MISSION GREEN — SIGNAL DESK
The Energy Wire
Every rebate change, price move and rule shift that affects your home — dated, sourced and filed by state. Real deadlines get flagged. Fake urgency doesn’t make the wire.
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- SCHEDULED — NOT YET IN EFFECT
VIC minimum efficiency standards hit rentals in 2027
Solar Victoria states that from 1 March 2027 new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards will apply to rental properties and public housing in Victoria, which the government says could save renters potentially thousands of dollars a year.
What it means: If you rent out a Victorian property, the upgrades you can currently get rebated are the same ones that are about to become mandatory — which makes doing them now, with a rebate, cheaper than doing them in 2027 without one. We have not seen the final list of required measures published, so treat the date as firm and the detail as still to come.
SOURCE: SOLAR VICTORIA ↗RE-VERIFIED 12 AUG 2026NSW trims big commercial heat pump incentives from 2027
IPART states that from 1 January 2027, the confidence factors used to calculate energy savings for Energy Savings Scheme heat pump water heater activities F16 and F17 reduce from 1 to 0.7 for products with individual heat pump thermal capacities of 10kW and above — cutting the certificates, and therefore the incentive, on larger commercial installations completed after 31 December 2026.
What it means: If your business is planning a large heat pump hot water installation in NSW, the same project earns roughly 30% fewer certificates once it lands after New Year. Commercial hot water projects run on long lead times, so a decision made in spring determines which side of the line the installation falls on. Under-10kW units are untouched, and the residential activities are not affected by this change.
Battery rebate factor steps down again on 1 January 2027
The Clean Energy Regulator's published STC factor for batteries is 6.8 per kWh of useable capacity for May to December 2026, falling to 5.7 for January to June 2027 and 5.2 for July to December 2027. The CER states the factor "is adjusted in line with falling battery costs over time" so that the discount stays at around 30% of the upfront cost.
What it means: The same battery earns about 19% more certificates installed in December 2026 than in January 2027 — but the CER cuts the factor because battery prices are falling, and the aim is to hold the discount near 30% either way. Treat "install before the rebate drops" as a sales line, not a deadline: compare the total installed price, not the size of the rebate.
Solar STC deeming period drops to 4 years in 2027
The Clean Energy Regulator's deeming table gives a 5-year deeming period for systems installed in 2026 and 4 years for 2027. The CER states the deeming period "decreases by one year each year until 2030 when the scheme ends". It applies to rooftop solar, solar water heaters and heat pump water heaters.
What it means: Unlike the battery factor, this one is a straight reduction — one fewer year of certificates on the same system, and it repeats every January until the scheme ends in 2030. It is a reason not to leave a planned install sitting for years, not a reason to rush one you have not costed.
SOURCE: CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026Flexible trading lets a battery or EV charger be metered separately
The AEMC's flexible trading arrangements rule for consumer energy resources is being implemented in stages, with in-built metering arrangements from 31 May 2026 and the majority of the rules commencing 1 November 2026. It allows a flexible device such as a battery or EV charger to be managed and traded separately from the rest of a home's load.
What it means: It opens the door to plans that price your battery or EV charger on a different rate to your fridge and lights. Whether that is worth anything depends on retailers actually offering it — wait for real offers before paying for new metering.
SOURCE: AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET COMMISSION ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026New VEU ceiling-insulation rebate for VIC homes
Victorian Energy Upgrades now covers ceiling insulation as a point-of-sale discount (via VEECs). Live for public and community housing now; opens to all eligible Victorian homes from 1 October 2026.
What it means: If your ceilings are poorly insulated, this is usually better value than any generation upgrade — insulate first, then size solar or a battery to the smaller load.
VIC lifts disconnection debt threshold to $1,000
From 1 October 2026 Victorian retailers must automatically move customers experiencing payment difficulty onto their best plan, and the minimum debt at which a household can be disconnected rises from $300 to $1,000.
What it means: If you are behind on a bill you get more room before disconnection, and your retailer has to put you on their cheapest plan. It only triggers once they know you are struggling, so tell them.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026VIC proposes capping air conditioner incentives
DEECA's response to its space heating and cooling consultation proposes capping the capacity used in VEU incentive calculations at 20 kW for multi-split reverse-cycle air conditioners installed in residential premises. DEECA states the cap will not apply to installations in non-residential premises, and it does not apply to ducted systems. Multi-split systems above 20 kW can still be installed, but no incentive is awarded above that capacity. Separately, the minimum customer co-payment rises to $3,000 (including GST) for all ducted RCACs and for multi-split RCACs with a cooling capacity of 10 kW or more; multi-splits under 10 kW stay at $1,000 (including GST). DEECA states the changes are proposed to take effect from 30 September 2026 and that the VEU Specifications are still to be updated.
What it means: Proposed, not yet law — so treat any "beat the deadline" ad with suspicion. Two limits are worth knowing before you accept a quote: the 20 kW cap is multi-split and residential only, so a Victorian business installing in non-residential premises is not capped by it, and ducted systems are not capped either. What does bite both is the co-payment floor. Insist on a quote that states the VEU amount as its own line.
- IN EFFECT NOW
95 whistleblower tip-offs allege rorting of the federal battery rebate
The ABC reported on 9 September 2026 that the Clean Energy Regulator received 95 tip-offs, running to hundreds of pages, about the Cheaper Home Batteries Program between March and June 2026. The allegations include installs that were staged for the camera — extra batteries positioned for the compliance photos, then removed once the small-scale technology certificate claim had been submitted, with the customer unaware — photo time-stamps and location data being manipulated to claim rebates on incomplete jobs, and installers being offered cash to sign off work done by unlicensed foreign workers. One tipster described a Queensland installer's conduct as "systematic". More than 530,000 batteries have been installed under the program since July 2025, and it is now costed at more than $7.2 billion over four years — around $5 billion more than first announced. The ABC reports that 17 of those installations are formally under investigation by the regulator for legal compliance.
What it means: These are allegations, not findings, and the overwhelming majority of installers are doing the job properly. But the specific frauds described are ones you can check for on your own job, and they are worth knowing before you sign. The certificates are claimed against photographs of your installation, so ask for the compliance photos your installer submitted and confirm the equipment in them is the equipment still on your wall. Check the serial numbers on the battery against the ones on your paperwork. Confirm the licence and accreditation of whoever actually attends — not the salesperson's, the attending installer's. And be wary of anyone who wants the job signed off before it is finished. If a rebate has been claimed on hardware you never received, it is your address on the claim.
Seven NEOVOLT batteries lose their approval from 15 September
IPART issued a Ban Notice on 8 September 2026 stopping seven NEOVOLT (Bytewatt) battery models being used in NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme activities BESS1, BESS3 and BESS4, effective 11.59pm that day. It acted because the Clean Energy Council has announced it intends to suspend the same models from its Approved Batteries list effective 15 September 2026 — the certificate of compliance with the applicable IEC standards is no longer valid, the manufacturer supplied incorrectly marked products, and the nameplate did not match the products in the listing application. The affected models are the BW-BAT-9.6P and its I, II, III, IV, V and VI variants. The Clean Energy Council states there are no known safety concerns with any NEOVOLT battery and that the issues relate to certification and product listing requirements. The manufacturer has three months to complete corrective actions or the models are de-listed. The importer is Solar Capital Australia Pty Ltd (service.au@byte-watt.com, 1300 901 706).
What it means: This is a national problem, not only a NSW one. The Clean Energy Council's Approved Batteries list is what the federal battery discount runs on — the council states plainly that a suspended product "is no longer eligible for small-scale technology certificates", and that government rebate programs including the SRES require batteries from that list. So from 15 September a NEOVOLT install in any state stops attracting the federal battery rebate, worth thousands of dollars. If you are holding a quote with one of these models on it, you have days, not weeks: either the system is installed and the certificates created before the suspension starts, or the battery model has to change. Ask your installer in writing which model is on the order and what the price is if it has to be swapped. Nobody is telling you to switch an installed NEOVOLT off — the council says there is no known safety issue.
SOURCE: IPART (NSW ENERGY SAVINGS SCHEME AND PEAK DEMAND REDUCTION SCHEME) AND CLEAN ENERGY COUNCIL ↗CLOSES 15 SEP 2026ADD TO CALENDARTalk to us about your battery →RE-VERIFIED 9 SEP 2026Round 3 of the DRIVEN EV charger rebate opens, and it now covers workshop gear
The Australian Government opened round 3 of the DRIVEN Charger Rebate Stream on 8 September 2026. It pays automotive dealerships and EV repair businesses up to $3,000 per charging plug, capped at $21,000, plus up to $250 towards third-party fees for application assistance. Following industry feedback, round 3 widens what counts: as well as smart fixed and portable DC chargers, funding now covers EV workshop equipment and infrastructure including personal protective equipment, high-voltage toolkits and battery diagnostics equipment. The site cap has been lifted to $50,000. The department states more than 400 dealerships and EV repair businesses were funded through rounds 1 and 2.
What it means: This one is for businesses that service cars, not for households. If you run a workshop or a dealership, the money is no longer only for the charger on the wall — the high-voltage tooling and PPE you need before you can legally work on an EV are now in scope, and the ceiling per site is $50,000. Check eligibility before you buy anything, because rebates of this shape usually will not pay for equipment already purchased.
NSW funds 12 community groups to help households get at rebates
The NSW Government announced $4.7 million on 8 September 2026 for 12 community and not-for-profit organisations under the Community Energy Activation Program. The funding buys advice on cutting energy bills, workshops and one-on-one support, guidance on upgrades including efficient appliances, insulation, draughtproofing, rooftop solar and home batteries, and help accessing rebates, concessions and government energy programs — with support tailored for renters, apartment residents and low-income households. The organisations funded are Asian Australians for Climate Solutions (Western Sydney), Community Power Agency (statewide), Cowra Information and Neighbourhood Centre (Central West), Electrify Bouddi (Central Coast), Energyze North Shore (Northern Sydney), Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand (statewide), Illawarra Multicultural Services (Illawarra), Owners Corporation Network of Australia (Inner West and Western Sydney plus Newcastle, Wollongong and Shellharbour), Pingala Community Energy (Hunter, Central Coast, Inner Sydney), Repower Shoalhaven (South Coast), Rewiring Australia (statewide) and Southern New England Landcare (New England). It builds on the $2 million Inclusive Energy Outreach Grant funding ten organisations.
What it means: No new rebate here — this is money for people who will sit down with you and work out which of the existing ones you can actually claim. That matters most for the two groups the schemes serve worst: renters and apartment residents. If you are in a strata building, the Owners Corporation Network is on this list and is the obvious first call, because it deals with owners corporations for a living.
NSW rewrites its battery incentive rules from 7 September
New Energy Savings Scheme and Peak Demand Reduction Scheme Rules were published on 31 August 2026 and apply to all installations with an implementation date on or after 7 September 2026. For the PDRS battery activities: minimum customer payments for BESS3 and BESS4 are clarified as applying per implementation; batteries under BESS1, BESS3 and BESS4 must be on a product list approved by the Scheme Administrator; BESS3 eligibility and implementation requirements are updated; battery-capacity-to-inverter-output requirements are clarified for BESS3, BESS4 and BESS5; the battery-to-solar capacity requirement for BESS4 and BESS5 applies only where the battery is installed within 90 days of new solar; BESS5 batteries must pass UL9540A fire-safety performance criteria and sit behind the meter; and a BESS2 site cannot have registered life-support equipment. Eligibility of small single-split and ducted air conditioners under HVAC2 also changes, with installs from 1 July to 6 September able to use either the old or new rule.
What it means: These read as installer-side mechanics, but they decide what you can actually buy with a discount. If you are being quoted an apartment or business battery, ask whether the exact battery model is on the Scheme Administrator's approved list under the new rule — a quote written before 7 September around equipment that no longer qualifies is the installer's problem to fix, not yours. And if anyone at your address uses registered life-support equipment, the BESS2 demand-response incentive is off the table.
SOURCE: IPART ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY SCHEMES (NSW) ↗RE-VERIFIED 5 SEP 2026Victoria moves to open the VEU program up to its largest energy users
DEECA published two proposed VEU reforms for large business on 3 September 2026. The Large Energy User Access Initiative would amend the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Regulations so that Scheduled Activity Premises — the large facilities exempted from the VEU program under Schedule 5 — get five years, rather than two, of opting in before they start paying program costs. Consultation closes 11.59pm on Friday 2 October 2026, with an information webinar on Thursday 17 September 2026. Separately, DEECA has published its response to the industrial heat decarbonisation consultation (34 submissions) and will add four new project-based activity methods: electric thermal energy storage, heat demand reduction, gas boiler efficiency improvement and behind-the-meter biogas. The Measurement and Verification Specifications are to be finalised in September 2026 and published in the Government Gazette.
What it means: If your site is a Scheduled Activity Premises, the arithmetic on opting in changes: today you pay program costs from 1 January of the second calendar year after your first certificate, and the proposal stretches that to five years — far more room to get upgrades done before the bill starts. Two things have not changed and still catch people out: opting in is voluntary, and the commission's acceptance must land before any works, because certificates cannot be created for an installation that is already done.
