ACT battery rebate
ACT battery rebate 2026: what Canberra homes get
Yes, there is one. Canberra homes get about $2,500 off a 10 kWh battery and about $3,400 off a 13.5 kWh battery through the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount, and the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme can lend up to $20,000 at 3% to cover the rest. The federal rate steps down on 1 January 2027. Check your postcode to see what applies at your address.
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Every Canberra postcode gets the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount: roughly $2,500 off a 10 kWh battery and $3,400 off a 13.5 kWh battery at mid-2026 certificate prices, taken off the installer’s invoice with no income test. The ACT then goes further than most states with the Sustainable Household Scheme, which lends eligible homeowners up to $20,000 at 3% to pay what is left. The federal rate next steps down on 1 January 2027.
How much is the battery rebate in the ACT?
It depends on the size of the battery. The federal discount is worth about $250 for each usable kWh on the first 14 kWh, and it comes off the price before you pay. The ACT’s support is a loan rather than a second discount, so the table shows the price you would finance or pay.
| Usable capacity | Federal discount | Typical Canberra price before discount | Typical price after discount | How the tiers apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kWh | about $2,500 | around $9,500 to $12,000 | around $7,000 to $9,500 | All in the full-rate band |
| 13.5 kWh | about $3,400 | around $12,500 to $14,500 | around $9,100 to $11,100 | All in the full-rate band |
| 20 kWh | about $4,400 | around $16,500 to $19,500 | around $12,100 to $15,100 | 14 kWh at full rate, 6 kWh at 60% |
Illustrative, using mid-2026 certificate prices of roughly $250 per usable kWh in the first band and about $150 per kWh in the 14 to 28 kWh band. Install prices are indicative ranges for Canberra and vary with brand, switchboard work and backup wiring. Your installer confirms the actual discount for your battery and install date.
What battery support may be available in the ACT
| Layer | Status | Indicative value | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Cheaper Home Batteries | Open (tiered from 1 May 2026) | ~30% off; about $250 per usable kWh on the first 14 kWh | 5 to 100 kWh, paired with new or existing solar, VPP-capable, accredited installer, no income test |
| ACT Sustainable Household Scheme | Open | Loan of $2,000 to $20,000 at 3%, up to 10 years | ACT homeowner, free one-hour workshop, lender credit check, no establishment fees |
| Home Energy Support Program | Open (concession holders) | Zero-interest loan up to $10,000; rebates up to $5,000 on eligible upgrades | Pensioner Concession, DVA Gold or Health Care Card; confirm which products the rebate covers |
| Sustainable Business Program | Open (businesses) | Rebate up to $10,000 on efficiency upgrades, batteries included | Eligible ACT businesses; separate from the household scheme |
Indicative only. The federal figure moves with STC prices and is set by the installation date, not the quote date. ACT loan settings are set by the ACT Government and its lending partner and can change. Confirm current terms before committing.
The federal layer
The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program is delivered as STCs your installer usually claims for you and applies as a discount on the invoice. Since 1 May 2026 the rate is 6.8 STCs per usable kWh and is tiered: the full rate on the first 14 kWh, 60% of the rate from 14 to 28 kWh, 15% from 28 to 50 kWh and nothing above that. At current certificate prices that is about $250 per usable kWh in the first band, so a 10 kWh battery attracts roughly $2,500 and a 13.5 kWh battery roughly $3,400. The next step-down is 1 January 2027, and the rate then reduces every six months until the program closes at the end of 2030. There is no income test, and the battery can be added to solar you already have.
The ACT layer: the Sustainable Household Scheme loan
Few places pair the federal discount with a government-backed loan this large. Through the Sustainable Household Scheme, eligible Canberra homeowners can borrow between $2,000 and $20,000 for a battery and other eligible upgrades such as heat pump hot water, reverse cycle heating and insulation, repaid over up to 10 years. The loan is arranged through the scheme’s lending partner, with no establishment or account-keeping fees and no penalty for paying it off early.
