If you’re a Perth or Western Australian homeowner thinking about a home battery, the next few weeks are the most financially valuable window this decade. Two rebates — one state, one federal — are currently stackable, and together they can knock roughly $5,000 off a 10kWh battery if you’re a Synergy customer, or up to $7,500 if you’re on Horizon Power.
There’s a catch, of course. On 1 May 2026, the federal portion drops sharply, and WA’s grid connection rules change at the same time. That means the same battery installed on 30 April will cost roughly $600–$800 less out of pocket than the same install on 2 May.
This guide walks you through what you can actually claim, how Synergy and Horizon differ, what changes in May, and a worked example with real numbers for a typical Perth household. We’ve kept the jargon out — if you’ve ever tried to read a government rebate page and felt your eyes glaze over, this is the version you wanted.
What Is the WA Residential Battery Scheme?
If you’re a Perth or Western Australian homeowner thinking about a home battery, the next few weeks are the most financially valuable window this decade. Two rebates — one state, one federal — are currently stackable, and together they can knock roughly $5,000 off a 10kWh battery if you’re a Synergy customer, or up to $7,500 if you’re on Horizon Power.
There’s a catch, of course. On 1 May 2026, the federal portion drops sharply, and WA’s grid connection rules change at the same time. That means the same battery installed on 30 April will cost roughly $600–$800 less out of pocket than the same install on 2 May.
This guide walks you through what you can actually claim, how Synergy and Horizon differ, what changes in May, and a worked example with real numbers for a typical Perth household. We’ve kept the jargon out — if you’ve ever tried to read a government rebate page and felt your eyes glaze over, this is the version you wanted.
What Is the WA Residential Battery Scheme?
The WA Residential Battery Scheme is a Western Australian Government rebate program that launched on 1 July 2025. It pays eligible homeowners an upfront discount when they install a new home battery, administered through approved installers on behalf of the state.
The scheme was originally capped at 20,000 rebates, but when the federal battery program launched, the WA Government expanded the cap by 80% to 100,000 rebates. As of early 2026, allocations are still available, and the WA Government currently expects availability to last into 2027 — but there’s no guarantee. Once the 100,000 are gone, they’re gone.
There is no waiting list or reserve mechanism announced if allocations run out.
The rebate is paid as an upfront discount applied by your installer, so you never have to lodge a separate claim or wait for reimbursement. You see a lower price on the quote.
To qualify, you need to:
- Be a residential customer of either Synergy or Horizon Power
- Be aged 18+ and an Australian permanent resident
- Own your home, or have your landlord’s written consent
- Install a battery between 5kWh and 100kWh in capacity
- Use an approved battery on the Synergy or Horizon Supported Solutions List
- Have the installation carried out by an SAA-accredited installer listed on the Plenti Vendor Directory
- Commit to joining an approved Virtual Power Plant (VPP) — this one sometimes confuses people, so we’ll break it down shortly
Batteries installed before 1 July 2025 are not eligible for the WA scheme, even retrospectively.
Synergy vs Horizon Power — How the Rebate Amount Differs
Your rebate amount depends entirely on which network supplies your electricity. The two are very different.
Synergy customers (most of Perth metro and the South West)
If your retailer is Synergy — which covers Perth metro and most of the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) — the WA Residential Battery Scheme pays $130 per usable kWh of battery capacity, capped at $1,300 on a 10kWh or larger battery.
So the amounts look like this:
- 5kWh battery: $650 rebate
- 8kWh battery: $1,040 rebate
- 10kWh battery: $1,300 rebate (the maximum)
- 13.5kWh battery (e.g. Tesla Powerwall 3): still $1,300 — capped at 10kWh
- 15kWh battery: still $1,300
Horizon Power customers (regional and remote WA)
If your retailer is Horizon Power — which services regional and remote Western Australia outside the SWIS — the rebate is significantly higher: $380 per kWh, capped at $3,800 on a 10kWh or larger battery.
- 5kWh battery: $1,900 rebate
- 10kWh battery: $3,800 rebate (the maximum)
- Anything above 10kWh: still $3,800
Why the difference?
It comes down to the cost of delivering power to regional and remote areas. Horizon Power’s network is more expensive to operate than Synergy’s metropolitan grid. The WA Government has stronger incentives to get regional households to generate their own power, so the rebate is nearly three times higher for Horizon customers.
Not sure which one you’re on? Look at the top of your most recent electricity bill. If the retailer says Synergy, you’re on the SWIS network. If it says Horizon Power, you’re regional. Most of the Perth metro, Mandurah, Bunbury, Albany, and Geraldton (connected to SWIS) are Synergy.
How the Federal Rebate Stacks On Top
Separately to the WA scheme, the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program — run by the Australian Government through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) — pays its own per-kWh rebate on top.
