The Australian government has confirmed it will expand its Cheaper Home Batteries program to an estimated AU$7.2 billion over four years, an increase from the initial AU$2.3 billion.
The expanded program is expected to see more than two million Australians install a battery by 2030, delivering around 40GWh of capacity, doubling the government’s estimate of one million batteries, and increasing the expected capacity by almost four times.
Alongside increased support for the program, starting from May 1, 2026, the government will also make adjustments to ensure the around 30 per cent discount is encouraging households to get the right sized battery for their needs and the program remains sustainable.
Under this tiered system, support will be staggered in line with the size of the battery, with support moderating per kWh for medium and larger batteries.
The first 50kWh of a system is eligible for support, for battery systems sized up to 100kWh.
This tiered support is expected to enable more Australians to install batteries in their homes.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said: “Australia is a solar nation—we’ve got more solar on our roofs than pools in our backyards, and we want to match that success with home batteries to cut bills for everyone, for good.
“We want more Aussie households to have access to batteries that are good for bills and good for the grid – because it means more cheap, fast, safe solar energy is available in our homes night or day, when and where it’s needed.”
In less than six months, the Cheaper Home Batteries program has helped more than 155,000 households and small businesses cut their power bills and take control of their energy.
The program has also increased home battery capacity to almost twice the level before the program, with half of these households also installing solar panels for the first time or upgrading existing systems.