The scheme was interest free when it started. It now charges 3% interest for households, which is still well below a typical personal loan or the finance plans some installers offer. Households that used the scheme before, or applied or were approved before 1 July 2026, are capped at $15,000 over the life of the scheme; new applicants can borrow up to $20,000. Before applying you attend a free one-hour online workshop on choosing and installing upgrades.
Concession card holders
If you hold a Pensioner Concession Card, DVA Gold Card or Health Care Card, the ACT’s Home Energy Support Program offers a zero-interest loan of up to $10,000 and rebates of up to $5,000 toward eligible upgrades. Check with the program which products the rebate covers in your case before you sign a battery quote. See ACT energy rebates for the other concessions available in Canberra.
What it costs per month: worked examples
Here is how the two layers fit together on typical Canberra quotes, financing the balance through the Sustainable Household Scheme at 3%.
| Battery | Quoted price | After federal discount | Over 5 years at 3% | Over 10 years at 3% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 kWh | $10,000 | about $7,500 | about $135 a month | about $72 a month |
| 13.5 kWh | $13,500 | about $10,100 | about $181 a month | about $98 a month |
| 20 kWh | $17,400 | about $13,000 | about $234 a month | about $126 a month |
Illustrative repayments on a standard monthly amortising loan at 3%, before any interest-free concession option. Total interest on the 13.5 kWh example is roughly $790 over 5 years or $1,600 over 10 years. Your actual repayment is set by the lender.
For comparison, a battery that covers most of a Canberra home’s evening peak can save several hundred dollars a year on time-of-use bills, so on a 10-year term the saving and the repayment can land in the same range. The bigger the gap between your evening rate and your feed-in tariff, the better the numbers work.
Who can claim the battery rebate in the ACT
Federal discount: the battery must be paired with new or existing rooftop solar, between 5 kWh and 100 kWh nominal capacity (STCs on the first 50 kWh usable), on the approved product list, VPP-capable, and installed by an accredited installer. There is no income test. ACT loan: you must own your home in the ACT, attend the free workshop and pass the lender’s credit check. Concession card holders can use the zero-interest Home Energy Support option instead. Businesses apply to the Sustainable Business Program rather than the household scheme.
Battery prices in Canberra
Most Canberra quotes for a 10 kWh battery fall around $9,500 to $12,000 installed, which comes to around $7,000 to $9,500 after the federal discount. A 13.5 kWh battery typically lands around $9,100 to $11,100 after the discount. The same discount and loan apply from Gungahlin and Belconnen to Woden, Weston Creek and Tuggeranong.
Three things move the price most: the battery brand, whether the switchboard needs work, and whether you want backup power during outages. If you are buying solar and a battery together, the panels attract their own federal certificates as well, so ask for both discounts to be shown separately on the quote.
Why timing matters in the ACT
The federal rate drops on 1 January 2027 and every six months after that, and the discount is set by the date the battery is commissioned. In Canberra you also need time for the workshop and the loan approval before the install, so allow a few extra weeks compared with paying cash. A quote accepted by early November is the realistic way to be installed at the current rate. Installs completed after a step-down receive the lower rate regardless of when they were quoted.
Canberra-specific factors a good installer will check
Cold winters. Many lithium iron phosphate batteries slow or stop charging near 0°C, and Canberra mornings sit below freezing for much of winter. A battery mounted in a garage or on a sheltered wall, or a model with a built-in heater, keeps charging when you need it. Ask for the rated charging temperature on the quote.
Winter evening load. The ACT stopped new gas connections in December 2023 and plans to move homes off gas by 2045, so more Canberra homes heat with reverse cycle air conditioning. That puts the biggest evening demand in winter, when solar output is lowest. Size the battery for a winter evening, not a summer one, and check whether your panels can refill it on short days.
