SA And VIC Solar Battery Rebate Reductions Loom

Significant reductions are nearing for home battery storage subsidies in both Victoria and South Australia.

First to Victoria – on Monday there were less than 400 rebates remaining at the maximum current value of $4,174 according to Solar Victoria; the agency overseeing the state’s Solar Homes Program. A look this morning revealed there were just 281 left. After these are snapped up, the subsidy will reduce to a maximum $3,500 – a $674 drop.

Over the border in South Australia, the state’s Home Battery Scheme subsidy currently offers up to a maximum of $3,000 (Step 3 phase). Once those are gone, then Step 4 phase kicks in offering up to a $2,000 maximum.

As for how uptake has been looking in SA, in late July there were around 1,500 subsidies at the step 3 level still available. Around this time last month, there were 770 left. As at last Thursday, there were fewer than 350 subsidies still up for grabs. So, it’s looking like there may only be a week or two left for the more generous incentive.

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UPDATE September 27: It turned out to be less than that – last Friday (September 24), the SA Home Battery Scheme subsidy reduced from a maximum subsidy of $3,000 to $2,000.
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Both reductions are significant, but before you skedaddle with view to grabbing a subsidy while they’re hot …

Solar Batteries – Do Your Research

While the pressure may now really be on to score a more generous subsidy, don’t let fear of missing out cloud your judgement. Solar battery storage is a big investment, and whether it’s a good investment or even a worthwhile purchase for you depends on your motivations and circumstances.

If you’re not overly familiar with home batteries, SolarQuotes Founder Finn recently added three new comprehensive but easy-to-understand  “101” guides to step you through what you should know; which will help you make a better-informed decision. It’s really good information and well worth investing the time to read through the guides.

First is his guide to understanding solar batteries – running through the basics of how a home battery works, energy storage options and how they can save you money on your electricity bills.

Next up is the all-important guide to buying solar battery storage – determining if if it’s right for you, how to go about purchasing a good quality, competently installed home battery system at a reasonable price, and how to avoid the pitfalls. Part 3 is about owning a battery system – maximising the benefits home energy storage can provide.

In addition to these guides, there are other useful tools on SQ for Australians considering home energy storage. These include the very popular solar battery comparison table where you can compare specifications and estimated pricing of a bunch of models side-by-side.

Another tool well worth checking out is the solar and battery calculator, which enables you to see the estimated payback period on a battery separated from the payback on just installing solar panels – the results can be quite an eye-opener.

You can also check out solar battery reviews for dozens of brands submitted by Australians who have had systems installed.