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Rebate Clock

Rate falls 6.8 → 5.7 on 1 Jan 202790 days

Your battery’s rebate, and what waiting costs

Worked out the way the Clean Energy Regulator does it.

Your battery and install date
Installed by 31 Dec 2026$3,640
Installed from 1 Jan 2027$3,040
Waiting costs you−$600

91 certificates × $40 for 13.5 kWh usable, at the May–Dec 2026 factor of 6.8. 76 certificates from 1 Jan 2027.

The factor is set by the date on the electrical compliance certificate, not the date you sign the quote.

19 batteries, every install date

Compare batteries
State and price
For state top-ups; the federal rebate is the same everywhere.
Price per certificate

The clock: this battery’s rebate by install date

  1. May–Dec ’26$3,640
  2. Jan–Jun ’27$3,040
  3. Jul–Dec ’27$2,800
  4. Jan–Jun ’28$2,480
  5. Jul–Dec ’28$2,200
  6. Jan–Jun ’29$1,920
  7. Jul–Dec ’29$1,640
  8. Jan–Jun ’30$1,400
  9. Jul–Dec ’30$1,120

How the size taper applies

  • First 14 kWh at 100%13.5 kWh
  • 14 to 28 kWh at 60%0 kWh
  • 28 to 50 kWh at 15%0 kWh

Get quotes from more than one accredited installer, and ask each to show the STC discount as its own line.

Updated 3 Oct 2026 · every figure links to its source · No provider pays us to be listed.

How the number is worked out

Pick your battery and install date. You get the federal discount worked out the way the Clean Energy Regulator does, and the dollars you lose if the install slips past 1 January 2027, when the rate falls from 6.8 to 5.7 certificates per kWh.

  1. Start from the battery’s usable capacity, as recorded on the Clean Energy Council’s approved list.
  2. Count the first 14 kWh in full, the next 14 kWh at 60% and the 22 kWh after that at 15%. Capacity above 50 kWh earns nothing.
  3. Multiply by the STC factor for the date the electrical compliance certificate is issued, and round down to whole certificates.
  4. Multiply by the price per certificate: $40 at most, the fixed Clearing House price, excluding GST.

The department sets the taper (100% to 14 kWh, 60% to 28 kWh, 15% to 50 kWh), rounds partial certificates down, and buys battery certificates through the Clearing House at the $40 price set in law. (DCCEEW, checked )

We checked this calculator against the regulator’s own STC calculator for 56 battery sizes and dates, and it gives the same number of certificates for every one. The regulator’s calculator asks a battery for only two things, its usable capacity and install date, so your postcode does not change the federal amount. (REC Registry (Clean Energy Regulator), checked )

Certificates traded close to the $40 Clearing House price throughout the June quarter of 2026, even with record volumes. (Clean Energy Regulator, checked )

Popular batteries: rebate now and from 1 January 2027

Each at its largest size that stays within 14 kWh usable, the most the full rate covers, at $40 a certificate. Every size and install date is on each battery’s page.

All 19 batteries

State and territory extras

The federal rebate is the same in every state. These states add something of their own on top:

  • New South Wales: no state rebate on the battery itself, but a one-off payment for joining a virtual power plant (set by the provider, worked out on up to 28 kWh) and zero-interest loans up to $15,000.
  • Western Australia: a state rebate of up to $1,300 for Synergy customers or $3,800 for Horizon Power customers on top of the federal discount, if you join a VPP, plus zero-interest loans up to $10,000.
  • Australian Capital Territory: no rebate, but the Sustainable Household Scheme lends $2,000 to $20,000 at 3% over up to 10 years for a battery and other upgrades.

Questions

How is the federal battery rebate calculated?

The rebate is paid as small-scale technology certificates (STCs). The number of certificates is the battery's usable capacity times the STC factor for the install date, with the factor applied in full to the first 14 kWh, at 60% from 14 to 28 kWh and at 15% from 28 to 50 kWh, rounded down. Each certificate is worth up to $40 excluding GST. From 1 May 2026 to 31 December 2026 the factor is 6.8.

How much will I lose if my battery is installed in January?

About 16% of the federal rebate. On 1 January 2027 the factor falls from 6.8 to 5.7. For a 10 kWh battery that is $440 at $40 a certificate; for 20 kWh it is $760.

Why does the calculator ask for usable capacity rather than the size on the label?

Because the certificates are based on usable capacity: the energy the battery can actually deliver. The label usually shows nominal capacity, which is often larger. Nominal capacity only decides whether the battery is eligible (5 to 100 kWh). Every battery in our list uses the usable figure on the Clean Energy Council's approved list.

Will my installer give me the full amount?

Not always. Installers usually take the certificates in exchange for a discount and may deduct administration fees, and the open-market price can sit below the $40 Clearing House price. Ask each installer for the number of certificates and the price per certificate, then set that price in the calculator.