Remaining SA Home Battery Scheme Subsidies Snapped Up

It’s all over, red rover. After nearly four years, South Australia’s Home Battery Scheme has closed to new applications.

In early June we reported the Malinauskas Government was readying to ditch two important renewable energy initiatives implemented under the previous Marshall Government’s reign – one of them the Home Battery Scheme. In late June, it was announced the Scheme would stop accepting applications once all subsidies in the current release were allocated, or on 1 September 2022; whichever happened first.

As at 21 June 2022 there were 2,209 subsidies left. By last Friday, there were just 278 still on offer. Yesterday, there were none.

The Home Battery Scheme website now redirects to a page on the Department for Energy and Mining’s site indicating all subsidies have been allocated. Recipients with existing homes have 6 months from the date of conditional approval to get their batteries installed; or in the case of new house builds 18 months or 1 December 2023 – whichever comes first.

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said the scheme was axed because it was a “failed policy”. The Opposition didn’t agree. The Greens said while the scheme wasn’t perfect, it just required some nips and tucks. SolarQuotes Founder Finn Peacock believes the same.

Launched in October 2018 and initially offering up to a $6,000 subsidy on eligible systems, the incentive saw several haircuts before winding up at a $2,000 maximum.

The Marshall Government’s goal for the scheme was to support installation of 40,000 solar battery systems across South Australia. What the final installation tally will be isn’t clear at this stage, but Premier Malinauskas said in June it had “failed to get anywhere close to hitting its targets” and hadn’t reached 20,000 installations at that point.

Important Information For Home Battery Buyers

Missing out on a $2,000 subsidy for the purchase of a home battery will be an even bigger ask for SA households. Recent cuts plus the looming end of the scheme were apparently factors in the demise of at least one SA electrical services company that had jumped into solar batteries in a big way.

For South Australians prepared to pony up more cash for a solar battery, making the right purchase decision will become even more important. A considered decision needs good information on which to base it. Here on SQ, Finn’s prepared some very useful guides to assist:

• Understanding Solar Batteries: All the basics: covering how a solar battery works, various types available and how an energy storage system generate savings.
• Buying A Home Battery: How to buy a good quality home battery system installation – and some of the tricks and traps to be wary of.
• Owning A Battery System: How to maximise the benefits home energy storage can provide.

Another important tool on SolarQuotes is our solar and battery calculator that shows how savings and payback are affected by a battery and solar panels separately – helping you decide if the significant investment is right  for you if your primary motivator in getting a battery is to save money. You can also see how home energy storage systems stack up side-by-side on pricing and specifications using the SQ solar battery comparison tool.