Is a home battery worth it yet?
Sometimes, and far more often than two years ago. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program takes roughly $252 per usable kWh off the first 14kWh, and low feed-in tariffs mean each stored unit is worth more than it used to be. A battery still almost always pays back more slowly than panels alone, so the honest question is not whether it pays, but whether the extra bill reduction and blackout cover are worth the slower return to you.
What has actually changed
Two things moved at once. The federal rebate meaningfully reduced the upfront cost, and feed-in tariffs fell far enough that storing a unit became clearly more valuable than exporting it. Together they have shortened battery paybacks considerably.
What has not changed is the basic arithmetic. A battery does not generate anything. It moves energy you have already made from the middle of the day to the evening. Its value is therefore capped by how much surplus you have and how much of your evening load it can cover.
What the rebate is worth
The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program is calculated per usable kilowatt-hour, at roughly $252/kWh on the first 14kWh, tapering to 60 per cent of that rate between 14kWh and 28kWh and 15 per cent between 28kWh and 50kWh.
| Battery size | Claimable on | Approx. rebate |
|---|---|---|
| 10kWh | 10kWh | ~$2,520 |
| 15kWh | 14kWh | ~$3,530 |
| 27kWh | 14kWh | ~$3,530 |
The cap matters. Above 14kWh you are paying full price for the extra capacity, so a very large battery has to earn its keep on the value of what it shifts alone. The rebate also steps down over time, which is a genuine reason not to wait indefinitely, though not a reason to buy the wrong size in a hurry.
Who a battery genuinely suits
- Big evening loads. Cooking, heating or cooling and hot water after dark is exactly what a battery is for.
- Out during the day. Counter-intuitively, a battery is worth more to a household that is out, because so much of their generation would otherwise export at a low rate.
- Existing solar with a large surplus. If you already export a lot, you already have the fuel.
- Outage-prone areas. Blackout backup is a real benefit that no payback calculation captures. It is worth being clear with yourself that you are buying it, though, rather than pretending the finance alone justifies it.
Who it does not
- Small bills. If there is not much to offset, the battery has little to do.
- Most usage already during the day. If you consume your generation as you make it, there is little surplus left to store.
- No solar and no plans for it. A battery with nothing cheap to charge from is arbitrage on retail tariffs, which is a much thinner case.
Before the battery, the free thing
If you still have resistive electric storage hot water, it is likely one of the largest single loads in the house. Putting it on a midday timer so it heats off your own roof, or replacing it with a heat pump, usually beats adding battery capacity on both cost and payback. It is worth asking about before you spend anything on storage.
Compare solar only against solar plus a battery
The assessment costs both on the same basis and shows the payback for each, so you can see the trade rather than be told it.
Check my home, freeCommon questions
How much is the federal battery rebate?
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program is worth roughly $252 per usable kWh on the first 14kWh, then 60 per cent of that rate from 14kWh to 28kWh and 15 per cent from 28kWh to 50kWh. A 10kWh battery claims the full rate on all 10kWh; a 27kWh battery claims the full rate on 14 and the reduced rate on the rest.
How long does a home battery take to pay for itself?
Typically longer than panels alone. The exact figure depends on how much surplus you generate, how much of your evening load the battery covers, and what you pay per unit.
Is a battery worth it if I am out all day?
Often yes, and more than people expect. If you are out during the day, most of your generation would otherwise export at a low feed-in rate, so a battery has plenty to capture.
What size battery should I get?
Size it to the evening load you want to cover, not to your bill. Note the rebate tapers above 14kWh of usable capacity, to 60 per cent of the rate up to 28kWh and 15 per cent up to 50kWh, so the extra capacity is supported but less generously.
Do batteries provide backup power in a blackout?
Only if the system is specified for it. Backup requires particular equipment and wiring, and it is not automatic. Ask explicitly if it matters to you.
Last reviewed 27 August 2026. Rebate amounts, feed-in tariffs and retail prices change; figures here are checked against the calculator's own state data, which is published in the methodology.