SOURCE: VICTORIAN DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE ACTION ↗CLOSES 2 OCT 2026ADD TO CALENDARCommercial solar →RE-VERIFIED 9 SEP 2026NSW opens $2m round 2 of Net Zero Planning Grants for business
The NSW Government opened round 2 of its Net Zero Planning Grant on 2 September 2026: up to $25,000 covering up to half the cost of net zero planning work — greenhouse gas inventories, climate risk and opportunity assessments, emissions-reduction action plans and target setting, and identifying cost savings and fuel-switching opportunities. It is open to eligible commercial and industrial businesses across all sectors, and can also fund a first Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plan for businesses that hold an Environment Protection Licence and must now produce one for the EPA. Applications close 5pm on 30 November 2026, or earlier if the $2 million pool is exhausted. The grant sits inside the $22 million Business Decarbonisation Program; round 1 awarded $1.3 million to 46 businesses.
What it means: This is planning money, not hardware money — but it pairs neatly with what opened this month: the PDRS business battery discounts started 1 September and the federal government topped up discounted SME solar-and-battery finance in August. A business can use this grant to fund the audit and plan that justifies the install, then use the other schemes to discount the install itself. First-come funding with a hard November close — worth moving early.
SOURCE: NSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION ↗RE-VERIFIED 5 SEP 2026NSW opens battery incentives to apartments and business
Three new PDRS battery activities commence 1 September 2026. BESS3 covers apartment buildings (Class 2) with at least four dwellings, for combined usable capacity above 20 kWh and up to 200 kWh, with a minimum customer payment of $1,000. BESS4 covers small and medium business on the same capacity band with a $5,000 minimum payment. BESS5 covers commercial and industrial systems above 200 kWh and up to 30,000 kWh, with the incentive applying only to the first 10,000 kWh of capacity. NSW now publishes what the discount is worth: about 30 to 40 per cent off the cost of a battery installed together with new or additional solar, or about 20 to 30 per cent for a battery on its own, delivered as an upfront discount in the installer's quote. Eligible batteries run from 20 kWh to 30 MWh; residential buildings and data centres are excluded. To get the higher rate, new solar must be installed within 90 days either side of the battery and must be at least 25 per cent of the new battery's capacity.
What it means: The pairing rule is the one to plan around — adding solar within 90 days lifts the discount by roughly ten percentage points, and if you already have solar you still need to add capacity worth a quarter of the battery. Discounts are indicative and set by the installer, so compare quotes.
Two more VEU businesses cancelled: Solar On Roof and Re-Energi
The Essential Services Commission has cancelled the Victorian Energy Upgrades accreditation of Add On Services Pty Ltd (trading as Solar On Roof) and Renewable Energy Pty Ltd (Re-Energi). The commission alleges Solar On Roof and its contractors submitted false information to claim extra certificates — including a doctored photo — engaged in banned unsolicited telemarketing and doorknocking, failed to permanently decommission old hot water systems, and published misleading claims about the VEU on its website; it must surrender 1,228 certificates valued at over $100,000. Re-Energi allegedly claimed certificates for ineligible upgrades, engaged in banned sales activity, and failed to collect required minimum payments from consumers, including by reimbursing them afterwards; it must surrender 279 certificates valued at around $23,000. Both were suspended in March 2026, and both cancellations were upheld on internal review on 19 August. The businesses can still seek review at VCAT.
What it means: If either business — or a contractor working for them — did your upgrade, keep every certificate, receipt and piece of paperwork, and report any unfinished work to the ESC. One detail worth remembering when you get any VEU quote: the rules require you to make a minimum co-payment on certain upgrades, so a salesperson offering to waive or refund that payment is describing a rule breach, not a discount. This is the sixth VEU enforcement action since the ESC's Fraud Taskforce started, on top of two liquidations in August.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 5 SEP 2026Two VEU businesses in liquidation: Eco Assets Manager and 0Carbon
The Essential Services Commission has been notified that two businesses involved in the Victorian Energy Upgrades program — Eco Assets Manager Pty Ltd and 0Carbon — have entered external administration and are no longer operating. The commission suspended Eco Assets Manager's VEU accreditation on 26 August 2026, so it can no longer undertake any VEU activities. 0Carbon's accreditation had already expired in May 2026 and was not renewed. The ESC has published liquidator contacts for customers of both businesses and says it is monitoring the situation and may take further action.
What it means: If either business quoted or performed an upgrade for you, contact the appointed liquidators before paying anyone or signing anything new — the ESC lists esun@bandtadvisory.com.au for Eco Assets Manager and bjones@hogansprowles.com.au for 0Carbon. Unfinished installs and deposits become claims in the administration, so keep every certificate, receipt and piece of paperwork. It's the latest in a run of VEU business failures and enforcement actions this year.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 31 AUG 2026WorkSafe and Solar Victoria team up on rooftop safety
WorkSafe and Solar Victoria announced expanded data sharing on 26 August 2026 to target falls risks in solar installation. A new WorkSafe tool integrates Solar Victoria installer notifications so inspectors can identify active sites, prioritise operators with poor histories, and visit at least three solar installation sites proactively each week. So far this year, 14 Solar Victoria investigations linked to WorkSafe enforcement have produced 10 Solar Homes Program suspensions for inadequate fall prevention. Since 2021, WorkSafe has prosecuted 42 solar companies over falls risks with more than $1.4 million in penalties, and more than 2,300 construction workers — including solar workers — have been injured in falls, with 20 deaths.
What it means: If your installer is suspended from the Solar Homes Program mid-job, your rebate paperwork stalls with them — so an installer's safety record is now directly a consumer issue, not just a worksite one. It is fair to ask a quoting installer how they manage roof work: scaffolds, rails or harnesses on site is the expected answer. Suspensions for missing fall protection are running at roughly one a month this year.
SOURCE: SOLAR VICTORIA AND WORKSAFE VICTORIA ↗RE-VERIFIED 26 AUG 2026SA ran its annual solar backstop test
SA Power Networks conducted its annual Smarter Homes solar curtailment test on Tuesday 25 August 2026. Rooftop solar on systems installed since September 2020 was ramped down to 0 kW for under an hour through the Relevant Agents that manage them, then ramped back up. SA Power Networks puts the average cost to a participating household at about 1.5 kWh of missed generation — roughly nine cents of export — and describes the exercise as a fire drill for the grid: it checks that compliant systems curtail when directed, that Relevant Agents respond quickly, and that systems reconnect smoothly. The underlying capability is used only when AEMO declares a genuine system-security emergency.
What it means: If your SA system flatlined at zero for a stretch that lunchtime, nothing was broken and there is nothing to do — generation resumed after the test. Two things worth knowing: the test's cost to you is cents, not dollars, so ignore anyone selling panic about it; and every system installed since September 2020 must have this capability, so a seller promising you an exemption from the backstop is a red flag, not a perk.
Another VEU business suspended over doctored photos
The Essential Services Commission suspended the Victorian Energy Upgrades accreditation of Royal One Pty Ltd on 25 August 2026, alleging the business submitted digitally altered photos and falsified customer details to claim energy efficiency certificates. The commission states its Fraud Taskforce confirmed the alterations through third-party data matching and phone audits of listed customers, and that this is the taskforce's fourth enforcement action. Royal One's accreditation expired shortly after the suspension and the business did not apply to renew it, so it is no longer accredited under the program.
What it means: The pattern across this and the Discount LEDs and A.K. Alvi actions is the same: the regulator is now cross-checking installers' photo evidence against independent data, and businesses are losing accreditation over it. If Royal One performed or quoted an upgrade for you, contact the ESC's VEU enquiry line before engaging anyone else, and keep your paperwork — certificate claims tied to your address may be affected.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 26 AUG 2026Inspector fined for signing off home batteries he never inspected
A licensed electrical inspector was convicted and fined $5,000 at Ringwood Magistrates' Court on 24 August 2026 after pleading guilty to four charges of giving false information to Energy Safe Victoria. The certificates covered home battery installations at four properties in May and September 2025, and falsely stated he had inspected, tested and certified the work. Home battery installation is prescribed electrical work in Victoria, so its Certificate of Electrical Safety is only valid with a Certificate of Inspection confirming a licensed inspector attended the site before connection. The magistrate said the fine would have been $15,000 without the early guilty plea.
What it means: Your battery's safety sign-off is only worth anything if the inspector physically attended. When your install is finished, you should receive the Certificate of Electrical Safety — and for a battery it must be backed by an inspection, not just the installer's word. Ask your installer for the certificate number, and if you doubt an inspection happened, raise it with Energy Safe Victoria. If your 2025 battery install was certified by this inspector, contact ESV to have the installation checked.
SOURCE: ENERGY SAFE VICTORIA ↗RE-VERIFIED 26 AUG 2026WA extends consumer protections to embedded networks
Energy Policy WA announced on 25 August 2026 that the regulations underpinning the Alternative Electricity Services (AES) framework have been made, extending formal customer protections to people who buy electricity through arrangements other than a standard retailer. The framework, under Part 3A of the Electricity Industry Act 2004, initially covers on-site power supply (OPS) services and single property networks (SPNs) — the arrangements common in apartment buildings, lifestyle villages and caravan parks. The Code of Practice for OPS services has been made, with provider registration opening 1 February 2027. SPN registration has been delayed to 1 July 2027 to give providers time to prepare, and consultation on the draft SPN Code of Practice is open now.
What it means: If your power comes through your building, village or park operator rather than a retailer you chose, WA is giving you enforceable protections with dates attached. Nothing changes to your supply now — the obligations land on providers from February 2027 (OPS) and July 2027 (SPN). If you operate such a network — strata, park or precinct — registration is coming and the draft SPN code is the document to read now.
SOURCE: ENERGY POLICY WA ↗RE-VERIFIED 26 AUG 2026VIC tightens who can install rebated ceiling insulation
From 21 August 2026 accredited providers must collect a geotagged photo of the cables at the switchboard, taken by the licensed electrician doing the pre-installation electrical safety assessment. The Essential Services Commission has also confirmed an installer must hold full Certified Insulation Installer certification — provisional is not enough — and that the lead installer must be on site for the whole install.
What it means: Insulation going into a ceiling cavity full of old wiring is exactly where this can go wrong, so the electrician's check is the point of it. Ask to see the switchboard photo — if nobody took one, the job was not done to the program's rules.
$10m First Nations clean energy grants: 4-week window
DCCEEW published grant guidelines on 20 August 2026 for the $10 million First Nations Clean Energy Pilot Grants, supporting First Nations organisations to deliver clean energy projects. Applications open 1 September and close 28 September 2026, submitted through GrantConnect and Business.gov.au. The program sits under the First Nations Clean Energy Program and is separate from the existing First Nations Clean Energy Advice Grants, with its own eligibility rules.
What it means: The application window is only four weeks, but the guidelines are out now — an eligible organisation can do the heavy preparation before 1 September. Check eligibility on GrantConnect first, and use the Business Grants Hub for application questions rather than discovering problems at the deadline.
SOURCE: DCCEEW (FEDERAL) ↗RE-VERIFIED 26 AUG 2026WA funds Albany homes and businesses to leave gas
The WA Government has announced an extra $21 million to support residents and businesses affected by ATCO's decision to exit the Albany gas market, on top of a previously committed $10.8 million. About $16 million is set aside to help more than 6,000 homes and small businesses cover the cost of installing LPG bottles — and the government states that customers who prefer can instead reallocate that funding toward the cost of electric appliances. Standard bottled-gas conversion is put at around $1,600 per customer, with case-by-case support for older properties. Large gas-using businesses including restaurants will be offered free energy audits, with further support for them announced later this year once those audits are done. ATCO is contributing $5.5 million voluntarily and the transition has been delayed to 2027.
What it means: If you are in Albany, the money is not locked to bottled gas. You can put it toward going electric instead — which for most homes means a heat pump hot water system and induction cooking rather than another gas bottle. Timelines and how to access the funding are due in October; Energy Policy WA is taking sign-ups for updates now.
NSW business battery discount stacks with the federal schemes
NSW has announced that from 1 September 2026 eligible businesses, including commercial and industrial operations, can take an upfront discount of around 20 to 40 per cent on battery installation through government-accredited suppliers, on batteries from 20 kWh to 30 MWh. The program page confirms the discount can be combined with BOTH the Australian Government's Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme solar discount and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, provided the eligibility rules of each are met. The government's own worked examples put a small business such as a grocery store at a discount of around $37,000 and a medium business such as a dairy farm at around $355,000.
What it means: The stacking is the part worth planning around. A NSW business can take the state battery discount, the federal solar discount and the federal battery discount on the same project — but each has its own eligibility, and the higher state rate needs new solar sized at 25% of the battery within 90 days either side.
