On 1 July 2025, one of the federal government’s key election promises comes to life: a powerful battery rebate designed to supercharge Australia’s battery installations to one million by 2030.

Since its announcement earlier this year, the Cheaper Home Batteries Program has created serious buzz.

In fact, excitement around the rebate helped drive battery sales so high in May 2025 that – for the first time ever – battery sales outpaced solar PV sales. On 1 July, many of these newly installed batteries will finally be switched on, making them eligible for the rebate.

So, what exactly is the rebate, and does it live up to the hype?

Here’s what you need to know:

• The rebate currently covers 30% of battery system costs for households, businesses, and community facilities (e.g. sports centres, town halls). Yes, despite the name, this program also caters for certain business types!
• It will gradually reduce each year until 2030.
• Eligible systems must be between 5–100 kWh in nominal capacity, with the rebate applying to the first 50 kWh of usable capacity. (Originally, the rebate was only going to apply to systems up to 50 kWh.)
• Systems can be installed as a single battery unit or as a modular system functioning as one unit.
• The rebate is available for:

      o   New solar + battery installations

      o   Adding a battery to an existing solar system

      o   Upsizing an existing battery system*

• The rebate is intended to be stackable with eligible state-based battery incentives.

Is it worth the fuss?

Absolutely.

If you’re a small business looking to cut energy bills, a 50 kWh battery installation could save you up to $16,700 with this rebate alone.

To make the most of it, consider funding the system through a Smart Ease Payment Plan. That means zero upfront costs and manageable monthly payments – often improving cash flow from day one.

If you ever kicked yourself for missing out on solar during the heyday of feed-in tariffs, then you won’t want to sleep on this one. The 30% rebate won’t last – it’s set to gradually decline until 2030 – so now’s the time to act.

* Additional capacity added to an existing battery is eligible if: (1) the system has not previously received a rebate under the program, (2) the added capacity is at least 5 kWh, and (3) the total upgraded system does not exceed 100 kWh in nominal capacity.

They engaged Unified Energy Services in early 2024, and by September, Unified had installed a 31.9kW solar system at their Kogarah warehouse. Unified’s Will Barham recommended using a Smart Ease Payment Plan, allowing Penrose Glass to avoid any upfront capital outlay and instead pay via manageable monthly instalments – preserving cash reserves while improving cash flow.

The win

The new system is expected to generate 39.1MWh of clean electricity per year, avoiding 39.2 tonnes of CO2 emissions, and is projected to save Penrose Glass approximately $12,900 annually on energy bills.

In a year when the average NSW business saw energy costs rise by 10%, these savings represented a major win.

“It doesn’t matter if you are a small or large user of power—solar cuts the cost significantly and pays itself off within a few years,” said Michael Penrose, Director at Penrose Glass.

As part of this effort, in late 2023, Komatsu engaged leading commercial solar experts, Solar Australia, to propose a solar solution aimed at cutting costs and reducing carbon emissions at its site in Rockhampton, QLD.

After assessing the site, Solar Australia recommended a 290kW system comprising 580 panels and three inverters. The system is expected to generate approximately 544,685 kWh annually, with an estimated payback of four years.

Given the scale of the project, Solar Australia’s Tim Dixon suggested that Komatsu consider using a Smart Ease Payment Plan to finance the installation. This approach would allow the company to avoid the upfront cost entirely and instead pay for the system over time through manageable monthly repayments.

“Smart Ease provided a tailored solution to match Komatsu’s requirements. The system is designed to satisfy all day-time kw demand at the location and has resulted in a 75% reduction in the site electricity bill.” – Scott Churchill, Director of Finance & Commercial, Komatsu Mining Australia.

For the Komatsu team, an even bigger win than the considerable energy bill savings is the estimated 551 tonnes of reduced annual CO2 emissions – a terrific achievement to highlight in their first Australian climate report and another step toward meeting their global ESG targets!

Through a zero-upfront Smart Ease Payment Plan, Portsea Camp was able to invest in 21 new Rheem heat pumps, installed by energy-efficiency equipment experts Solahart Mornington.

Strategically placed around the camp, these heat pumps ensure that showers, bathrooms, laundry facilities, and the community hall can meet the needs of campers. Best of all, their energy-efficient design is expected to reduce running costs to just 30% of the previous system, leading to significant monthly savings.

With a new state-of-the-art water system pumping through the grounds, Portsea Camp can now offer its campers the great luxury of a hot shower after those icy swims in the bay!

The solution

The Gordons partnered with solar experts Solar Australia and farm-design specialists Eagle Direct to plan a system that would integrate various energy-efficiency technologies for a cost-effective solution.

After months of technical assessments, the teams proposed a comprehensive approach: a 102kW solar array, a HVAC system with over 75 industrial fans, and LED lighting throughout the shed. Together, these technologies would reduce energy costs and create a more comfortable environment for the cows – a key factor in improving milk production.

“Our specialty is in building what I call ‘cow hotels,’ where the cows have a full buffet, a comfortable bed, a cooling system and a flushing toilet. And we do all that because cows respond well to it. They love it!

“It’s all about maximum cow comfort – the more comfortable the cow is, the more milk they produce.”

– Mike Ryan, Eagle Direct

A cow’s thermal neutral zone is between 4°C and 18°C. Above this range, cows experience heat stress, which leads to reduced milk production that can take months to recover. Installing industrial fans throughout the shed was a crucial part of the design in order to maintain this ideal temperature. Meanwhile, powering the fans with solar energy would make the cost of running them feasible.

With the technical aspects sorted, the only hurdle left was to finance the project.

Solar Australia’s Tim Dixon reached out to Smart Ease to arrange a flexible payment plan that could cover the multiple equipment types being installed by two different providers.

The solution

After completing a techno-commercial feasibility study of the site, Jack recommended a 548kW solar system featuring 961 Jinko solar panels and 4 Sungrow inverters. With such a large installation, Jack also proposed the option of using a Smart Ease Payment Plan to minimise the cost hurdle of the project.

The solution

To tackle the solar installation, Mick engaged Matt Cooper from Cyanergy to propose a solar solution that would work for Philter’s high-electricity needs.

Upon assessing the Marrickville site, Matt recommended an 84kW system split over two separate meters: a 64kW system and a 20kW system. With a two-system setup, the Cyanergy team ensured that they could take full advantage of Philter’s large, west-facing roof.

When it came to paying for the system, Mick opted to use a Smart Ease Payment Plan to avoid paying the upfront lump sum.