The important bit: the two rebates stack. You claim both.
The federal rebate is delivered through Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), which your installer generates and passes to you as an upfront discount — same process as the solar STC rebate Perth homeowners have been claiming for years.
As of April 2026 (before the 1 May step-down), the federal rebate is worth approximately $311 per usable kWh of battery capacity at current STC prices. For a 10kWh battery, that’s roughly $3,110 off your install price before the WA state rebate is even applied.
Combined totals, for a 10kWh battery installed before 1 May 2026:
Synergy customer:
- Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program: ~$3,110
- WA Residential Battery Scheme: $1,300
- Combined: approximately $4,410–$5,000 off
Horizon Power customer:
- Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program: ~$3,110
- WA Residential Battery Scheme: $3,800
- Combined: approximately $6,910–$7,500 off
On top of both, if your household’s gross annual income is under $210,000, you can borrow between $2,001 and $10,000 of the remaining cost as a no-interest loan, administered by Plenti, repayable over 3–10 years with no early repayment penalties.
What Changes on 1 May 2026?
This is the deadline driving every serious Perth installer’s calendar right now. From 1 May 2026, two things will happen to the federal rebate — and separately, Western Power’s grid rules will change.
Change 1: The federal STC factor drops from 8.4 to 6.8
Today, every usable kWh of battery capacity earns 8.4 STCs. From 1 May, that drops to 6.8 STCs per kWh — a 19% reduction in federal rebate value overnight.
In dollar terms, assuming an STC price of around $37:
- Before 1 May: ~$311 per kWh (or ~$3,110 on a 10kWh battery)
- From 1 May: ~$252 per kWh (or ~$2,520 on a 10kWh battery)
- Difference: roughly $590–$640 out of your pocket on a 10kWh battery, purely based on install date
And from 1 May onwards, the federal rebate will step down every six months (January and July) rather than annually, so the value continues falling through to 2030.
Change 2: Tiered rebate structure for larger batteries
From 1 May, the federal rebate no longer applies uniformly across the whole battery. Instead:
- First 14kWh of usable capacity: full STC factor (100%)
- Next 14kWh (14–28kWh): 60% of the STC factor
- Capacity from 28kWh to 50kWh: only 15% of the STC factor
- Beyond 50kWh: no rebate
For a typical 10kWh household battery, this change is irrelevant. But if you were considering a larger 15kWh–25kWh system for a big household, an EV, or a pool, the rebate per kWh drops significantly above 14kWh after 1 May.
Change 3: Western Power grid rules change
All new or upgraded solar and battery systems connecting to the SWIS from 1 May must meet updated technical standards. New systems must choose between:
- Option A: systems with remote disconnection capability — full DEBS feed-in tariff access and VPP-ready
- Option B: systems without — export capped at 1.5kW
CSIP-AUS (a new communication standard) also becomes mandatory for VPP participation. Your installer handles the technical side, but the short version is: after 1 May, installation becomes slightly more complex, and existing systems installed before 1 May are grandfathered under the current rules.
A Worked Example — Perth Synergy Household
Let’s run the numbers for a typical Perth home: a four-bedroom house in a suburb like Canning Vale, Scarborough, or Duncraig, currently paying around $450 per quarter ($1,800/year) for electricity, with an existing 6.6kW solar system installed in 2019 that’s still performing well.
The family is considering adding a 10kWh battery.
Before 1 May 2026 — installed in April
- Battery system, fully installed: ~$13,500
- Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program: -$3,110
- WA Residential Battery Scheme (Synergy): -$1,300
- Net out-of-pocket cost: ~$9,090
After 1 May 2026 — installed in May or later
- Battery system, fully installed: ~$13,500
- Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program: -$2,520
- WA Residential Battery Scheme (Synergy): -$1,300
- Net out-of-pocket cost: ~$9,680
Delay cost: approximately $590 per 10kWh battery.
Annual savings on that same battery
- Peak grid imports avoided (5 pm–9 pm Synergy A1 tariff, 32.37 c/kWh): ~$900/year
- Additional evening self-consumption: ~$300/year
- Synergy Battery Rewards VPP activations ($0.70/kWh credit during events): ~$200/year
- Total annual savings: approximately $1,400/year
Payback period: around 6.5 years on a battery with a 10-year warranty.
If the same household is eligible for the $10,000 no-interest loan, the $1,400 in annual bill savings alone more than covers the monthly repayments. In practical terms, the battery pays for itself from day one.
Note: figures are indicative. Actual savings depend on your household’s usage pattern, battery brand, install complexity, current Synergy tariff, and VPP dispatch frequency.
How to Apply — Step by Step
You don’t apply directly to the government. Here’s how it works in practice.
- Check you’re eligible. Confirm you’re a residential Synergy or Horizon Power customer, own your home (or have landlord consent), and have or are installing a compatible solar PV system.