VIC's “up to $2,800” for solar is a rebate plus a loan
DEECA's consolidated discounts page advertises an “upfront discount” of up to $2,800 for rooftop solar. The incentive behind that figure is listed as the “Solar Victoria solar panel (PV) rebate plus interest-free loan” — that is a rebate of up to $1,400 and a matching interest-free loan of up to $1,400, repaid over four years. The two halves are not the same thing: one you keep, one you pay back. Victoria's hot water figure on the same page works differently — up to $2,030 for a locally made system combines the Solar Victoria rebate with a separate VEU discount, and both of those are genuine discounts rather than credit.
What it means: If a quote or an ad puts $2,800 against your solar, ask which part is the rebate and which is the loan. The rebate is up to $1,400 and is paid as 50% of system cost after STCs, so a cheaper system returns less than the cap. The loan is optional, and taking it is a financing decision, not a discount.
SOURCE: DEECA (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 23 AUG 2026VIC apartments: up to $2,800 a household for solar
Solar Victoria's Solar for Apartments program pays up to $2,800 per apartment and up to $140,000 per property for solar on apartment buildings, strata townhouses and units under an Owners Corporation sharing a common property rooftop. Solar Victoria states applications are open until 30 June 2027 or until all rebates are exhausted, whichever comes first, and that an average household in a multi-unit development can save up to $500 a year.
What it means: Apartments have been the blind spot in every solar rebate until now, and this is the largest per-household amount in the Victorian scheme — nearly double the owner-occupier PV rebate. It is claimed by the Owners Corporation, not by you individually, so the work is getting it onto a committee agenda. The rebate is applied by your chosen retailer as a discount on the invoice, so you are not waiting on a payment.
SOURCE: SOLAR VICTORIA ↗CLOSES 30 JUN 2027ADD TO CALENDARSolar for apartments & strata →RE-VERIFIED 12 AUG 2026VIC adds a commercial solar discount to the VEU
The Victorian Government has expanded the Victorian Energy Upgrades program with upfront incentives for commercial and industrial premises installing solar PV systems between 30 and 200 kilowatts. Solar Victoria states all Victorian businesses and non-residential sites, including community buildings, schools and hospitals, are eligible, and that systems must be installed through VEU accredited providers. Solar Victoria adds that businesses wanting a system larger than 200 kW can do so under the VEU's project-based activity instead, and that businesses may also be eligible for federal incentives on the same install.
What it means: Commercial solar in that 30-200 kW band previously had no Victorian incentive at all — only federal STCs. If you have been sitting on a quote for a warehouse, clinic or school roof, the number just changed. Check your installer is VEU accredited before you sign, because the discount cannot be claimed retrospectively through a provider who is not.
NSW Family Energy Rebate open — $180 a year
Households receiving the Family Tax Benefit and named on a NSW electricity account can claim up to $180 each financial year, or up to $198 as an embedded network customer. NSW Climate and Energy Action states applications are open now and close 15 June 2027, with processing currently taking 4-9 weeks.
What it means: If you already receive the Low Income Household Rebate you only get a partial Family Energy Rebate — $20 retail or $22 embedded — so claim the low-income one first and treat this as a small top-up. You must have lodged last year's tax return and finalised your Family Tax Benefit entitlement with Centrelink before this can be assessed, which is what the 4-9 week processing time is waiting on.
SOURCE: NSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION ↗CLOSES 15 JUN 2027ADD TO CALENDARPensioner & low-income options →RE-VERIFIED 12 AUG 2026NSW Low Income Household Rebate — $285 a year
Holders of a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or Veteran Gold Card named on a NSW electricity account can claim up to $285 each financial year, or $313.50 as an embedded network customer. Retail applications are open now with no closing date published; embedded network applications close 30 June 2027.
What it means: This is the largest of the NSW household electricity rebates and the one to claim first — it pays more than the Seniors Energy Rebate ($200) and reduces the Family Energy Rebate to a $20 top-up, and you cannot hold it alongside the Seniors rebate at all. If you qualify for this you may also be eligible for the NSW Gas Rebate or the Medical Energy Rebate, which are separate.
NSW Seniors Energy Rebate open — $200 a year
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders named on a NSW electricity account can claim $200 each financial year. NSW Climate and Energy Action states applications are open now and close 30 June 2027. If you receive the Low Income Household Rebate you cannot receive this one as well.
What it means: This is $200 off your power bill that nobody claims on your behalf — you have to apply, and it does not roll over. Retail customers apply online through Service NSW or by post; if you are in an embedded network (a retirement village or some apartment blocks) there is a separate form. Self-funded retirees are the group most likely to be missing it, because it is the Seniors Health Card that qualifies you, not a pension.
SOURCE: NSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION ↗CLOSES 30 JUN 2027ADD TO CALENDARPensioner & low-income options →RE-VERIFIED 11 AUG 2026ACT Next Gen battery rebates have closed
The ACT's Next Gen Energy Storage program has reached its target of 5,000 batteries in Canberra homes and businesses and is no longer accepting rebate applications. Everyday Climate Choices directs households to the Sustainable Household Scheme and the Home Energy Support Program instead, and businesses to the Business Energy and Water program.
What it means: If you were counting on a territory battery rebate in the ACT, there isn't one — the support now is the 3% Sustainable Household Scheme loan plus the federal battery discount.
SA battery owners can be paid to join an approved VPP
VPP1, "Connecting a New or Existing Battery to an Approved Virtual Power Plant", is a published activity specification under South Australia's Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme, alongside demand-response activities for EV chargers (EV1), heat pump water heaters (WH4), pool pumps (APP4) and air conditioners (HC2C), and for switching a household to a time-of-use tariff (TOU1). The incentive is funded and set by the obliged retailer or activity provider, not paid by the government, and the department publishes no dollar amount — it directs customers to ask their retailer or activity provider what is available.
What it means: The figure you will see quoted is “up to $2,050”, and it is no longer only installer marketing — South Australia's own Seniors Card consumer channel now publishes it. Read the words around it carefully: it is a ceiling, not an entitlement. The amount depends on your battery size and on whether you are in the Priority Group — pensioner concession and health care card holders, anyone on the SA energy bill concession, renters paying $500 or less a week, customers on a retailer hardship program or payment plan, and people referred by a South Australian Financial Counsellors Association member. The Department for Energy and Mining still publishes the activity, not a dollar amount, because the incentive is funded and set by the obliged retailer or activity provider. So $2,050 is what the best-placed household might get, not what you will get. Get your number in writing from the retailer before you sign.
ACT businesses: up to $13,000 in energy rebates
The ACT's Sustainable Business Program offers businesses operating from commercial premises rebates of up to $10,000 for energy and water efficiency upgrades plus up to $3,000 for an EV charger, alongside free technical advice covering transitioning off gas, upgrading equipment, and installing solar panels and battery storage. All rebates require a co-contribution from the business. Businesses operating from residential premises are not eligible and are directed to the household programs instead.
What it means: Two conditions decide it: the rebates only cover upgrades that have not yet started, so apply before you commit, and a home-based business is sent to the household schemes rather than this one.
QLD's QBEST business rebate is no longer listed
Business Queensland's "Energy saving programs" page for business now lists only the Business Chamber Queensland ecoBiz service, the Queensland Ag Energy Hub and Ergon Energy and Energex support programs. The Queensland Business Energy Saving and Transformation (QBEST) rebate is not among them, and its dedicated page on energyandclimate.qld.gov.au now redirects to the Queensland Treasury home page. The last government announcement about it was the ministerial statement of 4 October 2023, which set out a $16 million program rebating up to 50 per cent of the cost of new energy-efficient equipment, capped at $12,500, on a minimum spend of $8,000 excluding GST.
What it means: Third-party sites still advertise QBEST as though you can apply. Two things worth knowing before you spend time on it: Queensland no longer lists it, and it never covered solar or batteries anyway — the eligible equipment was LED lighting, commercial refrigeration, efficient motors and fans, variable-speed compressors and chillers, and 4-star-or-better appliances.
Big VIC sites are locked out of VEU until they opt in
The Essential Services Commission states that scheduled activity premises — sites that were previously participants in the EPA's Environment and Resource Efficiency Plan program, on the basis that they were large energy-using sites — are excluded from the Victorian Energy Upgrades program unless the occupier opts in by giving written notice under the VEET Regulations. The commission maintains a public Register of Scheduled Activity Premises so businesses and accredited providers can check a site's status. Opting in is done by completing the commission's notification template and emailing it to veu@esc.vic.gov.au, after which the premises is marked "notice made".
What it means: The timing is the trap. The commission says its acceptance of the notice "must be completed prior to the carrying out of any energy efficient activities" — install first and the certificates cannot be created for the site. If you run a large Victorian industrial or commercial site, check the register before you plan a VEU-discounted upgrade. Opting in also creates a liability for your energy retailer once a certificate is registered.
SA subsidises small business energy assessments
The South Australian Government's Small Business Sustainability Support Program, delivered by 2XE, offers small and family businesses a free information session and a free one-on-one consultation with a sustainability advisor covering energy use, emissions and operating costs. Businesses that complete the consultation can then access a Business Sustainability Assessment at a subsidised cost of $500 excluding GST, which the department says identifies actions to reduce emissions and sets out the return on investment. Free Small Business Sustainability Workshops are also being run across the state.
What it means: The consultation costs nothing and the assessment is the part that produces numbers you can act on. Worth doing before you take a solar or battery quote, not after.
SA's Powering Business energy grant has closed
business.sa.gov.au states that applications for the Powering Business Grant have now closed. The grant supported eligible small and medium businesses and not-for-profits to upgrade to more energy-efficient systems to reduce and manage energy use and costs, and was funded under the South Australian Government's $154.2 million Business Growth Fund.
What it means: It is still linked prominently from the SA business programs page, so it is easy to start an application that cannot be lodged. What remains for an SA business is the subsidised sustainability assessment and the commercial activities under the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme.
TAS small businesses: $1,000 for an energy audit
ReCFIT's PowerSmart for Small Business program reimburses Tasmanian small businesses up to $1,000 for an energy audit, and is open for applications through SmartyGrants. ReCFIT lists up to $450,000 in annual funding for four years depending on uptake, lets businesses choose their own energy auditor with no accredited provider list, and offers the option of having a proposed audit scope pre-approved as eligible before the audit is undertaken. The grant is claimed after the audit by submitting the report and invoice.
What it means: An audit is the step that tells you whether solar, a battery or simply a better tariff is the cheaper fix — and Tasmania will now pay for most of it. Note the program page points readers to the Energy Saver Loan Scheme for follow-on funding; ReCFIT's own scheme page says that loan closed on 1 September 2025, so do not plan around it.
WA foster and grand carers: $377.14 energy payment
The WA Government's new Foster and Grand Carer Gold Card carries a one-off Energy Bill Relief Payment of $377.14 per household. The Department of Communities says registrations opened on 1 July 2026 and that carers who register through the ServiceWA app receive the payment into their nominated account between 1 July and 30 September 2026. Carers who would rather not use the app can register through Fostering Connections on 1800 182 178, or the WA Seniors Card Centre on 1800 671 233 for grandcarers.
What it means: It is a cash payment to the carer, not a discount on your bill, and it is separate from the WA energy concessions. You have to register to get it — it is not automatic.
$1bn federal fund cuts the rate on home energy upgrade loans
The Household Energy Upgrades Fund provides discounted finance for solar PV, batteries, insulation, double glazing and efficient electric appliances through seven participating lenders — Plenti, Westpac, ING Australia, Bank Australia, Commonwealth Bank, Brighte and Plico Energy. DCCEEW says the CEFC has committed over $500 million and the lenders a further $500 million since the fund started in May 2024; Bank Australia's CEFC-supported discount is noted as fully utilised.
What it means: It is not a rebate — it is a cheaper loan. You apply to the lender, not the government, and it can sit alongside the federal battery discount and your state's rebate.
QLD sets connection-time targets for Energex and Ergon
New Connections Guarantee KPIs require Energy Queensland to complete simple supply-available connections within five days 95 per cent of the time in 2026-27, with separate measures for subdivision and developer works, negotiated connections and public reporting of results. Energy Queensland's chief executive said solar, batteries and electric vehicles can make connections more complex. The framework is backed by $418 million in 2026-27 and also covers Powerlink.
What it means: This is a reporting target on the networks, not a promise about your install. It only covers straightforward connections where supply is already available — a solar or battery connection needing negotiation sits outside that five-day measure.
VEU installer Discount LEDs in liquidation, accreditation suspended
The Essential Services Commission suspended the Victorian Energy Upgrades accreditation of Discount LEDs Pty Ltd on 7 August 2026, following confirmation the company has entered external administration and is no longer operating. The ESC states the company is not permitted to undertake any activities under the VEU program, and that customers who had engaged or were engaging it should contact the appointed liquidators at admin@gsandrews.com.au.
What it means: If Discount LEDs quoted, started or part-completed a VEU upgrade for you, the company cannot legally finish the job under the program — contact the liquidator, and keep every document. If you paid a deposit you are a creditor. An unfinished VEU activity can usually be completed by another accredited provider, but the certificates position needs checking first, so call the ESC's VEU line before signing anyone else.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 13 AUG 2026Powerwall 2 recall: you can now book the replacement
The ACCC recall for the Tesla Powerwall 2 was updated on 12 August 2026 with a change to what owners should do: consumers can now contact their installer to schedule their replacement, rather than waiting to be contacted. The recall covers units available for sale from 1 November 2020 to 23 August 2025, where certain third-party lithium-ion cells may fail and overheat, with reports of units smoking or emitting flames. Replacement is at no cost. Tesla is on 1800 958 369 or PWNoticeANZ@tesla.com. PRA 2025/20611.