Tariffs and feed-in. Evoenergy’s time-of-use network tariffs make evening power the most expensive of the day, while ACT feed-in tariffs are only a few cents per kWh. Every kWh you store and use at night instead of exporting is worth several times more, which is the main reason a battery pays its way in Canberra.
Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong. These suburbs are across the border in New South Wales, so the ACT loan does not apply, but the NSW battery incentive does. See the NSW solar battery rebate page if you live there.
Other ACT upgrades
The Sustainable Household Scheme also covers heat pump hot water, reverse cycle heating and cooling, insulation and more, so a battery can be financed alongside them in one application. See ACT energy rebates for the full list, and the battery rebate calculator for a figure on your own battery size. To compare how the ACT stacks up nationally, see battery rebates by state.
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Energy Rebate Check is an independent enquiry service. We review your details and help you understand the options. We don’t approve rebates or loans, and eligibility is always confirmed under current scheme rules.
Official sources
Figures on this page were checked against these official pages on 11 October 2026. Scheme rules change; confirm the current settings before you sign anything.
- ACT Government: Sustainable Household Scheme
- ACT Government: Home batteries
- Australian Government (DCCEEW): Cheaper Home Batteries Program
- Clean Energy Regulator: battery eligibility and STCs
- Clean Energy Regulator: battery rebate changes from 1 May 2026
Related pages
FAQ
ACT battery rebate questions
Yes. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount applies to any eligible battery in the ACT and takes around 30% off the price on the installer’s invoice. On top of that, the ACT Government’s Sustainable Household Scheme lends eligible homeowners up to $20,000 at 3% to pay the balance. The ACT does not add a separate cash rebate of its own.
At mid-2026 certificate prices the federal discount is about $250 per usable kWh on the first 14 kWh, so roughly $2,500 on a 10 kWh battery and $3,400 on a 13.5 kWh battery. Capacity from 14 to 28 kWh earns 60% of that rate, so a 20 kWh battery attracts about $4,400. The exact figure depends on the STC price and your install date.
Not for most households. The loan now carries 3% interest for households, with no establishment or account fees and no penalty for paying it off early. Eligible Pensioner Concession Card, DVA Gold Card and Health Care Card holders can get a zero-interest loan of up to $10,000 through the Home Energy Support Program instead.
Between $2,000 and $20,000, repaid over up to 10 years. Households that used the scheme before, or applied or were approved before 1 July 2026, can borrow up to $15,000 in total over the life of the scheme. You need to own your home in the ACT, attend a free one-hour workshop and meet the lender’s credit criteria.
Yes. The federal discount comes off the price first, then the Sustainable Household Scheme can finance what is left. On a 13.5 kWh battery quoted at $13,500, the discount brings it to about $10,100, which is roughly $98 a month over 10 years at 3%.
Most Canberra quotes for a 10 kWh battery are around $9,500 to $12,000 installed, which comes to around $7,000 to $9,500 after the federal discount. A 13.5 kWh battery is typically around $9,100 to $11,100 after the discount. Brand, switchboard work and backup wiring move the figure, so a written quote is the reliable guide.
For the federal discount, yes. The battery must be paired with new or existing rooftop solar. If you already have panels you can add a battery to them; if not, the solar and battery can be installed together and the panels attract their own STC discount.
Yes, but placement matters. Many lithium iron phosphate batteries slow or pause charging near freezing, and Canberra nights regularly drop below zero from May to September. A battery in a garage or on a sheltered wall, or a model with a built-in heater, keeps working through frosty mornings. Ask the installer for the battery’s rated charging temperature.
Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong are in New South Wales, so the ACT loan does not apply there, but the NSW battery incentive does on top of the federal discount. See the NSW solar battery rebate page for those suburbs.
The federal program runs to the end of 2030 but the rate steps down on 1 January 2027 and every six months after that. The discount is set by the date the battery is installed, so an install commissioned before a step-down receives the higher rate.
No. We’re an independent information and enquiry service and are not a government website. We don’t guarantee rebate approval.
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