The ACT’s Sustainable Household Scheme has been a long-running way to help Canberra households pay for electrification upgrades, including batteries. Its main feature has been a zero-interest loan, which spreads the cost of the upgrade over time rather than reducing the price.
Loan versus rebate
A loan and a rebate do different things. The federal STC discount lowers the price you pay at installation: an approved 5 to 100 kWh battery, up to 50 kWh counted, earns 6.8 STCs per kWh in 2026, falling to 5.7 from 1 January 2027 and to 5.2 on 1 July 2027. The ACT scheme helps finance whatever you still owe after that discount. Used together, the STC discount reduces the loan you need.
| Support | What it does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| STC discount | Reduces the upfront price | Federal |
| Zero-interest loan | Spreads the remaining cost | ACT Government |
| VPP offers | Ongoing payments or credits | Retailer or provider |
Things to confirm
Loan limits, eligibility, the approved installer lists and the process all sit on the ACT Government page, and we do not quote figures here because terms change. Check the page before you finalise a quote, and ask your installer whether they are experienced with the scheme’s requirements.
The federal conditions still apply
To earn the STC discount, the battery must be on the Clean Energy Council approved list, be VPP-capable and installed by an accredited installer, one per property. A battery that suits the ACT scheme but not the federal conditions leaves a lot of discount on the table.
What this means for you
Treat the federal discount as the base and the ACT loan as the financing layer. For the certificate side, see the battery STC overview, who gets the battery STCs and the STC trading overview.
Think about the full cost over the life of the loan as well as the monthly repayment. A zero-interest loan is cheap money, but it is still a commitment, and the savings on your power bill need to be realistic. Ask your installer to show a simple estimate of the bill reduction and the payback period.