Battery installations exceed predictions “by some distance” as 2,700 Victorians use subsidy

On average, about 1,000 homeowners across Australia registered for new solar batteries every day during July.

Matthew Sims
August 01, 2025

A Federal Government solar battery rebate program has exceeded expectations, according to industry experts, with more than 19,000 batteries installed across the country in July, including 2,716 in Victoria.

What is the Federal Government’s program?

Announced in April, the $2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries program aims to deliver subsidies of about 30 percent for an average domestic battery.

Initial projections estimate the program will help install 1.1 million batteries by 2030.

Analysis by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water shows a household with existing rooftop solar could save up to $1,100 off their power bill every year, and a household installing a new solar and a battery system could save up to $2,300 a year.

The discount is delivered through the existing Clean Energy Regulator’s (CER) Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme.

According to SolarQuotes, an online service that helps connect homeowners with solar system installers, a 13-kilowatt-hour battery will cost about $10,000 to $13,000, with installation included, while a 16-kilowatt-hour battery will cost about $11,000 to $15,000, with installation included.

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How successful has the program been so far?

Data released on Friday by the CER shows 19,592 batteries were installed during July, exceeding the 14,183 installed during the first six months of the year, with an average nominal battery size of 18.2 kilowatt-hours.

Victoria is the state or territory with the fourth-highest number of installations, with 2,716 installed during July, but is the second-lowest in terms of the average solar battery size - at 17 kilowatt hours.

New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia were the three most popular states for battery installations in July, installing 7,347, 4,159 and 3,052 respectively.

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What has been the reaction from the industry?

Rewiring Australia describes itself as a “non-profit, independent, non-partisan organisation dedicated to representing the people, households and communities in the energy system”.

“We empirically demonstrate and communicate the cost savings, emissions reductions, and energy system benefits of electrification,” it says.

Chief Executive Francis Vierboom said the uptake of homeowners accessing the subsidy had “exceeded the uptake predictions by some distance”.

“When we’ve got lots of batteries inside houses that are the thing that’s powering dinner time during the peak load on the grid …[they] are taking a lot of stress off the grid,” he told the Eastern Melburnian.

Vierboom said the subsidy was not based on the price of the battery (or multiple batteries), but the storage capacity, driving homeowners to consider buying a larger battery or more batteries than they would without the government subsidy.