Customers often confuse bill rebates with solar rebates. The Energy Bill Relief Fund was a bill-credit measure. It is not part of the certificate system, and it has no connection to the STC discount on your quote.
What the fund was
The Energy Bill Relief Fund delivered credits to eligible households and small businesses through their electricity bills. A six-month extension was announced in the 2025-26 Budget, with up to $150 in rebates between 1 July 2025 and the end of 2025. As reported, the fund ended on 31 December 2025, and no universal federal credit is applied to bills in 2026.
What remains
State and territory concessions and rebates continue and vary widely. Most are targeted and need an application, unlike the old automatic credit. Use the state energy department page for current details, and do not quote dollar figures you cannot source. Our rebates hub links to state and city rebate pages for the certificate-based incentives.
Why this matters for installers
When the credit disappears, the bill customers see goes up by the amount of the credit, so the savings from solar and batteries look larger by comparison. Two honest points to make in sales:
- Savings are measured against the bill, not the credit. A battery or solar system lowers imported kWh, which are priced at the retailer’s rates.
- Policy can change again. Other measures, like the Solar Sharer Offer, which requires large retailers in NSW, South East Queensland and South Australia to offer three free midday hours from 1 July 2026, change the maths for batteries. See the Solar Sharer explained and what it changes for batteries.
What does not change
The STC discount on solar, the battery tiers (first 14 kWh at 100% of the factor, 14 to 28 kWh at 60%, 28 to 50 kWh at 15%) and the 31 December 2030 scheme end are unaffected. The deeming period is 5 years for 2026 installs, then 4 for 2027. For installers that is a dated clock that matters more than a bill credit. See why the rebate falls each year.
What this means for you
Quote against a customer’s actual bill and tariff, state which incentives are federal certificates and which are state programs, and confirm facts that could have changed. For the certificate side, see battery STCs, pricing and how it works. Background on the wider policy picture is in home electrification policy 2026.