What it means: Our earlier item told you to check the Tesla app and wait for Tesla to act. That advice is now out of date in one useful way — you can pick up the phone and get the replacement booked yourself.
$150m more for discounted small-business solar and battery finance
The Australian Government has announced an additional $150 million expanding the Clean Energy Finance Corporation's partnership with ANZ. The ANZ Energy Efficient Asset Finance Program covers rooftop solar, battery storage, electric vehicles, energy-efficient equipment and recycling technology, with ANZ and the CEFC each contributing 0.4% a year toward a combined 0.8% finance discount.
What it means: If you run a business sitting on a commercial solar or battery quote, this cuts the interest rate rather than the sticker price — and it is delivered by ANZ, so you apply through the bank, not through a government portal. The department says the partnership has provided more than 1,600 businesses with over $444 million in discounted finance since 2017, and more than $90 million of that in the past financial year alone.
Wildman Solar creditors must lodge claims by 27 August
Wildman Plumbing and Electrical Pty Ltd (ACN 648 965 673), formerly trading as Wildman Solar, is in liquidation. The joint liquidators gave notice on 6 August 2026 that they will declare a first and final dividend on 31 August 2026, and that creditors whose claims have not already been admitted must formally prove their debts on or before 27 August 2026 or be excluded from it.
What it means: If you paid Wildman Solar a deposit, have an unfinished job, or hold a warranty from them, this is a hard cut-off. Lodge a formal proof of debt with the liquidator (Hayes Advisory, Sydney) before 27 August or you get nothing from the payout. A workmanship warranty from a company in liquidation is generally worthless — your remaining cover is the manufacturer's product warranty, so find your panel and inverter paperwork.
Solar certificates to extend to systems up to 1 MW
The Australian Government announced on 5 August 2026 that solar PV systems with a total onsite capacity between 100 kW and 1 MW will be eligible to create small-scale technology certificates. The Clean Energy Regulator says the change is intended to apply to mid-scale solar installed from 1 October 2026, subject to regulations being in place.
What it means: Nothing changes for a home system. The Clean Energy Regulator states plainly that existing arrangements for systems smaller than 100 kW are not affected — this is for commercial, industrial and farm-scale installs. If you run a business or a farm and have been quoted for something over 100 kW, it may be worth waiting for the regulations.
SOURCE: CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 6 AUG 2026ACT consults on gas appliance rules — closes 16 September
The ACT Government opened consultation on a discussion paper setting out regulatory options to support moving away from fossil fuel gas, including improving consumer information at point of sale, strengthening rental standards, and limiting new gas appliance installations. Consultation runs from Wednesday 5 August to Wednesday 16 September.
What it means: Nothing changes yet — this is the stage where the rules are still being shaped. If you rent in Canberra, own a rental, or are weighing up replacing a gas heater or hot water system, this is the window to have a say before a draft framework is written.
SOURCE: ACT GOVERNMENT (MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY AND WATER) ↗CLOSES 16 SEP 2026ADD TO CALENDARHave your say →RE-VERIFIED 6 AUG 2026Victorian energy upgrades business banned for five years
The Essential Services Commission cancelled the Victorian Energy Upgrades accreditation of A.K. Alvi Enterprises Pty Ltd, alleging it kept advertising energy upgrades as an accredited business while suspended — including under a different trading name, CarbonGreens — and failed to remove the false representations. It is disqualified from reapplying for five years.
What it means: If someone knocks or calls offering a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount, being 'accredited' is a claim you can check rather than take on trust. Accreditation can be suspended or cancelled, and a business can keep advertising under another name after it is. Look the business up on the ESC's register before you sign or let anyone into your home.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 6 AUG 2026Synergy drops the additional-homes supply charge
From 1 August 2026 Synergy no longer charges the Home Plan (A1) supply charge for 'additional homes' — properties containing multiple residential premises where a Western Power submeter is fed through a main meter. It falls from 46.1412 c/day to zero. The subsidiary electricity meter rental fee also drops from $0.16 to nil.
What it means: Narrow but real: if you're on a granny flat, subdivided block or multi-dwelling property in WA fed off a submeter, roughly $168 a year of fixed charges comes off. Worth checking your next bill actually reflects it. The equivalent Hot Water Plan (B1) additional-homes charge was not removed — it rose to 25.1235 c/day.
SOURCE: SYNERGY ↗RE-VERIFIED 6 AUG 2026Most of SEQ's price cut was method, not cost
The Queensland Competition Authority reports that the 2026-27 Default Market Offer cut the annual reference bill by 7.2% for south-east Queensland residential flat rate customers, but states that a large part of the headline reduction reflected changes to the DMO methodology rather than reductions in retailers' underlying costs. In the first week of July 2026, 17 of 20 retailers had residential flat rate market offers below the DMO reference bill, and about 90% of those offers were below or at the DMO.
What it means: A headline fall that comes from changing how the benchmark is calculated does not put money in your pocket. What does: almost every retailer sits below the benchmark, so the DMO is a ceiling to compare against, never a deal to sit on.
AER penalties hit retailers over billing and disconnection
The Australian Energy Regulator's 2025-26 compliance and enforcement report sets out penalties including $1.089 million against Alinta Energy for alleged breaches of overcharging obligations relating to Centrepay customers, and $142,800 against EnergyAustralia for alleged failures to comply with explicit informed consent and disconnection obligations. The AER has also instituted Federal Court proceedings against Origin Energy over payments received from Centrepay customers.
What it means: If you pay your power bill through Centrepay, this is the regulator finding that people in your position were overcharged. Worth checking old bills against what you were told you would pay — and if you were disconnected after a payment plan went wrong, that is the other conduct being penalised here.
SOURCE: AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 2 AUG 2026CER puts accuracy of STC claims top of its watchlist
The Clean Energy Regulator published its compliance and enforcement priorities for 2026-27. Of only two focused priorities, the first is that small-scale technology certificate claims must be accurate and complete; the second is that auditors deliver evidence-based audits. Accurate applications and information, and installer and retailer technical compliance, are listed as enduring priorities.
What it means: The certificates behind your point-of-sale discount are claimed in your name by the installer. The regulator saying it will police those claims is a reason to keep your paperwork — if a claim is later found to be wrong, it is your system it was claimed against.
VIC retailer fined for not warning of a price rise
The Essential Services Commission fined CovaU $81,404 after it allegedly failed to give 5,891 customers notice of an upcoming 1 August increase to their electricity and gas rates. CovaU refunded more than $400,000. Victorian retailers may raise rates on a variable plan only once a year on a set date, which for most customers is 1 August, and must tell customers in advance.
What it means: Your Victorian rates can only move once a year, and 1 August has just passed. If your bill went up without a notice landing first, that is the breach the ESC just fined a retailer for — ask for the notice, and ask for a refund if it never came.
IPART wants household views on NSW retail energy
IPART has opened its 2025-26 review of the NSW retail electricity and gas markets and published a consultation paper. It says it wants to hear from households among other stakeholders, and that it will continue to report on new energy products and services including virtual power plants and demand response programs. Submissions close 1 September 2026, with reports to the Minister in November 2026.
What it means: A rare chance to put a household experience of a VPP or a demand response contract in front of the body that reports on them. If a VPP paid you less than the pitch suggested, this is where that evidence belongs.
ESCOSA consults on SA distributor consumer protections
The Essential Services Commission of South Australia has released a draft decision on consumer protections for NEM-connected electricity distributors, proposing to relocate obligations into the Small-scale Electricity Network Code and add new protections where it identifies regulatory gaps. The Commission is seeking feedback on the draft decision paper by 4 September 2026, with a final decision scheduled for November 2026.
What it means: Distributors are the poles-and-wires business you cannot choose, so the rules covering how they treat you matter more than they sound. If you have fought one over a connection or an outage, the submission window is open until 4 September.
CER bans installers; their systems lose the rebate
In its April-June 2026 compliance update the Clean Energy Regulator permanently suspended 21 companies from the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, mainly because ASIC had deregistered them so they are no longer legal persons. It also issued a notice of intention to declare a solar retailer ineligible for up to 3 years over systems declared complete and capable of generating when they were not. Two accredited installers were separately banned: Sandeep Laxman Shinde for 3 years (13 July 2026) and Shunqi Sun for 12 months (10 July 2026). The CER states systems installed by a banned installer during the period are not eligible for small-scale technology certificates.
What it means: This is the failure mode that costs real money: if the accredited installer on your paperwork was banned, the certificates behind your discount can be refused, and the shortfall lands on you. Check the accreditation number on your quote before you pay a deposit, not after.
CER to become national technical regulator for home energy devices
The Clean Energy Regulator announced it is preparing to take on a new role regulating the interoperability technical standards of consumer energy resources, which it says could include rooftop solar inverters, batteries and electric vehicle chargers. The announcement states no commencement date.
What it means: The long-term aim is one national rulebook so your solar, battery and EV charger actually talk to each other instead of locking you into a single brand. Nothing changes for existing systems yet — there is no start date.
SOURCE: CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026NT Battery Scheme closed — $6m funding exhausted
The NT Home & Business Battery Scheme has reached its $6 million funding allocation and is closed to new grants; submitted-but-unapproved applications are only considered if funding remains. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program still applies in the NT.
What it means: Don't budget for this grant. If a quote still includes it, the price you were shown is wrong.
SOURCE: NT GOVERNMENT ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026VIC hot water rebate open: up to $1,000 for 2026-27
Solar Victoria's hot water rebate is open for 2026-27 — up to $1,000 off an eligible heat pump or solar hot water system, or up to $1,400 for locally made products, for households with combined taxable income under $150,000. Both are paid as 50% of the purchase price after STCs and VEECs, so a cheaper system returns less than the cap. Installation must be finalised within 120 days of approval.
What it means: If your electric or gas hot water unit is near end of life, this is usually the highest-return upgrade in the house — hot water is a big share of a typical bill.
NSW apartment solar grants close 4 December
The NSW Solar for Apartment Residents grant co-funds shared rooftop solar on strata buildings and is applied for by the owners corporation or the strata managing agent. Applications close 5pm EDST on 4 December 2026, or earlier if the funds are fully allocated. The program page does not publish a grant amount or co-funding percentage.
What it means: A dated government cut-off that can close early if the money runs out. In a strata building the slow part is getting the owners corporation to resolve, not the paperwork — start there.
SOURCE: NSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION ↗CLOSES 4 DEC 2026ADD TO CALENDARBatteries for apartments and strata →RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026VIC ends the energy "loyalty tax"
New Victorian rules require energy retailers to identify customers who have been on the same plan for more than four years and to start moving them to a cheaper plan if they are no longer paying a reasonable price. Retailers must weigh current offers, market prices and the Victorian Default Offer when judging what is reasonable, and must limit additional retail charges and conditional discounts to a reasonable cost.
What it means: Do not wait to be moved. The obligation is real, but the fastest saving is still comparing offers yourself — the rule exists precisely because loyal customers were the ones being charged most.
QLD concession electricity rebate is $399.47 a year
The Queensland Government publishes its concession-card electricity rebate at $399.47 a year including GST, and the reticulated natural gas rebate at $96.45 a year. You must hold an eligible concession card, be the account holder, and the address must be your principal place of residence. The page does not state a previous amount or an indexation date.
What it means: It is not applied automatically — you have to apply, and plenty of eligible households never do. Worth five minutes if anyone in the house holds a pensioner, seniors or health care card.
SA energy concession is up to $291.27 a year
South Australia's energy bill concession for eligible low and fixed income households is published at up to $291.27 a year. The amount is indexed each financial year and is calculated as a flat rate per day, and it covers energy payments including bottled LPG.
What it means: It lands as a daily credit, not a lump sum, so it is easy to miss. Concessions quietly lapse when you move house or switch retailer — check yours is still attached to the account.
NT shared-solar grant open: $7,500 per dwelling
With the Home and Business Battery Scheme closed, the NT's Solar for Multi Dwellings Grant Scheme remains open on GrantsNT with a listed closing date of 31 December 2027. It offers $7,500 excluding GST per dwelling, capped at 50% of the total cost of eligible works, for body corporates installing shared rooftop solar, solar sharing technology, smart meters and battery storage.
What it means: The one NT scheme still open, and the only realistic route to solar if you live in a unit and do not own the roof. It is claimed by the body corporate, not by you individually.
SOURCE: GRANTSNT (NORTHERN TERRITORY GOVERNMENT) ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026QLD rental solar rebate: up to $3,500 for landlords
Queensland's Supercharged Solar for Renters program, open since 12 December 2025, offers eligible landlords rebates of up to $3,500 to install solar on a tenanted rental property. Conditional approval must be granted BEFORE installation — install first and the rebate is lost. The property must be a Class 1a building (house, duplex or townhouse) or a secondary dwelling such as a granny flat, individually metered, rented for $1,000 or less per week, and currently rented under a lease with at least eight months remaining at final application. Apartments are Class 2 and are not eligible. The property must be owned by an individual: properties held by a trust, self-managed super fund or company are excluded. Tenant consent is required, and body corporate consent where applicable.
