Rebates fall into three groups: those that have closed, those that still run but are getting smaller, and those with a fixed end date. Mixing them up is how customers end up believing a rebate has ended when it has only stepped down, or vice versa. This list sorts them out, as at early October 2026. Where a detail is reported, it is marked, and you should confirm with the scheme’s own page before quoting.
Group one: closed
These programs no longer accept new applications.
| Program | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NT battery scheme | Closed | Reported closed |
| Tasmania Energy Saver Loan | Closed | The interest-free loan for batteries, among other items |
| Queensland Battery Booster | Closed | State top-up to the federal program |
| Victoria Solar Battery Loan | Closed | The interest-free loan side of Solar Victoria battery support |
| NSW PDRS home battery incentive (BESS1) | Suspended from 1 July 2025 | NSW moved to the federal program instead of stacking |
Customers who ask about these are usually quoting a webpage that has not been updated. Do not promise a state loan or top-up that is gone. Our summary of the state-by-state battery picture has the current detail.
Group two: still running, stepping down
| Program | Today | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Federal battery factor | 6.8 (May to Dec 2026) | 5.7 on 1 Jan 2027; 5.2 on 1 Jul 2027 |
| Small-scale solar deeming | 5 years (2026) | 4 years from 1 Jan 2027, down to 1 in 2030 |
| Solar Victoria rebate | Income cap $150,000 from 1 Jul 2026 | Check Solar Victoria for current amounts |
On a 14 kWh battery the federal step is 95 STCs now, then 79, then 72. At roughly $38.50 per STC that is about $3,660, $3,040 and $2,770. On a 6.6 kW solar system in zone 3, 45 STCs becomes 36 in 2027, about $1,730 down to $1,390.
The point is that none of this is a cliff. It is a staircase, and it is public. See what the Cheaper Home Batteries Program ends and when for the program view.
Group three: with an end date
The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme ends on 31 December 2030. The deeming period steps down to one year for 2030 installs. A 6.6 kW zone 3 system creates about 9 STCs that year (6.6 x 1.382 x 1 = 9.1). Our piece on what comes after 2030 deals with the longer horizon.
What is not ending
Several things that sound like they are:
- The federal battery program. It continues, at a falling factor. The reported budget grew from $2.3 billion to $7.2 billion.
- State certificate schemes. NSW’s ESS and PDRS, and Victoria’s VEU, continue with changes to methods and targets. VEECs have been trading roughly $85 to $95 in 2026 (reported around $85 to $90 in September), and PRCs about $3 (reported).
- Mid-scale solar. This is an expansion, not an end. From 1 October 2026 systems above 100 kW and up to 1 MW create STCs with a five-year fixed deeming period, per the amended regulations. See mid-scale solar and STCs.
WA’s battery scheme remains active and is VPP-required, so check its eligibility rules before quoting.
From the desk: Keep a one-page “rebates in force” sheet for your sales team, with a review date at the top. The most expensive mistake we see is a salesperson promising a loan or top-up that closed months ago. A one-minute check on the scheme’s page before quoting saves a refund conversation later.
How customers should read the list
A closed program does not make a battery or a solar system a bad purchase. It changes the payback. Take a household with a 14 kWh battery: the STC discount is about $3,660 at today’s factor. If they buy in 2027 it is about $3,040, and a closed state loan removes only the financing, not the system’s benefit. Whether it is worth buying is a function of the household’s own bill, usage and tariff, not a policy headline. Our discussion in worth installing solar without the rebate walks through that logic.
A worked comparison across three customers
Consider three households choosing in the same month, all in zone 3.
- Household A buys a 6.6 kW solar system and installs in December 2026. It creates 45 STCs, about $1,730 at $38.50.
- Household B buys the same system and installs in February 2027. It creates 36 STCs, about $1,390. The $340 gap is entirely the deeming step.
- Household C adds a 14 kWh battery in December 2026 at a factor of 6.8, creating 95 STCs, about $3,660, against 79 and about $3,040 if it installs in January.
None of these households has lost a rebate. Each has experienced a scheduled step. Compare that with a household that planned around a state loan that has closed: that household has lost a finance option entirely and needs to fund the purchase another way. That difference, a step versus a closure, is worth explaining to customers in those words.
Where the end dates come from
Federal end dates are written into regulations and program design, so they change only with legislation or ministerial decisions, and those are announced publicly. State end dates are often set by budgets and funding caps, which means a state program can close earlier than planned when the money runs out. Funding limits are one reason programs close, so if a state program is still open, treat the closing date as a risk and tell customers to apply early, not at the last minute. We have not verified the closing reason for each program above, so check the scheme’s own page.
What installers should do with the list
Use it to plan work in sequence. The step in January 2027 will pull jobs forward into December. The closed state programs mean more of the customer’s decision hinges on price and the federal discount. And the mid-scale change opens a new commercial segment from late 2026, at least from the first applications.
Checking a program yourself
When a customer quotes a rebate you do not recognise, run a three-step check. First, find the scheme’s own page, not a comparison site, and look for a closing notice or a “no longer accepting applications” banner. Second, look at the date the page was last updated. Third, read the eligibility conditions against the customer’s actual situation, including income caps, property type and whether the equipment is on an approved list. A program can be open and still not apply to the household in front of you. If you cannot confirm it in five minutes, do not put it on the quote. Our answer on when the battery rebate ends gives the federal side of the same question.
What to do next
- Update your quote templates to remove closed programs
- Check each active state scheme on its own official page before quoting
- Run battery and solar quotes through the battery STC calculator and STC calculator
- See how we handle certificates on STC trading and battery STCs
- Keep the scheme changes hub handy