One year ago, Australia took a giant step towards a cleaner, fairer energy system. Today, more than 450,000 households have installed a home battery through the Cheaper Home Batteries Program. [1]
Batteries are helping those households cut power bills, bringing down the wholesale electricity price by 12% and making our electricity grid cleaner and more reliable.
This is an extraordinary success—and one Solar Citizens supporters should feel incredibly proud of.
Together, we campaigned for years to make a federal home battery rebate a reality. Thousands of you signed petitions, emailed politicians, attended events, shared stories and helped keep the pressure on until governments listened.
Now the evidence is in.
Home batteries aren't just helping the households that own them—they're benefiting everyone connected to the grid.
Batteries are changing Australia's energy system
At the Australian Energy Week Conference in June, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) CEO Daniel Westerman described household batteries as another "game-changing force" alongside rooftop solar. [2]
The experts tell us that batteries are:
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reducing pressure on the electricity grid
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replacing expensive gas generation during evening peaks
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lowering wholesale electricity prices
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improving energy reliability.
Australia now has around 13 GWh of battery storage, allowing cheap solar energy generated during the day to be stored and used when households need it most.
Energy analyst David Mooney highlighted just how quickly things have changed:
🔋 Battery discharge in early 2026 was around three times higher than a year earlier.
🔋 Batteries are now setting wholesale electricity prices around one-third of the time.
🔋 Wholesale electricity prices were around 12% lower in the first quarter of 2026, largely because of the rapid growth in batteries. [3]
AEMO's Quarterly Energy Dynamics report tells a similar story. Batteries shifted roughly three times more energy from the middle of the day into the evening than they did a year earlier, supporting a reduction in gas-fired generation to its lowest quarterly average since 1999. [4]
This is exactly what good public policy should achieve.
Households invest in clean energy.
Households save money.
The electricity system becomes cleaner, cheaper and more reliable for everyone.
July 1 also marked the the first wedding anniversary of our favourite clean energy couple—Ms Solar Power and Mr Battery. We'd say their first year together has been a spectacular success!
Real households are already seeing the benefits
"Since installing my battery, my electricity bill has fallen significantly. I haven't imported power from the grid during the evening peak once, which I know helps reduce demand for everyone else while saving me money."
David, Brisbane
"We're a family of four and our 22kWh battery easily covers our nightly energy use. We're now around $200 in credit with our electricity company. We've also driven our EV more than 10,000 kilometres while only using $4.70 worth of electricity from the grid. The rest came from the sun."
James, Northern NSW
This happened because people like you spoke up
Back in 2022, there was virtually no political support for a federal home battery rebate.
Solar Citizens, alongside the Renew Australia for All Alliance, Smart Energy Council and many other partners, spent three years building support.
Together we:
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collected more than 14,500 petition signatures
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mobilised thousands of supporters to contact MPs
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held events across Australia
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generated national media coverage
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delivered petitions to politicians
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even enlisted Santa and our much-loved mascot Mr Battery to help spread the message.
We simply refused to let the idea disappear.
Energy & Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen is presented with our 14,500 strong Battery Rebate petition by CEO Heidi Lee Douglas, National Campaign Director Joel Pringle (R) and Chair Genevieve Kelly (L), with Ms Solar Power and Mr Battery behind
When the Federal Government announced the Cheaper Home Batteries Program during the 2025 election campaign, it was the result of years of determined community advocacy.
This is what people-powered campaigning looks like.
But there's a new challenge
Just as batteries are beginning to lower electricity prices for everyone, some energy retailers have started notifying customers of increases to their daily supply charges. [5]
That's deeply concerning.
Higher fixed charges make it harder for households to reduce their bills by investing in solar, batteries and energy efficiency. They also reduce the rewards for households that are helping make Australia's electricity system cleaner and cheaper.
We're continuing to push back against unfair fixed charge increases—but we need evidence.
Have you received a letter telling you your daily supply charge is increasing?
Please tell us what happened.
Share your electricity price story
What's next?
The success of home batteries proves that smart policy works.
Now it's time to make sure everyone can benefit.
Solar Citizens will continue campaigning to:
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Stop unfair increases to fixed electricity charges
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Unlock rooftop solar for renters and apartment residents
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For safety standards so plug-in home batteries can be used in Australia for renters and apartments
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Improve Virtual Power Plant consumer protections
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Remove barriers to Vehicle-to-Grid technology
Together, we helped make home batteries mainstream.
Now let's make sure every Australian can share in the benefits.
NOTES
[1] One in 17 Australian homes now has a solar battery, as rebate installs pass 450,000 at one-year mark, RenewEconomy 2 July 2026
[2] Big and small batteries fundamentally changing the grid says AEMO boss. Renew Economy 10/6/26
[3] David Mooney, Linked In 3 June, 2026
[4] Quarterly Energy Dynamics: Q1 2026, AEMO, April 2026
[5] Cheaper Home Batteries are meant to be cutting electricity prices for all - beware of stealth charges, Solar Citizens media release 30 June 2026