What it means: Renters cannot apply themselves, so the move is to raise it with the owner or agent — ideally at lease renewal, since the lease needs eight months left to run. The landlord ends up owning a discounted asset, which is usually the argument that lands. Two traps kill applications: installing before conditional approval, and ownership through a trust or SMSF, which is a flat exclusion rather than a hurdle.
NSW writes a vehicle-to-grid activity into the PDRS
The Peak Demand Reduction Scheme Rule now contains activity V2G1, onboarding a battery electric vehicle with a demand response aggregator. NSW states it is a new activity to commence on a date to be announced by the Minister for Energy, and that more information will be published ahead of that date.
What it means: The rule exists but is switched off until the Minister names a date, so there is nothing to claim yet. Treat any offer to pay you for enrolling your EV in a NSW scheme today as a commercial deal, not this one.
SOURCE: NSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION (ENERGY SECURITY SAFEGUARD) ↗Is V2G worth it? →RE-VERIFIED 2 AUG 2026SA VPP households must move to AGL to keep the discount
The South Australian Government's VPP page now carries a notice stating that existing SA VPP households need to agree to transfer to AGL to keep their access to the SA VPP electricity discount. AGL took ownership of the VPP from Tesla in 2025. The discounted rate remains set at 26% below the regulated Default Market Offer. No transfer cut-off date is published.
What it means: This is one to act on rather than file. The discount is the whole point of being in the SA VPP, and it is conditional on agreeing to the transfer — no date is published, which is a reason to sort it now, not later.
SOURCE: SA DEPARTMENT FOR ENERGY AND MINING ↗RE-VERIFIED 2 AUG 2026SA plan cuts 26% for Housing Trust tenants without solar
The South Australian Government and AGL offer a discounted electricity plan to eligible SA Housing Trust tenants who do not have solar or a home battery, at rates 26% below the reference price. Registration is required. The department states there are no changes to your home or how you use electricity, and no lock-in contract.
What it means: Most South Australian support assumes you own a roof. This one does not — it is a retail plan for tenants with no solar and no battery, and there is no lock-in, so the downside of registering is small.
ACT apartments: up to $100,000 for shared solar
The ACT's Solar for Apartments Program offers owners corporations up to $100,000 towards solar that benefits all residents including renters, split 50% as a grant and 50% as a zero-interest loan the owners corporation repays. To be eligible the average unimproved value of a unit must be $300,000 or less in any year from 2022, and the premises must be a completed development with a Class A unit plan. The program is co-funded up to $3.6 million under the Commonwealth Solar Banks Initiative and the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme.
What it means: The largest single sum on this feed for an apartment building, and half of it never has to be repaid. The unit-value cap is the gate most blocks will hit — check it before the strata committee spends time on a proposal.
SOURCE: ACT GOVERNMENT (EVERYDAY CLIMATE CHOICES) ↗Batteries for apartments and strata →RE-VERIFIED 2 AUG 2026ACT offers apartments free electrification advice
The ACT's newly launched Sustainable Apartments Program builds on the Sustainable Apartments Pilot and offers owners corporations support that can include a comprehensive service at no cost, covering a site assessment, a tailored electrification pathway and a recommendation report. To be eligible the premises must be an apartment building with a Class A unit plan, a completed development, and must include existing gas infrastructure and appliances.
What it means: Getting gas out of an apartment block founders on nobody knowing what it would cost. A free site assessment and a written pathway is exactly the document a strata committee needs before it can vote on anything.
VIC solar rebate income cap drops to $150k
Solar Victoria's PV rebate income cap drops from $210,000 to $150,000 from 1 July 2026 — households earning $150,000–$210,000 must apply by 30 June 2026.
What it means: If your household income sits between $150,000 and $210,000 you needed to apply before the cut-off. Above the new cap, price the system without the rebate rather than hoping.
ACT SHS: loan cap now $20,000, solar moves to HESP
From 1 July 2026 the Sustainable Household Scheme applies a $20,000 maximum loan for new applicants (previous participants and anyone approved before 1 July 2026 keep a $15,000 maximum), and rooftop solar is no longer in the main scheme — zero-interest solar loans move to the Home Energy Support Program for eligible concession card holders. Batteries, heat pumps, electric heating/cooling and EV chargers remain eligible.
What it means: If you were planning to fund solar through the SHS loan, that path has moved — check whether you qualify for the concession-based program before you assume the loan covers it.
SOURCE: ACT GOVERNMENT — CLIMATE CHOICES ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026Default Market Offer 2026-27 falls in NSW and SE QLD
The AER's final Default Market Offer for 2026-27 applies from 1 July 2026 in NSW, south-east Queensland and South Australia. Residential flat-rate standing offer prices fall 3.4%-5.0% in NSW and 7.2% in south-east Queensland; South Australian households see a 1.4% increase.
What it means: The default offer is the safety-net price, not a good one — if you're on it, a fall of a few per cent still leaves you paying more than a competitive plan. Use it as a prompt to compare, not as a saving.
SOURCE: AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026Victorian Default Offer drops about 5%
The Essential Services Commission's final Victorian Default Offer applies from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Households on the default offer see an average reduction of $84 a year, and small businesses $241 a year.
What it means: $84 a year is real but small. The bigger lever is leaving the default offer entirely — it exists as a cap, not a deal.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026IPART cuts NSW feed-in benchmark to 3.4-6.5c
IPART's all-day solar feed-in benchmark for 2026-27 is 3.4 to 6.5 cents per kWh, down from 4.8 to 7.3 cents in 2025-26. The benchmark is a guide only — NSW retailers set their own feed-in rates.
What it means: Exporting is worth less again, which shifts the value to using your own solar as it is generated. It does not automatically mean you need a battery — run the numbers on your own usage first.
NSW battery incentive can be claimed with the federal rebate
The PDRS Rule change that commenced 1 July 2026 states that both the NSW BESS1 battery incentive and the Commonwealth Cheaper Home Batteries Program incentive can be claimed for eligible implementations. The same rule redefines Usable Battery Capacity as 90% of nominal capacity, and removes the inverter warranty and DER Register requirements.
What it means: Two incentives on one battery is the biggest single lever on NSW payback. Ask for a quote that shows the federal discount and the NSW incentive as separate line items — if they are folded into one "discount", you cannot tell what you actually received.
SOURCE: NSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION (ENERGY SECURITY SAFEGUARD) ↗NSW battery options →RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026Solar Homes adds supervision and cyber-security rules
From 1 July 2026, businesses in Solar Victoria's Solar Homes Program must actively supervise apprentice electricians in line with Energy Safe Victoria's requirements, and eligible products must meet the national cyber security rules that commenced 4 March 2026.
What it means: Two quiet quality improvements that cost you nothing: the crew on your roof has to be properly supervised, and your battery or inverter cannot ship with a default password.
SOURCE: SOLAR VICTORIA ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026TAS power prices rise 4.23% from 1 July
The Tasmanian Economic Regulator approved Aurora Energy's 2026-27 standing offer prices on 25 June 2026. Prices rise an average 4.23% for residential and small business customers on mainland Tasmania, an estimated $108 a year for a typical residential customer on Tariff 31/41. The Regulator attributes almost all of the increase to higher approved TasNetworks network costs, and also approved tariff structure changes that generally raise the daily supply charge and reduce usage charges.
What it means: More of the bill has moved into the fixed daily charge, which means cutting usage saves you less than it used to. Check your own tariff — the Regulator says impacts vary and some customers will land above or below the 4.23% average.
TAS minimum feed-in tariff rises to 9.276c/kWh
The Tasmanian Economic Regulator set the minimum feed-in tariff for 2026-27 at 9.276 cents per kWh, 5.6% above the 2025-26 rate of 8.782 cents. Retailers operating in Tasmania must offer at least this rate to eligible customers. The Regulator attributes the rise mainly to higher loss factors, slightly higher wholesale costs and higher market participation costs.
What it means: Tasmania is one of the few places where exporting solar is worth more this year, not less, and the floor is legally guaranteed. That genuinely weakens the battery case here compared with the mainland — do the sums before assuming you need one.
TAS gets new regulated flat-rate tariffs
As required by the Regulator, Aurora Energy introduced new regulated flat rate tariffs for residential and small business customers from 1 July 2026, offering a standing offer with a single usage rate regardless of the time of day.
What it means: Useful if a time-of-use tariff stopped suiting how you actually live. A flat rate is not automatically cheaper though — compare it against your last full year of usage, not against the headline rate.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE TASMANIAN ECONOMIC REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026Regional QLD power prices fall about 6.9%
The Queensland Competition Authority's final determination sets regulated retail (notified) prices for regional Queensland from 1 July 2026. Typical residential customers on tariff 11 are expected to pay around 6.9% less than in 2025-26, and typical small business customers on tariff 20 around 8.1% less.
What it means: This is the Ergon regulated tariff in regional Queensland only. In south-east Queensland it is the Default Market Offer that sets the benchmark, and that is a separate number.
Regional QLD feed-in tariff cut 31% to 6.006c
The Queensland Competition Authority set the regional Queensland flat-rate solar feed-in tariff for 2026-27 at 6.006 cents per kWh, 31% below the 2025-26 rate of 8.660 cents, applying from 1 July 2026. The QCA attributes the fall to lower energy costs and better solar export data from advanced digital meters, and states customers should not expect the rate to stay the same when deciding whether to install or upgrade a system.
What it means: A third less for every kWh you export. The cheapest response is not a battery — it is moving what you can into daylight hours, starting with hot water, the pool pump and pre-cooling the house.
WA residential tariff rises from 1 July
Energy Policy WA's household pricing table shows the standard residential A1/A2 tariff rising on 1 July 2026: the daily supply charge from $1.1605 to $1.1924, and the usage charge from 32.3719 to 33.2621 cents per unit. Neither Energy Policy WA nor Synergy publishes a percentage change for this tariff.
What it means: Ignore the "2.75%" figure being quoted around this rise — that is a cap on the broader tariff changes, not the published A1 rate. The cents figures above are what your bill is actually calculated from.
WA solar buyback rates unchanged for 2026-27
Synergy states there are no changes to either the REBS or DEBS buyback rate for 2026-27, and Horizon Power lists its DEBS rates as unchanged from last year, while grid tariffs rose on 1 July 2026.
What it means: Grid power got dearer while exports stayed flat, so the gap between what you save and what you earn just widened again. That is the real argument for self-consumption in WA — use it before you sell it.
WA energy concessions and rebates up 10%
WA energy concessions and rebates increased by 10% for 2026-27. The Energy Assistance Payment rises from $342.85 to $377.14 a year, the Dependent Child Rebate from $360.51 to $396.56 for the first child, and the Air-conditioning Rebate from $71.80 to $78.98 per month.
What it means: The air-conditioning rebate is the one people miss — it is monthly, and in the north of the state it is worth more over a year than the Energy Assistance Payment.
NT sets 2026-27 rates; Super FiT stays double
Jacana Energy's regulated residential rates for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 are 31.6788 cents per kWh including GST plus a 62.45 cents daily fixed charge on the Standard Residential plan. Solar feed-in rates are listed unchanged at 9.33 cents per kWh anytime, and 18.66 cents for the Super FiT window from 3pm to 9pm. Multipurpose customers moved to the Standard Residential plan from 1 July 2026.
What it means: The 3pm-9pm Super FiT is still double the anytime rate, which is unusual in Australia. If you have a battery in the Territory, discharging into that window is worth more than self-consuming through it.
SOURCE: JACANA ENERGY ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026Home Energy Rating launches for existing homes
NatHERS Stage 2 rolled out on 1 July 2026, extending energy ratings to existing homes under a new Home Energy Rating brand and website, with assessor training and accreditation opened up and an enhanced Home Energy Rating Certificate.
What it means: You can now get an official rating on the house you already live in, not just a new build. Worth doing before you spend on insulation, a heat pump or solar — it tells you which one actually pays first.
NSW drops its PDRS heat pump hot water incentive
The PDRS Rule change that commenced on 1 July 2026 removes heat pump water heater activity WH1 from the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme. The same rule changed the air conditioner and battery activities, and NSW states that incentives for some commercial heat pump water heater products will change after 31 December 2026.
What it means: One of the two NSW certificate pathways for heat pump hot water has closed. If a quote you are holding assumed a PDRS certificate on a heat pump, ask the installer to re-price it — the discount may not be there any more.
SOURCE: NSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION (ENERGY SECURITY SAFEGUARD) ↗Heat pump hot water →RE-VERIFIED 29 JUL 2026NSW embedded network sellers face new obligations
From 1 July 2026 embedded network sellers in NSW must be a member of the Energy & Water Ombudsman NSW if they are not already, and must publish and keep up to date on their website the services they provide, the prices they charge and the addresses they supply. Sellers providing centralised air conditioning must also publish information about the system's energy efficiency. IPART says it will monitor and enforce compliance from that date.
