Australia’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program provides an upfront discount on eligible home battery systems through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme.
Rather than applying for a rebate yourself, the incentive is applied as a point-of-sale discount when your battery is installed by an accredited installer. The installer creates Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), which reduce the upfront price of your system.
Right now, eligible batteries generate 8.4 STCs per usable kWh. At current certificate prices, that's worth around $310 per kWh of battery storage. On a 42kWh Fox ESS system, the government is effectively covering the majority of the total system cost.
BKH's prices do not change on May 1st. What changes is how much the government covers. After May 1st, you cover the difference.
From 1 May 2026, the federal battery rebate changes in two important ways.
First, the STC factor drops from 8.4 to 6.8, which slightly reduces the rebate value per kilowatt hour of battery capacity.
Second, the rebate will shift to a tiered structure based on battery size.
The new structure provides the highest rebate support for the first portion of battery capacity, with reduced support for very large systems.
This change is designed to keep the overall rebate around 30% of battery costs while battery technology becomes more affordable over time.
On a 42kWh Fox ESS system:
This is why many of our customers are choosing to install the largest system possible before May 1. The rebate currently provides the greatest benefit on larger battery systems, which will be more affected by the upcoming changes
To be eligible for the federal battery rebate under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program:
BKH is CEC-accredited and all Fox ESS systems are on the approved product list. If you have existing solar and want to add a battery, you almost certainly qualify. Call us and we'll confirm in minutes.
Right now, the federal battery rebate provides a substantial discount on large battery systems. From May 1, the rebate reduces and becomes tiered, meaning larger batteries will receive less support.
It's not a one-off cut. From May 1st, the rate drops in January and July every year until 2030. The longer you wait, the more you pay.
The tiered structure is specifically designed to reduce support for larger batteries. A 42kWh system loses the most. Install now to get the flat rate on the full capacity.
No 4 to 6 week lead times here. We hold Fox ESS inventory and our in-house team can have your system installed within 5 business days of booking.
Slots before May 1st are filling up. The earlier you call, the more options you have on install dates.
Our pricing does not change. What changes is the value of the federal rebate applied to your system. Install before May 1 to access the current rebate level.
Four steps. We handle the hard parts.
We have stock available and installations can be completed within 5 days.Install before May 1 to access the current rebate level before it reduces.
