Australia Crosses 400,000 Home Battery Installations

Australia has surpassed 400,000 installations under the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program, announced the country’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen. 

The program has added 11.2 GWh of battery storage capacity in less than a year, helping households lower electricity bills while supporting grid stability, added Bowen. According to the minister, increased storage capacity is reducing coal and gas use during evening peak-demand periods, contributing to lower electricity prices across the wider market. 

In 2025, the country had installed 221,000 residential battery systems, representing a 3-fold increase on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. According to SunWiz’s Australian Battery Market Report 2026, 4.6% of Australian homes have a battery installed. 

Available at the federal level, the Cheaper Home Batteries Program of Australia allows households, businesses, and community organizations to buy home battery energy storage systems (BESS) ranging from 5 kWh to 100 kWh. From May 1, 2026, these systems will get a discount of around 30% on the upfront cost. The incentive applies to batteries connected to new or existing rooftop solar PV systems. 

The program is funded by the government through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and administered by the Clean Energy Regulator. The discount level will be reviewed annually and is expected to be decreased gradually through 2030 as battery prices continue to fall. 

According to the government, the initiative aims to reduce electricity costs, increase the use of stored solar energy, and improve grid reliability by lowering peak demand. It estimates households and small businesses could save up to AUD 2,300 on their energy bills annually by installing solar and a battery for the first time. Adding a battery to already installed solar panels can save an additional AUD 1,100 annually. 

The Australian Labor Party, under Anthony Albanese, had promised to launch the AUD 2.3 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program on July 1, 2025, if it was voted back to power, which it did. The federal government targets more than 1 million new battery installations in Australia by 2030 under the program (see Labor Party’s AUD 2.3 Billion Solar Battery Promise). 

In December 2025, the government announced it would expand the program’s budget from AUD 2.3 billion to an estimated AUD 7.2 billion over the next 4 years. It is estimated to support more than 2 million Australians in installing batteries by 2030, delivering around 40 GWh of additional storage capacity.