What it means: If you buy power through your apartment building, retirement village or caravan park rather than from a retailer, you now have an ombudsman to complain to and a right to see the prices in writing. Those two things are what embedded network residents have been missing.
SOURCE: IPART (NSW) ↗RE-VERIFIED 2 AUG 2026NT caps the residential tariff at 164kWh a day
From 1 July 2026 the NT residential electricity tariff applies to the first 164 kWh used each day, averaged over the billing period; usage above that is charged at the commercial tariff. NT Treasury says most households are unaffected — it puts a single-adult household at about 11 kWh a day, a couple at 23 and a family at 27 — and names the customers who may be caught: properties with unusually high use, properties where multiple households share one meter, homes running a business on the same meter, and some high-demand rural properties. Prepaid Powercard customers in remote communities are not affected.
What it means: Check the 'kWh per day' figure on your bill. If you run a business off the house meter or share a meter across dwellings, this is the one to look at — and solar that cuts your grid draw helps keep you under it.
$20,000 instant write-off for 2026-27 is not yet law
The ATO states that on 12 May 2026, as part of the 2026-27 Budget, the Government announced it will permanently increase the small business instant asset write-off to $20,000 from 1 July 2026 — and that "This measure is not yet law." The limit applies per asset for businesses with aggregated turnover under $10 million. The earlier extension covering 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 was legislated and is law. Assets costing $20,000 or more go into the small business pool and depreciate at 15% in the first year and 30% after.
What it means: Two things matter for a solar or battery purchase. The 2026-27 write-off is announced, not enacted — so do not bank on it for an asset installed now. And a commercial solar system almost always costs more than $20,000, in which case it goes into the pool rather than being written off in full anyway. Ask your accountant, not your installer.
VIC induction cooktop discount extended past its pilot
The Essential Services Commission has extended the VEU induction cooktop activity beyond its 30 June 2026 pilot period and removed the requirement for a cooktop to appear on the Secretary's product list, widening the range of eligible models. Installers also no longer need to collect a gas or LPG bill from the customer.
What it means: Better bundled with a hot water or heating upgrade than done alone — the discount is small next to what it costs to run a new circuit to a kitchen.
Recall: AUPK 7kW home EV charger
The ACCC recalled the AUPK 7kW EV charger (model 2100-1107, brand Chengdu Heng Miaoyuwen) on 29 June 2026 because it does not comply with Australian electrical safety standards, with a risk of death or serious injury from electric shock or fire. It was sold online nationally from 1 January to 10 May 2026 through the AUPK website, Big W Marketplace, Woolworths Marketplace and MyDeal. Owners are told not to use the charger and to turn it off immediately, then have a licensed electrician uninstall it. The refund covers the initial installation and uninstallation costs.
What it means: If you bought a cheap wall charger online this year, check the model now — turn it off at the switch first and get a licensed electrician to remove it. Keep the install receipt, because the refund is supposed to cover what you paid to fit it.
SOURCE: ACCC PRODUCT SAFETY ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026VIC pauses subsidised home energy rating assessments
The VEU Home Energy Rating Assessment activity was paused from 24 June 2026 after the Residential Efficiency Scorecard program closed on 23 June 2026. Assessments carried out after 23 June 2026 can no longer create VEECs, so the discounted assessment is not currently available.
What it means: If someone is still selling you a "subsidised" Scorecard assessment, the subsidy behind it no longer exists. Ask what you are actually paying before you book.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026Three retailers removed from VIC Solar Homes
Solar Victoria removed three retailers from the Solar Homes Program following its investigations and assurance activities: Electrical Masters Pty Ltd (23 June 2026), Savvy Solar Pty Ltd (9 June 2026) and Vic Power & Data, trustee for the Loebert Family Trust (9 June 2026). Solar Victoria advises that these retailers cannot provide systems it will rebate. Customers with an approved application must select another authorised retailer, and those holding a quote need a new one. Solar Victoria does not publish a reason for each removal.
What it means: Being dropped from the program is not the same as going under, and Solar Victoria does not say which it is. What matters to you is narrower: a quote from any of these three can no longer carry the rebate, so get a fresh one before your approval lapses.
WA battery installation standards now mandatory
Building and Energy WA advised that electrical licence holders must comply in full with AS/NZS 5139:2019 Amd 1:2025 for battery systems and AS/NZS 3008.1.1:2025 for cable selection from 19 June 2026.
What it means: An installer-facing rule, but it is the standard your install will be judged against if there is ever a dispute or a claim. Ask for the compliance paperwork that names these standards when the job is signed off.
SOURCE: BUILDING AND ENERGY WA ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026NSW Home Energy Saver: 0% loans up to $15,000 now open
Zero-interest loans of up to $15,000 for upgrades including solar, batteries and heat pumps are open now under the NSW Home Energy Saver program, delivered by Brighte and Plenti. Combined household income up to $210,000; homeowners and landlords; no current closing date.
What it means: If you were going to finance a battery or heat pump anyway, zero interest genuinely beats a retail finance package. It doesn't make a system worth buying on its own — a loan is still a debt.
NSW: up to $4,000 energy-upgrade discounts coming
The Home Energy Saver program will also offer discounts of up to $4,000 for households with combined income up to $80,000 or an eligible concession card (homeowners and renters, delivered by Creditex) — applications aren't open yet. If you're eligible, factor that timing into any purchase decision.
What it means: If you're likely eligible, this is one of the few cases where waiting is the rational move — a discount you qualify for beats installing a month earlier.
SOURCE: NSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026ACT Budget extends Home Energy Support rebates
The 2026-27 ACT Budget states that rebates available under the Home Energy Support Program will be extended. The program covers concession-card homeowners for rooftop solar, hot water systems, ceiling insulation and reverse-cycle heating and cooling. The Budget statement gives no new end date, cap or dollar change.
What it means: A continuation, not a bigger offer — the amounts have not been announced as changing. If you were waiting for a better deal before applying, there is no sign one is coming.
TAS extends power concessions to retirement villages and caravan parks
The Tasmanian Government announced on 2 June 2026 that its electricity concession framework is being extended to eligible residents of embedded electricity networks — including retirement village residents and permanent residents of caravan parks — who could not previously access concessions because they don't buy power directly from a licensed retailer. Under the new framework, eligible embedded-network customers can access the annual electricity concession, medical heating and cooling concessions, and life support concessions.
What it means: If you live in a village or park where the operator bills you for power, you were previously locked out of the concession that direct Aurora customers get — ask your operator or Service Tasmania how to claim. If you're weighing solar or a battery for a village unit, factor the concession into your bill baseline first: it changes what a system actually saves you.
ARENA funds 950 more vehicle-to-grid households
ARENA, through its Driving the Nation Program, is providing a $13.5 million funding boost to Amber Electric's vehicle-to-grid and smart charging programs, funding roughly 950 additional V2G customers and more than 1,000 smart charging customers.
What it means: V2G in Australia is still a funded trial attached to one retailer, not a mainstream product. Useful if you already have a compatible EV — not a reason to choose a car or delay a home battery.
CHBP tiered STC factor takes effect
Cheaper Home Batteries Program now applies a tiered discount — 100% of the STC value on the first 0–14 kWh, 60% on 14–28 kWh and 15% on 28–50 kWh.
What it means: The discount now shrinks as the battery gets bigger, so an oversized battery costs proportionally more. It isn't a deadline — the rate steps down gradually, so size for your actual usage, not the rebate.
New WA solar & battery rules start 1 May 2026
From 1 May 2026 new and upgraded rooftop solar and battery systems on WA's South West Interconnected System must meet new requirements: inverters up to 30 kVA on a standard connection, compliance with AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 set to 'Australia Region B', and the ability to be remotely disconnected and reconnected by your retailer — or else be export-limited to 1.5 kW.
What it means: Affects new and upgraded systems, not existing ones. Ask your installer to confirm in writing that your system meets the new standard — the alternative is a 1.5 kW export cap.
VIC battery switch-on waits stretched by rebate surge
Energy Safe Victoria advised that the surge in home battery installations under the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program has lengthened waits for the mandatory Licensed Electrical Inspector sign-off. Before a battery system can be switched on, a Licensed Electrical Inspector must assess and sign off on the work. ESV says your installer or retailer can confirm whether the inspection is booked and give an expected timeframe.
What it means: A battery sitting installed but not switched on is normal in Victoria right now, and it is not your installer stalling. Ask for the inspection booking reference rather than a promise — and do not pay a final invoice that is contingent on commissioning until it is signed off.
SOURCE: ENERGY SAFE VICTORIA ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026VIC $1,400 solar PV rebate + matching loan open
Solar Victoria's $1,400 PV rebate plus an interest-free matching loan remain available, released in monthly intakes.
What it means: Worth claiming if you're installing solar in Victoria anyway. Released in monthly batches, so an intake can run out before month end — that's a queue, not a reason to rush a decision.
VIC Solar Homes battery loan stays closed
The old Solar Homes battery loan remains closed; the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program is now the active battery support in Victoria.
What it means: If you were waiting on the old Victorian battery loan, stop waiting — the federal program is the active support now.
NSW VPP incentive needs a VPP-capable battery
The NSW incentive for connecting a home battery to a virtual power plant requires a VPP-capable battery and enrolment with a participating provider. From 1 July 2026 batteries with capacity up to 50 kWh are eligible. The amount varies with battery size and the current program page no longer publishes a fixed figure — ask your provider what applies to your system.
What it means: Don't let a quote pin a specific dollar figure on this — confirm the amount with the VPP provider in writing before you sign, and check your battery is on their compatible list.
QLD payback among Australia's fastest
High peak-sun hours and rising electricity tariffs make Queensland solar-and-battery payback among the fastest in the country.
What it means: Good sun and solid tariffs help, but your own daytime usage still decides the outcome — a mostly empty house won't hit the fast end of that range.
SOURCE: MISSION GREEN ANALYSISQLD systems →QLD Battery Booster ended — CHBP is active
Queensland's state Battery Booster program has closed and its program page is no longer published; the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program is the active battery support in Queensland.
What it means: Nothing to apply for at state level in Queensland. If a seller cites Battery Booster, they're working from stale information.
SOURCE: QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENTQLD systems →SA's high tariffs make battery payback exceptional
South Australia has Australia's highest residential electricity tariffs, which makes home-battery payback exceptional.
What it means: High grid prices are what make storage stack up in SA — the saving comes from avoiding expensive imports, so it depends on how much power you use in the evening.
SOURCE: MISSION GREEN ANALYSISSA systems →SA Home Battery Scheme closed — CHBP + VPP now
SA's Home Battery Scheme closed in 2022; the federal CHBP combined with a VPP is now the active path.
What it means: The state scheme is gone; the federal discount and a VPP are what's left. Treat any quote citing the old SA scheme as out of date.
SOURCE: SA GOVERNMENTSA systems →TAS battery + heat pump payback is strong
Lower peak-sun than the mainland is offset by high tariffs, so battery-plus-heat-pump payback in Tasmania is strong.
What it means: In Tasmania the heat pump usually pays back faster than the battery. If budget is limited, do the hot water first.
SOURCE: MISSION GREEN ANALYSISElectrify your home →ACT Sustainable Household Scheme loan still funded
The ACT's Sustainable Household Scheme offers low-interest loans at a 3% rate with no upfront or monthly fees (a late-payment fee may apply), up to $15,000 — demand is high, so apply early. A separate zero-interest path exists for concession-card holders.
What it means: Still the cheapest way to spread the cost in the ACT if you qualify — zero interest beats any 'interest-free' retail offer with fees built into the price.
ACT leads Australia on electrification
The ACT remains Australia's most electrification-friendly territory, with strong support for moving homes off gas.
What it means: Context, not an offer — it means ACT households generally have more support available than most, so it's worth checking every program before you pay.
SOURCE: MISSION GREEN ANALYSISElectrify your home →WA Residential Battery Scheme open — up to $3,800
The WA Residential Battery Scheme is open — Synergy customers can claim $1,300 and Horizon customers $3,800. VPP enrolment is required.
What it means: Worth having if you're buying a battery in WA, but VPP enrolment is a condition — you're agreeing to let your retailer use some of your stored power. Read those terms before you sign.
Recall: Tesla Powerwall 2 (units sold to Aug 2025)
The ACCC recall for Tesla Powerwall 2, first published 16 September 2025, was updated on 13 April 2026 to cover units available for sale from 1 November 2020 to 23 August 2025. Certain third-party battery cells may fail and overheat. Affected owners should keep the system online and check the Tesla app; Tesla will remotely discharge and replace affected units at no cost.
What it means: If you own a Powerwall 2 installed in that window — including one we installed — check the Tesla app now and follow Tesla's instructions. Don't wait to be contacted.
SOURCE: ACCC PRODUCT SAFETY ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026Cyanergy and Solar Emporium enter liquidation
Solar Victoria removed Cyanergy Pty Ltd and Solar Emporium Pty Ltd from the Solar Homes Program on 24 March 2026, stating this followed confirmation that both companies had entered liquidation and ceased operating. Customers are directed to the appointed liquidator.
