Solar Citizens urges the Labor Government and Coalition to take concrete steps to lower energy prices for all by supporting households to buy home batteries.
Solar Citizens CEO Heidi Douglas said: “A Federal Home Battery Subsidy would be a smart move to slash energy bills both now and long term, unlocking much needed cost of living relief for the next twenty years for all Australians.
“The more home batteries there are in the energy system, we can ease the pressure that failing, old coal and expensive gas plants are putting on our energy systems, and reduce costs at peak evening times when energy prices are currently highest.
“We were pleased to read of a government ‘plan’ to ‘help households cut energy bills’ and ‘make it easier for them to buy home batteries’ reported in the Sydney Morning Herald today, but look forward to hearing the government’s actual commitment.
“Modelling* by the Australian Energy Market Operator, AEMO, shows that the equivalent to one million household batteries are needed nationally by 2030, to harness our world-leading rooftop solar uptake, stabilise the energy grid and keep energy bills lower during the energy transition.
But the cost of home batteries at $10,000 - $15,000 makes them unaffordable for most households.
A recent survey of Solar Citizens supporters found that nearly all respondents with rooftop solar want to get a battery but 70% say they can’t afford it.
“Australian solar owners are ready to do their part to support the energy grid, but to keep energy bills low, we need a substantial subsidy for household batteries included as an extension to the successful Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES).
“Solar Citizens calls on the major parties to adopt a target of one million batteries by 2030, with incentives on offer for both free-standing homes and apartments, whether they have rooftop solar or not.”
“Australians are ready and willing to install home batteries - over 250,000 household batteries have been installed across the country so far, with 57,000 installed last year. But without this new incentive we will fall far short of a million batteries by 2030.
Some state governments have led the way with the NSW government releasing new financial incentives for home batteries under their Peak Demand Reduction Scheme from 1 November. The Queensland government offered a generous subsidy for home batteries but this closed after only 3,500 submissions.
*The Australian Energy Market Operator’s modelling in the Integrated Systems Plan to achieve the lowest cost energy transition requires 8GW of household batteries by 2030. This is equivalent to one million behind-the-meter batteries.