The program does not have a single day when it stops for everyone. It sits inside the small-scale renewable energy scheme, which closes at the end of 2030, and the battery factor falls on a schedule between now and then.
The timeline that matters
For installs in 2026 the factor is 6.8. On 1 January 2027 it falls to 5.7 and on 1 July 2027 to 5.2, and it keeps stepping down every six months toward the 2030 end of the scheme. The exact later factors are set in the regulations, so check the Clean Energy Regulator for the figure that applies on your install date.
The practical end date for most households is therefore the point where the discount stops being worth the wait. A battery installed in 2027 gets a smaller rebate than one installed in 2026. One installed in 2029 will get less again.
Things that could change the date
Programs of this kind are legislated, but budgets and settings get reviewed. The December 2025 expansion shows the government will adjust tiers and factors. Nothing here is a promise, so treat 2030 as the outer limit and the year-by-year factor as the real constraint. At the time of writing no earlier closing date has been announced.
How installers should plan around it
For installers the useful date is not 2030 but the next step date. Each 1 January and 1 July brings a lower factor, so your quote template, your cash-flow forecast and your sales messaging all need a six-monthly reset. Build calendar reminders for May and November that review the factor, the tier rules and the trader rate you are quoting against.
What this means for you
Homeowners should decide on usage and savings first, then use the factor schedule to pick the date. Installers should model each period’s factor into their pricing so that quotes issued shortly before a step date do not quietly lose margin. Our battery STC pillar tracks the current numbers, and the scheme end-date answer covers solar. For settlement speed see how it works and what an STC is worth.