What it means: When the installer is gone, the manufacturer warranty on the panels and inverter usually survives, but the workmanship warranty normally does not — that one dies with the company. Find your serial numbers and manufacturer paperwork now, while you can still remember which brand went on the roof.
Solar STC deeming drops to 5 years for 2026 installs
Under the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, a rooftop solar system installed in 2026 is deemed over 5 years, down from 6 years in 2025. Fewer deemed years means fewer certificates and a smaller upfront discount on an identical system. The deeming period falls by one year annually until the scheme ends in 2030.
What it means: The federal solar discount shrinks a little every January. It is a gradual taper, not a cliff — worth knowing, but not a reason to rush a system you haven't sized properly.
SOURCE: CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026SA's retailer scheme gives free and discounted upgrades
The Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme obliges SA energy retailers to deliver energy productivity activities to homes and businesses — the department's current activity specifications cover ceiling insulation, building sealing, secondary glazing, efficient reverse-cycle and evaporative air conditioning, water heater upgrades and showerheads, efficient appliances and pool pumps, switching to a time-of-use tariff, and connecting a battery, EV charger, heat pump water heater, pool pump or air conditioner to an approved demand-response aggregator or virtual power plant. Productivity targets for the second five-year period, 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030, were gazetted on 24 December 2025 and are apportioned to obliged retailers by ESCOSA. The department says retailers choose which activities they offer, and sets them separate priority-group targets for delivering to vulnerable customers. Note the LED lighting activities LF1, L2 and L3 were revoked effective 1 January 2026.
What it means: You do not have to be that retailer's customer to ask — any obliged retailer can help. There is no published dollar figure: the department's own advice is to ask your retailer or an activity provider what is currently on offer. A REPS provider at your door must show photo ID and their company's ABN, and give you a written statement afterwards.
NT households can opt in to time-of-use pricing
Optional time-of-use tariffs became available to eligible NT households and small businesses from 1 January 2026, charging different rates depending on the time of day. NT Treasury says they may help customers cut costs by shifting use to lower-demand periods, including daylight hours when solar generation is highest, and directs customers to their electricity retailer for the available options.
What it means: Opt-in, not automatic. It rewards running the dishwasher, pool pump or hot water in the middle of the day — which is exactly when a solar system is producing.
The federal Energy Bill Relief Fund has ended
energy.gov.au states the Energy Bill Relief Fund ended on 31 December 2025. Households and eligible small businesses received up to $150 from 1 July 2025 to the end of 2025, applied automatically as two $75 quarterly instalments, following the 2024-25 program that paid households up to $300 and small businesses up to $325.
What it means: If your bill looks higher than last year and nothing about your usage changed, this is a large part of why: the automatic federal credit stopped at the end of 2025 and has not been replaced. Nothing arrives on your bill automatically now — state and territory concession schemes are what remain, and most of those you have to apply for.
Battery program funding lifted to about $7.2 billion
The Clean Energy Regulator announced changes to the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, with funding increased from $2.3 billion to an estimated $7.2 billion over four years. Certificates for solar batteries became tiered by battery size, with the discount targeted at about 30% and adjusted over time as battery costs fall.
What it means: More funding means less risk of the program running dry mid-year — one fewer reason to feel rushed by a salesperson.
SOURCE: CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026Recall: Sigenergy SigenStor single-phase controllers
The ACCC published a recall for Sigenergy SigenStor EC 8.0/10.0/12.0kW single-phase energy controllers with quick-connect AC plugs, sold 4 March 2025 to 18 November 2025. The AC plugs may overheat and become damaged, posing a fire risk. Owners should keep the system connected to the internet for the firmware update and arrange the free replacement unit.
What it means: If you have a SigenStor from that period — including one we installed — check the mySigen app and make sure the replacement is booked.
SOURCE: ACCC PRODUCT SAFETY ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026Recall: Ariston heat pump hot water — disconnect now
The ACCC recall for Ariston ARIHPWH-200 and ARIHPWH-280 heat pump water heaters, supplied by Chromagen Australia, covers units sold from 12 June 2024 to 22 September 2025. A manufacturing fault can cause the unit to malfunction and catch fire, and the notice states incidents have occurred. Owners are told to immediately disconnect the water heater from the power supply, remove combustible material around the unit, and contact Chromagen for a free on-site inspection and repair.
What it means: Heat pump hot water was one of the most-rebated upgrades of 2024-25, so a lot of these went in under rebate programs. Disconnecting means switching off at the isolator, not just turning the tap off — you will have cold water until Chromagen attends.
Recall: GoodWe EHB and GE GEH hybrid inverters
The ACCC published a recall covering GoodWe EHB series and GE-branded GEH series hybrid inverters sold 3 May 2021 to 4 September 2025. In bypass mode the inverter can export power to the grid through the bypass switch. Owners must not use bypass mode until the firmware update is installed.
What it means: If you have one of these hybrid inverters — including one we installed — leave the bypass switch alone and get the firmware update done.
SOURCE: ACCC PRODUCT SAFETY ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026TAS Energy Saver Loan has closed
Tasmania's Energy Saver Loan Scheme closed to new applications at 11:59pm on 1 September 2025. Approved loans had to be settled and installations completed by 30 November 2025. Federal STCs and the Cheaper Home Batteries Program are the active support.
What it means: If you were counting on this loan, you'll need another finance path — check what your installer offers before committing to a system size.
NSW battery install incentive retired
NSW's standalone upfront battery-install incentive was retired on 1 July 2025; the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program now applies, and the NSW VPP incentive continues, though the program page no longer publishes a fixed dollar figure.
What it means: If a quote still shows the old NSW battery discount, it's out of date. Ask for it to be re-priced against what's actually available today.
NT 18.66c/kWh peak feed-in lifts battery payback
The 18.66c/kWh peak feed-in tariff (3pm–9pm) significantly improved home-battery payback in the Northern Territory.
What it means: A strong evening export rate rewards storing power and exporting it at peak — but only if your battery is set up to do that, so ask how it will be configured.
Cheaper Home Batteries Program starts nationally
Amendments to the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001 made solar batteries eligible to create small-scale technology certificates from 1 July 2025, delivering around a 30% discount on the upfront cost. Certificates can be claimed on the first 50 kWh of usable capacity, for batteries of 5-100 kWh capable of joining a virtual power plant.
What it means: This is the program most battery quotes are built on. Your battery must be VPP-capable to qualify — but you are not obliged to actually join a VPP.
Victoria's minimum feed-in tariff abolished
Following an amendment to the Electricity Industry Act 2000, the Essential Services Commission no longer sets a minimum feed-in tariff in Victoria. The 2024-25 minimum rates were the last to apply; from 1 July 2025 Victorian retailers set their own rates, and cannot go below zero cents per kWh.
What it means: There is no longer a floor under what Victorian retailers pay you for exports, so the feed-in rate is now something to compare between retailers rather than assume.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026Default Market Offer 2025-26 raised prices in all three regions
The AER's final Default Market Offer applied from 1 July 2025 in NSW, south-east Queensland and South Australia. Residential standing offer prices rose in every region: 0.5%-3.7% in south-east Queensland, 2.3%-3.2% in South Australia and 8.3%-9.7% in NSW.
What it means: Kept here as the record of what came before the 2026-27 fall — useful context when a bill comparison spans both years.
SOURCE: AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026Victorian Default Offer rose about 1%
The Essential Services Commission's Victorian Default Offer for 2025-26 applied from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, with an average increase across the five distribution zones of $20 a year for households and $90 a year for small businesses.
What it means: Context for year-on-year bill comparisons in Victoria, ahead of the 2026-27 reduction.
SOURCE: ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (VICTORIA) ↗RE-VERIFIED 22 JUL 2026WA workplace EV charger grants: no round open
Energy Policy WA states that Round 3 of the Charge Up Workplace EV Charging Grants, which ran from 8 October 2024, "has now closed" as of 30 June 2025, and the page announces no new round. The scheme co-funded up to 50 per cent of the cost of workplace chargers from 7 kW to 350 kW for small and medium businesses, not-for-profits and local government authorities, at up to four chargers per site and five sites per applicant.
What it means: If you are quoting workplace charging in WA right now, price it without a grant. The department's general industry grants register still lists Charge Up as available, but the program's own page is the one that states the round is closed.
IPART set 2025-26 NSW feed-in benchmark at 4.8-7.3c
IPART published its NSW solar feed-in benchmark for 2025-26 at 4.8 to 7.3 cents per kWh all-day. The benchmarks incorporated new network charges and rebates for solar exports introduced by NSW distribution networks, with a net effect of less than 0.1 c/kWh.
What it means: The reference point the 2026-27 cut is measured against — and evidence that the 'sun tax' network charges moved the benchmark by almost nothing.
Recall: SCHOTT solar panels made 2010-2012
The ACCC recall covers SCHOTT Perform POLY, Perform MONO, Power POLY, MONO and POLY solar panels manufactured between 2010 and 2012, supplied by ECORAN GmbH. The panels deteriorate and develop cracks on the back of the panel, which can expose live parts, with a risk of death or serious injury from electric shock or a fall from height. Owners should email ECORAN at info@ecoran.com with their details, and only photograph the panels if it is safe to do so.
What it means: A 2010-2012 system is around 15 years old, so many owners inherited it with the house and have no idea what is on the roof. Do not climb up to check — the recall notice itself warns against it. An installer can identify the panel from the ground or from your original paperwork.
Still active: Jinko SunTank hybrid inverter recall
The Jinko Solar SunTank JKS-5HLVS-ABI single-phase 5 kW hybrid inverter was supplied with an emergency power supply plug that can be removed without a tool, exposing live terminals and risking serious injury or death from electric shock. The ACCC notice (PRA 2023/20012) tells consumers to switch the inverter off immediately, not to remove the EPS plug, and to contact Jinko Solar Australia on 1300 326 182 or bess_au@jinkosolar.com to have the plug permanently secured.
What it means: It is used with home batteries, so it is worth checking if you have a Jinko hybrid system.
Still active: GoodWe MS-30 inverter recall
GoodWe GW5000-MS-30, GW6000-MS-30, GW8500-MS-30 and GW10K-MS-30 inverters were supplied with an AC plug that can be removed without a tool, exposing live terminals and risking serious injury or death from electric shock. The notice, last updated 24 July 2024, tells owners not to remove the AC plug, to switch the inverter off at the AC isolator and main switch, and to contact the GoodWe recall team on 1300 508 449 or support@goodwerecall.com.au. Sold 13 May 2023 to 16 November 2023.
What it means: Separate from the GoodWe EHB and GEH hybrid inverter recall already on this page — different models, different notice.
Still active: Growatt SPH inverter recall
Growatt SPH3000TL, SPH3600TL, SPH4000TL, SPH4600TL, SPH5000TL and SPH6000TL BL-UP inverters have an EPS port plug that can be removed by hand, giving access to live hazardous voltage and risking serious injury or death from electric shock. The ACCC notice (PRA 2023/19974) tells owners to switch the inverter off immediately and contact Growatt Australia on 1800 476 928 or australia@ginverter.com to have the connector permanently secured. Sold 1 July 2022 to 31 October 2023.
Still active: LG home battery recall — switch it off
The ACCC recall for LG ESS home batteries (PRA 2022/19550) remains active. Affected batteries may overheat and catch fire. Owners are told to check their serial number, and if the battery is affected and not yet remedied, to switch the battery off and contact LG Energy Solution Australia to book a technician. LG offers replacement or a refund, and compensation for higher electricity costs while the battery is off. Affected units include RESU3.3, RESU6.5, RESU10, RESU13, RESU7H Type-R, RESU10H Type-C and Type-R, and the EM048 series — and they were also sold inside SolaX Power Station and X-Cabinet, Opal Storage, Redback SH5000, Red Earth Sunrise and Drop Bear, Eguana Evolve and VARTA Pulse Neo systems.
What it means: The trap here is the badge on the wall. Plenty of affected batteries were never sold as LG — they sit inside SolaX, Redback, Opal, Red Earth, Eguana and VARTA systems. If your battery is any of those, check the serial before you assume it is unrelated.
SOURCE: ACCC PRODUCT SAFETY ↗RE-VERIFIED 25 JUL 2026Still active: SolaX-supplied LG batteries — switch off
LG S/A Gen2 home energy storage batteries supplied by SolaX Power Aus, including those installed inside SolaX X-Cabinet, PowerStation and Opal Storage systems, may overheat and catch fire. The ACCC recall, last updated 27 May 2024, tells affected owners to immediately switch off the battery storage system and keep it switched off. Batteries were sold 1 April 2017 to 31 July 2018. SolaX is on 1300 476 529 or lgrecall@solaxpower.com.au.
What it means: This is a different notice from the LG-branded battery recall already on this page. If your cabinet says SolaX, you would not recognise yourself in the LG one — check this notice too.
Nothing state-specific on the wire here right now — that usually means no news, not missing news. National changes still apply: show everything.
