How much is each home energy rebate in Australia right now?
You're about to sign a quote, and the rebate line on it is a number you can't check. Here's the checked figure for the government solar rebate (about $1,450 to $1,650 on a 6.6 kW system in 2026 by postcode zone), the federal battery rebate (about $252 a usable kWh until 31 December 2026) and every state rebate, with the rule behind each and the date we checked it. Measure the quote against it. Checked 23 September 2026.
Why the rebate on a quote is hard to check.
- The government solar rebate isn't a flat amount. It's certificates (STCs) priced by postcode zone, system size and install year, and every installer sets its own price per certificate.
- State rebates carry income tests, property caps and replacement rules that a quote rarely mentions by name.
- Both federal incentives step down on 1 January 2027, so the same quote is worth less if the install slips.
The government solar rebate and the federal battery rebate, in numbers.
Both are delivered as certificates that your installer claims and takes off the invoice. Neither has an income test. The value steps down on 1 January 2027, and the table shows both sides of that date.
STCs are small-scale technology certificates, the federal solar incentive; the count depends on system size, postcode zone and install year. The battery discount works the same way with a factor per usable kilowatt-hour. Both are “about” because each installer sets its own certificate price.
| Incentive | Certificates or factor now | Value now | From 1 January 2027 | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar STCs, 6.6 kW, Zone 3 postcode (e.g. Bendigo, Ballarat) | 45 certificates | about $1,650 | 36 certificates, about $1,350 | 23 September · cer.gov.au |
| Solar STCs, 6.6 kW, Zone 4 postcode (e.g. most of Melbourne, Geelong) | 39 certificates | about $1,450 | 31 certificates, about $1,150 | 23 September · cer.gov.au |
| Solar STCs, 10 kW, Zone 3 | 69 certificates | about $2,550 | 55 certificates, about $2,050 | 23 September · cer.gov.au |
| Federal battery discount, per usable kWh (first 14 kWh) | factor 6.8 | about $252 | factor 5.7, about $211 | 23 September · cer.gov.au |
| Federal battery discount, 10 kWh battery | factor 6.8 × 10 kWh | about $2,520 | about $2,110 | 23 September · cer.gov.au |
| Federal battery discount, 13.5 kWh battery | factor 6.8 × 13.5 kWh | about $3,400 | about $2,850 | 23 September · cer.gov.au |
State rebates that stack on the federal ones: Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
Victoria first, then every state with a live program. Each row names the program, the administering body\'s site and the date it was checked. Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory follow as each set is checked against its source.
| Program | Amount | Conditions | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Homes solar panel rebate | up to $1,400 | Owner-occupier, household taxable income under $150,000, property under $3 million, no solar at the address in the last 10 years, via an authorised retailer | 23 September · solar.vic.gov.au |
| Solar Homes interest-free loan | up to $1,400 | Same eligibility; repaid over 4 years at about $29.17 a month | 23 September · solar.vic.gov.au |
| Solar Homes hot water rebate | up to $1,000 ($1,400 locally made) | Eligible heat pump or solar hot water, replacing an existing system. Is a heat pump worth it? | 23 September · solar.vic.gov.au |
| Victorian Energy Upgrades: ducted gas heater to ducted reverse-cycle | up to $5,530 | Published maximum at 22.4 kW; $2,520 at 10 kW; existing heater more than 2 years old, replaced and decommissioned; minimum co-payment $1,000 inc GST (a higher ducted co-payment has been proposed; not confirmed as at 1 October 2026). Should you swap ducted gas? | 23 September · energy.vic.gov.au |
| Victorian Energy Upgrades: gas space heater to split system | $630 to $1,610 | Same replacement condition; minimum co-payment $200 inc GST per split under 10 kW | 23 September · energy.vic.gov.au |
| Solar for Rentals (landlord applies) | up to $1,400 plus a $1,400 interest-free loan | Eligible rental property; the landlord applies and the same income and property limits apply | 23 September · solar.vic.gov.au |
| Solar Victoria battery loan | closed | No longer taking applications; the federal discount is the battery incentive in Victoria | 23 September · solar.vic.gov.au |
| Program | Amount | Conditions | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales: Home Energy Saver loan | up to $15,000 at 0% interest | Owner-occupiers and landlords with combined taxable income up to $210,000; covers solar, batteries, heat pump hot water and reverse-cycle; open since 17 June 2026 | 23 September · energy.nsw.gov.au |
| New South Wales: virtual power plant (VPP) connection incentive | upfront, scaled to capacity | NSW's own battery installation discount is suspended because the federal discount is larger. The VPP incentive is paid when you connect the battery to a VPP, based on the kWh made available to the grid (up to 28 kWh); it combines with the federal discount | 23 September · energy.nsw.gov.au |
| Queensland: Supercharged Solar for Renters | $2,500 to $3,500 | The landlord applies; rented at $1,000 a week or less, no existing solar, system of 3 kW or more ($3,500 at 5 kW and up); open since 12 December 2025, first come first served | 23 September · qld.gov.au |
| Queensland: Battery Booster | closed | No longer taking applications; the federal discount is the battery incentive in Queensland | 23 September · qld.gov.au |
| South Australia: Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme | no fixed amount | Discounts delivered through obliged retailers and approved providers, including connecting a battery to a virtual power plant; 2026 to 2030 period | 23 September · energymining.sa.gov.au |
| Western Australia: Residential Battery Scheme rebate | up to $1,300 (Synergy) or $3,800 (Horizon Power) | State share on top of the federal discount; the published combined figure is up to $5,000 or $7,500 on a 10 kWh battery; approved installer; open since 1 July 2025 | 23 September · wa.gov.au |
| Western Australia: Residential Battery Scheme no-interest loan | up to $10,000 | Household income under $210,000; a battery, plus solar or an inverter only when installed with the battery; 3 to 10 years, no interest | 23 September · wa.gov.au |
By state, with every condition and source: Victoria · NSW · Queensland · WA.
