An independent blog, guides, reviews and a community for Australian homes, plus up to three quotes when you are ready.
The STC factor falls from 6.8 to 5.7, about $560 to $600 less off a 13.5 kWh battery. We walk through the maths, why the install date counts, and how not to get rushed.
What changed, what it means for you, and what we would check first.
The ACCC says many battery owners are paying less for power, but complaints are up 107%. We explain what it found, what it wants changed and what to check before you sign.
The regulated solar export rate in regional Queensland fell about 31% from 1 July 2026. We explain why it fell, who it covers and what it changes for your solar and battery plans.
Pushy door-to-door and phone sales are widespread, and online quote forms often feed them. We explain what the ACCC found, what it wants changed and how to protect yourself now.
From accredited installers near you. Free, no obligation.
Questions about real homes and real quotes, answered by households who have been there and by our editors.
Read from the datasheet, with the federal discount each one earns today.
Tesla
13.5 kWh usable AC battery with a built-in 3 MPPT solar inverter, up to 11.04 kW continuous output and up to three 13.5 kWh Expansion units.
AlphaESS
Single 13.99 kWh usable LFP battery module for the single-phase AlphaESS SMILE-M5, rated at 5.04 kW, with a second module for 27.98 kWh.
SolarEdge
9.7 kWh usable high-voltage battery for SolarEdge inverters, 5 kW continuous and up to three batteries per inverter.
LG Energy Solution
High-voltage lithium-ion battery in two fixed sizes, 9.6 kWh usable at 5 kW or 16.0 kWh at 7 kW, with up to two units in parallel.
43 products reviewed so far. We have not tested them; every figure is from the manufacturer.
Buying and quotes
Get more than one written quote, then line up the exact products, usable battery capacity, warranties, rebate and extra charges before you sign anything.
Batteries
A battery can make sense if you use power in the evening, get a low feed-in tariff and qualify for the rebate. Here is how to judge it for your own home.
Solar panels
How to size a home solar system from your bills, daytime use, roof and local sunshine, with average output per kW for each capital city.
Rebates
How the Cheaper Home Batteries discount is worked out: STCs, the factor, the size taper, who claims it, and why the date on your compliance certificate matters.
Buying and quotes
Rushed deadlines, today-only prices, vague free offers and claims the government sent them are signs to walk away. Here is how to check, and how to report it.
Solar panels
What you may be paid for exported solar in 2026-27, state by state, plus time-of-use rates, the new Solar Sharer Offer and why using your own solar matters more.
Battery rebate calculator
$3,370 to $3,640
off a 13.5 kWh battery today. See the figure for yours.
Solar payback calculator
4.3 years
rough payback for 6.6 kW in Sydney.
We do not sell panels or batteries. No installer or brand can pay to appear in a story, guide or review.
Installers pay a fee when we pass on a quote request. You never pay us, and every figure links to where it came from.
How we are paidSomething else? Ask the community.
Yes. The guides, calculators and quote requests are free for households. Installers pay us a fee when we pass on a quote request, and that is how the site is funded.
Up to three installers who work in your area. We tell you who they are, and nobody else gets your details. You are under no obligation to go ahead with any of them.
It depends on usable capacity and when the installation is signed off. For batteries installed between May and December 2026 the factor is 6.8, which is worth about $3,370 to $3,640 for a 13.5 kWh battery. The factor drops to 5.7 on 1 January 2027.
Yes. The federal discount requires the battery to be paired with solar, either an existing system or one installed at the same time.
Every rebate figure comes from a government or regulator page, which we link on the page along with the date we last checked it. When a program changes, we update the page and the date.