CORRECTIONS LEDGER
24 corrections logged, newest first. Every one stays on this page permanently — open an entry to read what changed and why. Nothing here is ever deleted.
2026-09-09We called the SA “$2,050” battery VPP figure a third-party numberSA DEPARTMENT FOR ENERGY AND MINING (REPS ACTIVITY SPECIFICATIONS) AND SA SENIORS CARD
Our South Australian REPS battery item told readers that “third-party sites advertise a specific SA ‘VPP rebate’ figure” while the state publishes the activity and not the amount. The second half of that is still true — the Department for Energy and Mining publishes the VPP1 activity specification with no dollar amount, because the incentive is funded and set by the obliged retailer or activity provider. The first half was too dismissive. “Up to $2,050” is now published by South Australia's own Seniors Card consumer channel, so a reader who took our wording literally would have gone looking for a number that a government website was in fact quoting to them. The item now carries the figure, states that it is a ceiling that varies with battery size and Priority Group status, and keeps the advice to get the amount in writing from the retailer. Same incomplete-rather-than-wrong class as corrections 12, 18, 21, 22 and 23.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-08-26QLD renters rebate — rent cap missing from our eligibility listHTTPS://WWW.TREASURY.QLD.GOV.AU/POLICIES-AND-PROGRAMS/ENERGY/SUPERCHARGED-SOLAR-FOR-RENTERS/
Our Supercharged Solar for Renters entry listed the building-class, metering, lease-length, individual-owner and consent rules but not the rent cap: Queensland Treasury requires the property to be rented for $1,000 or less per week. A landlord with a higher-rent property would have read our list as saying they qualify when the program says they do not. The cap is now stated in the rebate dataset and on the five pages that carry the entry. Same incomplete-rather-than-wrong class as corrections 12, 18, 21 and 22 — the eligibility list read as complete and was not.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-08-23Our VIC air conditioner item dropped two limits on the 20 kW capHTTPS://WWW.ENERGY.VIC.GOV.AU/VICTORIAN-ENERGY-UPGRADES/INSTALLERS/VEU-INDUSTRY-LATEST-NEWS/VEU-NEWS/SPACE-HEATING-COOLING-AND-ENERGY-RATING-ASSESSMENT-RESPONSE
We reported DEECA's proposed VEU change as capping incentive calculations "for reverse-cycle air conditioners" at 20 kW. DEECA's published response is narrower in two ways we did not carry. The cap applies to multi-split RCACs only, so ducted systems are not capped by it; and it applies to residential premises only — DEECA states plainly that "the proposed cap will not apply to installations in non-residential premises". A Victorian business reading our version would have concluded its incentive was capped at 20 kW when the department says it is not. We have also added "(including GST)" to both co-payment figures, which DEECA specifies and we had omitted. The figures we published were right; the scope around them was not. That is the same incomplete-rather-than-wrong failure as corrections 12, 18 and 21.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-08-23VIC hot water rebate — we stated the cap without the 50% ruleSOLAR VICTORIA
Our July 2026 item said Solar Victoria's hot water rebate pays up to $1,000, or up to $1,400 for locally made products, and stopped there. Both are actually paid as 50% of the purchase price after STCs and VEECs, so a cheaper system returns less than the cap — the same qualifier we added to the Victorian solar PV rebate in July 2026 and, separately, to seven pages in August. A site-wide sweep on 23 August found the qualifier missing from five statements in total: this item plus three on our rebate programs page, where the generated section stated the rule correctly while the hand-written copy around it did not. All five now carry it. The figures were never wrong; they were incomplete, which is the harder version to catch because no string match finds it.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-08-17Our SA scheme item pointed at revoked lighting activitiesSA DEPARTMENT FOR ENERGY AND MINING
When we first published the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme today we described its typical activities as efficient lighting, water-efficient showerheads and help with water heating costs, quoting the SA.GOV.AU consumer page. That page is out of date: the Department for Energy and Mining revoked the LED lighting activities LF1, L2 and L3 effective 1 January 2026. A reader could have gone looking for subsidised lighting that no longer exists. The item now lists the department's current activity specifications instead, which are far broader — including connecting a battery to an approved virtual power plant.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-08-12ACT loan terms — our July correction never reached the itemACT GOVERNMENT — CLIMATE CHOICES
On 29 July 2026 we published a correction qualifying the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme loan terms, but filed it against the wrong item id. The entry that actually carried the wording kept describing a “fixed 3% rate (no fees)” for another two weeks. The ACT publishes a 3% rate without calling it fixed, and states no upfront or monthly fees while a late-payment fee can apply. The item now says that.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-08-06A retracted figure was still live across the siteNSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION
We corrected the “up to $1,500” NSW VPP figure twice on 22 July 2026 — once in the news feed, once in the rebate dataset. Both corrections only fixed the single entry they named. A full check today found the figure still published in 44 places: ten pages including the NSW, Sydney, Powerwall and VPP guides, the rebate checker, the stack calculator, the site's rebate script and the Jouli chat widget. All are now corrected to state what NSW actually publishes — no fixed amount, with the payment set by your VPP provider and contract. Every build now re-checks the whole site for retracted figures so this cannot recur.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29TAS loan closure reason — retractedRECFIT (TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT)
Retracted our own correction of 22 July. We had removed “funding exhausted” as the reason the Tasmanian Energy Saver Loan closed, saying we could not verify it. ReCFIT states it plainly — “the popularity of the scheme has been such that all the available funding has now been exhausted” — on a page our crawler could not read because the site blocks automated access. The reason is restored, with the figures ReCFIT gives: $62 million across 7,500 loans. We treated an unreadable page as an unsupported claim, which was wrong.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29NSW VPP figure left in the rebate dataNSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION
Removed “Up to $1,500” from the NSW VPP incentive in the rebate dataset. We corrected this in the news feed on 22 July but left it in the data layer that renders the figure on every NSW page and feeds the Jouli assistant, so the wrong number stayed in front of readers for another week. No NSW program page publishes a dollar amount; the figure survives only in a June 2025 ministerial release that predates the 1 July 2026 rule change.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29WA combined battery figureENERGY POLICY WA / CLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR
Corrected the combined WA battery figure in the rebate dataset from “~$5,000+” to roughly $3,900–$4,000 for Synergy customers and about $6,300 for Horizon Power on a typical 10 kWh battery. The pages had been fixed on 22 July but the dataset had not, and the dataset overwrites the pages at load.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29WA battery eligibility rangeENERGY POLICY WA
Corrected the WA Residential Battery Scheme eligibility from “for batteries with 5–10 kWh usable capacity”, which wrongly implied larger batteries are excluded. Energy Policy WA states the minimum is 5 kWh and that a battery larger than 10 kWh is still eligible for the full $1,300 or $3,800 — the 10 kWh figure caps the rebate, not eligibility. The VPP commitment is also two years, which we had not stated.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29TAS feed-in prior-year rateOFFICE OF THE TASMANIAN ECONOMIC REGULATOR
Corrected the Tasmanian feed-in tariff comparison. We published the 2026-27 rate of 9.276c/kWh as being “up from 8.935c”. 8.935c was the 2024-25 rate; the 2025-26 rate was 8.782c, so the rise is 5.6%.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29Solar STC dollar rangesCLEAN ENERGY REGULATOR
Replaced our small-scale technology certificate dollar ranges, which were wrong and internally inconsistent — Queensland showed “$2k–$3k, up to ~$4k for 10kW+” and South Australia “$1.7k–$3.5k” for the same federal scheme. Certificates vary by postcode zone, not by state, and Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Perth are all zone 3. A 6.6kW system there earns 45 certificates, which at the $33–$38 the Clean Energy Regulator reports is about $1,500–$1,700. The “up to ~$4k for 10kW+” claim overstated the discount by roughly half.
2026-07-29QLD south-east feed-in rangeQUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT / QUEENSLAND COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Removed “typically 3–10c” for south-east Queensland feed-in tariffs. No Queensland government or QCA page publishes a typical range; the state says only that there is no mandated rate and that customers should compare offers. The range came from commercial comparison sites, not an official source.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29SA VPP discount and eligibilitySA DEPARTMENT FOR ENERGY AND MINING
Updated the South Australian VPP entry from “~25% below the default offer” to 26%, the current published figure, and widened eligibility to include community housing tenants alongside SA Housing Trust tenants. We also dropped a line about homeowners joining a private VPP that was our commentary, not something the department states.
2026-07-29ACT loan scheme termsACT GOVERNMENT
Qualified the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme entry. We described “fixed 3% loans (no fees)”; the ACT publishes a 3% rate but never calls it fixed, and a late-payment fee can apply. We also added the $15,000 cap that still applies to earlier participants — the $20,000 maximum is for new applicants only.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29VIC solar rebate 50% limitSOLAR VICTORIA
Added the 50% limit to the Victorian solar PV rebate, which we had published as “up to $1,400” without it. Solar Victoria pays 50% of the system cost to a $1,400 maximum, calculated after STCs, so a cheaper system returns well under $1,400. The $3 million property value cap was also missing.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-29Federal battery program citationDCCEEW
Repointed the Cheaper Home Batteries Program citation in all eight states from energy.gov.au to the DCCEEW program page. The energy.gov.au page still describes the scheme as it stood on 1 July 2025 and does not mention the tiered STC factor that took effect on 1 May 2026.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-22NSW VPP dollar figureNSW CLIMATE AND ENERGY ACTION
Removed the “up to $1,500” figure from the NSW VPP incentive item. The current NSW program page no longer publishes any dollar amount — the figure came from a June 2025 ministerial release — so we now state what the live page states, including that batteries up to 50 kWh are eligible from 1 July 2026.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-22QLD Battery Booster closure yearQUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT
Removed “ended in 2024” from the Queensland Battery Booster item. No official page we could open states a closure year, and the program page now returns a 404, so we no longer publish the date.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-22TAS loan closure reasonRECFIT (TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT)
Removed “(funding exhausted)” and the 1 September 2025 date from the Tasmanian Energy Saver Loan item. We could not verify either on an official page, and the available evidence points to a scheduled closure rather than exhausted funding.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-22TAS loan closing date restoredRECFIT (TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT)
Restored the 1 September 2025 closing date to the Tasmanian Energy Saver Loan item, now with a source link — the ReCFIT page was unreachable during our earlier check and readable on a retry. The “funding exhausted” reason remains unpublished: we still have not verified it.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-21NT battery scheme shown as openNT GOVERNMENT (GRANTS NT)
Corrected “NT Battery Scheme funding still available” — the Home & Business Battery Scheme has reached its $6m allocation and is closed to new grants. The item now reflects the closure.
SEE THE ITEM →2026-07-21WA battery rules were unsourcedENERGY POLICY WA
Sharpened “New WA battery technical requirements”, which was published as a vague claim with no source link. Verified against Energy Policy WA: from 1 May 2026 new and upgraded SWIS systems must meet AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 (Australia Region B), may use inverters up to 30 kVA on a standard connection, and must support remote disconnection or accept a 1.5 kW export limit.
SEE THE ITEM →Reuse: this wire is published under CC BY 4.0. Copy it, republish it, build on it — including commercially — provided you credit Mission Green, link back, and keep the verified date attached. The licence covers our compilation, our summaries and this ledger. It does not cover the government announcements underneath, which are not ours to license and are linked at source in every entry. Full scope: terms clause 12.7.
HOW WE VERIFY
What gets published
Only what an official source states plainly — the scheme administrator, the regulator, or the relevant .gov.au page. If a figure, date or eligibility rule isn’t written on the source, it doesn’t go on the wire. We don’t publish from installer blogs, competitor pages or press summaries.
What gets rejected
Anything ambiguous, second-hand or unverifiable. When two sources disagree, we hold the item until the primary source settles it. “Probably” is not a publishing standard, and a slow correct answer beats a fast wrong one.
How dates work
An item’s date is when the change takes effect or was announced by the authority — not when we noticed it. Changes dated ahead of today are labelled FROM, so a scheduled change is never mistaken for a live one.
Deadlines
An item is flagged real deadline only when a government source gives a specific, dated cut-off. Sales urgency — “prices rise next week”, “limited stock”, “the crew’s in your area” — is not a deadline and never makes the wire. Passed deadlines are struck through, not deleted.
Recalls, including ours
We monitor the ACCC product-safety register and publish recalls and safety warnings on solar, inverters, batteries and heat pumps — including brands Mission Green sells and has installed. Suppressing one to protect a supplier relationship would make everything else here worthless.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, the item is fixed and the mistake is logged permanently in the corrections ledger beside it. Entries are never quietly deleted, and the count sits in the masthead at the top of this page whether it flatters us or not.
Who compiles it
An automated Mission Green system sweeps the official sources every morning and drafts entries against the rules above; a human reviews the feed and owns every correction. We say this plainly because a feed that hides how it’s made can’t ask you to trust it.
Check us
Every entry links to its primary source so you can verify it without taking our word for anything. The whole feed is public and machine-readable: JSON and RSS. If you find an error, tell us at info@missiongreen.com.au and it goes in the ledger.
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