Community quick to charge up on incoming household battery subsidy

THE North East community are snapping up the chance to access a one-time rebate for home batteries, according to a local provider. The federal government announced the Cheaper Home Batteries Program during the election campaign, seeking to transform how households benefit from their rooftop solar and substantially reduce their annual energy bills. The $2.3 billion plan offers a 30 per cent discount on the cost of a new battery for households, businesses and community facilities such as sports centres or town halls. The federal government plan to roll out their Cheaper Home Batteries Program from 1 July. But, there’s no need to wait until the subsidy kicks in, with batteries able to be purchased and installed and still be eligible for the discount when the new financial year kicks in. Solargain Wangaratta sales and marketing manager, Blake Smith, said since the election pledge was made in early April, North East homes have been eager to cash in on the batteries. “From that Monday onwards we’ve just seen it go ‘bang’, which is crazy,” he said. “Everybody wanted these batteries and I think one of the main objections to them was the price. “To have these rebates in there, it’s great to bring those prices down.” Mr Smith said home battery attachment rates had been growing year-on year in the past 24 months in the region and the discount incentive was a “game-changer”. “It makes it more affordable to store their own solar power, reduce their evening and peak power bills and stay powered during grid outages,” he said. Eligible home batteries for the rebate range up to 50kwh in size. Mr Smith said a popular option for locals was the 13.5kwh battery, which would attract a discount of around $5000 using the government’s scheme. “It’s more affordable than it has ever been,” he said. Mr Smith said the surge in battery buys for the rebate was also aided by a timely drop in the excess solar tariff, set to go down to 0.04 cents on the same day as the eligible rebate period begins. “The timing of this battery to store that power rather than sell it for nothing is great,” he said. Independent MP for Indi, Helen Haines, said she was thrilled when the policy was announced, advocating for a home battery subsidy in parliament for two years. “Home batteries will deliver immediate bill relief for households and community groups, and over time we will see this benefit extend to all consumers by reducing overall pressure on the grid,” she said. Mr Smith said 30 per cent of homes have rooftop solar in Australia and the North East was a high uptake area for installation. A spokeswoman for the federal Minister for Energy, Chris Bowen, said the home battery policy reflected 12 months of input from a broad range of stakeholders and advocates, including Dr Haines. “It will benefit households right across the country, including in the electorate of Indi,” she said. You can make enquiries and install the batteries before the rebate kicks in, but homeowners must wait until 1 July to switch them on. Mr Smith said people who already have a battery can still access the rebate if they add or upgrade their battery system. The rebate is a one-time per-household subsidy and will drop year-on-year by 20 per cent until 2030. “My advice is we’re encouraging people to be mindful that it is one shot so don’t blow it on something just because it’s cheap, do your research and really be thorough with your investigations into what battery is right for you,” Mr Smith said.

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