- Get quotes from approved vendors. Your installer must be listed on the Plenti Vendor Directory and hold SAA accreditation. Multiple quotes are recommended — pricing and inclusions vary.
- Confirm the battery and inverter are on the Supported Solutions List. Each retailer (Synergy or Horizon Power) publishes an approved products list. Ask your installer for specific vendor and product codes before you sign.
- Vendor lodges the application on your behalf. You don’t fill in any government forms. Your approved installer handles the paperwork through the WA Government portal.
- If applying for the no-interest loan, Plenti contacts you. Credit checks and loan documents are processed once conditional approval is granted. You typically have up to six months from approval to complete the installation.
- Installation. A typical residential battery retrofit is a one-day install. Current lead times across Perth are running at 4–8 weeks during peak demand periods.
- VPP enrolment. Your system is registered with Synergy’s Battery Rewards VPP or Horizon’s Community Wave (or an equivalent approved VPP). The rebate is confirmed, and the discount is applied to your final price.
The Virtual Power Plant Requirement — Is It Actually a Catch?
No. It’s genuinely one of the better parts of the deal, but it confuses people, so let’s unpack it.
A Virtual Power Plant (VPP) lets your electricity retailer — Synergy in most Perth cases — draw small amounts of energy from your battery during peak grid demand events, in exchange for payments at premium rates.
Under Synergy Battery Rewards, the retailer pays $0.70 per kWh for energy exported from your battery during an activation event. For context, retail power costs around 32 c/kWh. So during a dispatch event, you’re paid more than double the retail rate.
Synergy typically runs around 30 dispatch events per year, usually lasting a few hours during late-afternoon or early-evening peak demand. You retain control outside these windows, and most VPPs let you opt out of specific events if needed.
The VPP agreement runs for two years, after which you can exit at any time.
The typical Perth household earns $130–$350 per year from VPP participation — ongoing, year after year. For most households, the financial benefit comfortably outweighs the inconvenience of occasional dispatch events.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install new solar panels to get the battery rebate?
No. Your existing solar system qualifies — both the federal and WA battery rebates apply, provided your solar system is operational and connected to the same property. You can also install solar and a battery together; they generate their own rebates independently, and you claim both.
Which battery brands qualify?
Any battery listed on the Synergy or Horizon Power Supported Solutions List and installed by an accredited vendor. Common qualifying brands include Sungrow, Tesla Powerwall, BYD, GoodWe Lynx-Home, Alpha ESS, FranklinWH, and several others. Ask your installer to confirm the specific model you’re considering.
Is there an income cap?
Not for the rebate itself. The rebate is available to all eligible residential customers. The $210,000 income cap only applies if you want to access the no-interest loan, not the rebate.
Do I have to pay tax on the rebate?
No. Government rebates under these schemes are not treated as assessable income and don’t need to be declared on your tax return. The rebate is applied as a discount at the point of sale.
What happens if I install a battery larger than 10kWh?
For the WA state scheme, the rebate is capped at 10kWh regardless of battery size. For the federal scheme (before 1 May 2026), you receive the full rebate on every kWh up to 50kWh. After 1 May, the tiered structure kicks in — full rebate up to 14kWh, reduced above that.
How long does the whole process take?
From first call to commissioned and operational system: typically 4–8 weeks during peak demand periods like now. To meet the 1 May deadline, the practical cut-off for starting the conversation is mid- to late-April. After that, installer calendars are unlikely to accommodate before the deadline.
What if the WA scheme runs out?
The WA Government has allocated 100,000 rebates in total, and as of early 2026, allocations are still available. If they run out before the scheme’s scheduled end, the rebate is no longer available — the federal program would continue regardless. There’s no formal waiting list.
Can I join a different VPP?
Synergy customers can opt for an alternative VPP product, provided it meets state criteria (is compatible with your battery, is offered by your battery supplier, and is backed by genuine market value streams). Horizon Power customers join Community Wave or related programs. Your installer can advise what’s available for your equipment.
Want a Battery Quote With Every Rebate Already Applied?
We’re Easy Solar — Perth-based, owner-operated, Welshpool-headquartered. John Chadwick has installed solar and batteries across Perth metro for over 8 years, and we’re an approved vendor for both the federal and WA battery schemes. That means we handle all the paperwork — you don’t fill in a single government form.
What you get when you call us:
- A free, no-pressure phone consultation with John directly — not a call centre
- A free on-site assessment of your roof, switchboard, and current system
- A written quote with both rebates already applied as upfront discounts
- An honest answer on whether a battery actually pays back for your household, including “not yet” if that’s the truth
- CEC-accredited installation, fully insured, with a 10-year workmanship warranty
- The same phone number, five or ten years from now, when you need warranty support
