutions.com.au\/blog\/news\/the-cheaper-home-battery-program-what-changes-from-may-1-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cheaper Home Battery Program: What Changes from May 1, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve possibly already heard of Australia\u2019s Cheaper Home Batteries Program; an innovative energy incentive that\u2019s already helped households all over Australia reduce their reliance on the grid while saving thousands of dollars on battery storage<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as of the 1st of May 2026, some major changes are coming to the rebate that will directly impact how much certain applicants can receive. So if you\u2019ve been thinking about installing a solar battery, factors like the size of the system and the time frame in which you apply for it are likely going to affect you more from the 1st of May than they would have prior to that.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is the Cheaper Home Batteries Program?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An important part of Australia\u2019s SRES (Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme), the Cheaper Home Batteries program was, in a nutshell, implemented to ensure that battery storage is made more affordable for Australian homes. Launched in July of 2025, the initiative was successful in driving more Australians to install solar batteries.

As the discount is government-funded, consumers incur no additional costs; indeed, via the SRES program, eligible households have been able to receive a discount of up 30% upfront of their upfront cost when installing a small-scale battery system; the deal applied to new or existing solar systems that were 5 kWh to 100 kWh. Eligibility for the discount is subject to the requirements set out in the Renewable Energy (Electricity) legislation.
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How is the Cheaper Home Batteries Program Changing?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As of May 1, 2026,  two major changes will go into effect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, the later you install, the smaller your rebate will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rebate will decrease more quickly over time; this is linked to an STC factor (support per kWh). Before May 1 the STC rate will be higher, but as of May 1st, it will drop to 6.8, and it will continue to decline every six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondly, a new tiered rebate based on battery capacity also takes effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rebates will be: 0\u201314 kWh \u2014 100% of the rebate; 14\u201328 kWh \u2014 60% of the rebate; 28\u201350 kWh \u2014 15% of the rebate.

That means standard home batteries (~10\u201314 kWh) remain well supported, while larger systems receive substantially reduced incentives. For example, a 13.5 kWh battery still qualifies for the full rebate; a 30 kWh system gets the first 14 kWh at full rebate, the next 14 kWh at 60%, and the remainder at 15%, yielding a much lower overall rebate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why is the Government Making These Changes to the Cheaper Home Batteries Program? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, as the Cheaper Home Batteries Program is expanding, certain changes need to be implemented  in order to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n