Three steps before you sign.
- Find your figure. Read the row for your upgrade and your state. Every row carries the published maximum, the condition, the source and the date we checked it.
- Compare it with the quote. Ask for the certificate count and the price per certificate, and for any state rebate by its program name. The STC calculator on Rebate Calculator gives the count for your postcode and size, and it should match the quote exactly.
- Check the installer, then decide. Run the five installer checks and read the eligibility rules for your situation. If you want a quote, send the job and one vetted installer calls. If you'd rather not be called, ask us by email.
Which upgrade are you looking at?
Pick one, answer four short questions, and the next page shows the published figures for your postcode, what waiting costs on your bill, and the checks to run on any quote. No email, no phone number.
No email, no phone number. The figures appear on the next page, and the only thing we ask after that is whether you'd like to call.
If you sign without checking
Sign without checking and you pay the installer's number, not the published one, and you can't tell which.
If you check first
Check first and the rebate sits on your invoice as certificates you can count, beside a state rebate you can name.
Questions people ask.
Are solar rebates being cut in 2026?
Not during 2026. The step-down is on 1 January 2027: the solar deeming period drops from 5 years to 4, so a 6.6 kW system goes from 39 to 31 certificates in Zone 4, and the battery factor drops from 6.8 to 5.7, about $2,520 to about $2,110 on a 10 kWh battery at $37 a certificate.
Who is eligible for solar rebates?
The federal certificates have no income test: an approved installer, approved products and a system under 100 kW. Victoria's $1,400 Solar Homes rebate needs a combined taxable income of $150,000 or less, a property valued under $3 million and no solar at the address in the last 10 years. Other states are in the table above with their own conditions.
Can pensioners get free solar?
No government program installs solar for free. Pensioners get the same certificate discount as everyone, and most pensioner households pass Victoria's $150,000 income test for the $1,400 rebate. An offer of 'free solar' is a loan, a lease or a power purchase agreement, so ask for the contract before anything else.
Do renters get a solar rebate?
Not directly. The landlord applies: Victoria's Solar for Rentals gives up to $1,400 plus a $1,400 interest-free loan, and Queensland's Supercharged Solar for Renters pays $2,500 to $3,500 on rentals at $1,000 a week or less. New South Wales landlords can use the Home Energy Saver loan.
What is the STC solar rebate worth in 2026?
Small-scale technology certificates are worth about $37 each at the point of sale once the installer's fees come out. A 6.6 kW system creates 45 certificates in a Zone 3 postcode (about $1,650) and 39 in Zone 4 (about $1,450). From 1 January 2027 the deeming period drops from 5 years to 4 and a 6.6 kW system creates 36 or 31 certificates.
How much is the federal battery rebate?
About $252 per usable kWh on the first 14 kWh for installs between 1 May and 31 December 2026, and 60% of that rate from 14 to 28 kWh. A 10 kWh battery gets about $2,520. The factor steps down to 5.7 on 1 January 2027 (about $211 a kWh), 5.2 on 1 July 2027 and 4.6 on 1 January 2028.
Is this a government website?
No. It's an independent reference published by Timeless Energy Pty Ltd. It doesn't administer any rebate and doesn't decide eligibility. Every figure links to the government body that does.
How current are the figures?
Every figure carries the date it was last checked against the source. The current check date is 23 September 2026. When a program changes, the figure, the date and the note change together.
Why does every amount say 'up to'?
Because that's how the programs work. The published figure is a maximum. What you receive depends on your system size, postcode zone, install date and eligibility, and the installer's paperwork.
How does the site make money?
If you ask a question or request a call, we may refer you to a partner business that can quote the work, and that partner may pay a referral fee. The figures on the site don't change based on who you're referred to.
What this site is, and isn't.
Who publishes it
Timeless Energy Pty Ltd (ABN 22 647 048 520), Suite 101, 68-72 York Street, South Melbourne VIC 3205. Contact hello@rebateindex.com.au.
What it isn't
A government website, a rebate administrator, or an installer. We don't decide eligibility and we can't promise any amount.
How figures are checked
Each figure is read from the body that runs the program (the Clean Energy Regulator, Solar Victoria, the Essential Services Commission and their equivalents in each state) and stamped with the check date. When a source changes, the figure and the date change together.
How we make money
Rebate Index is a referral service. If you send your details through the check or ask a question, we match you with accredited installer partners who can quote the work, and we may receive compensation from them. The figures on this site don't depend on it.