The federal solar rebate is not a cheque from the government. It is a discount on your invoice, created by the sale of certificates, and that mechanism is the root of most scams. Because the discount is legitimate but hard to see, a dishonest seller can describe it as a bigger government payment than it is, or charge for something that is free. The reverse also happens: a real scheme gets used as cover for a pitch with no substance.
This guide covers the patterns reported in Australia, an honest-quote benchmark you can test against, and what to do if you think you have been caught. It does not name businesses. For the installer-side view of fraud, see our answer on avoiding STC fraud.
What a rebate actually is
For rooftop solar, the “rebate” is small-scale technology certificates (STCs). The count is system size in kW x your zone rating x the deeming period. For a battery under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program it is usable kWh x the program factor, with tiers. Your installer normally takes the certificates and takes the value off your price. Two things follow. The amount is limited by arithmetic, and no one needs your bank details to give it to you.
The benchmark: what an honest rebate looks like
Take a 6.6 kW system in a zone 3 postcode (Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide), installed in 2026 with a five-year deeming period. The count is 6.6 x 1.382 x 5 = 45 STCs. At the roughly $38 to $40 STC spot market, that is about $1,710 to $1,800.
Now a battery. A 13.8 kWh usable battery at the current factor of 6.8 earns 13.8 x 6.8 = 93 STCs, about $3,534 to $3,720.
So an honest quote for a 6.6 kW system and a 13.8 kWh battery shows combined certificate discounts of roughly $5,200 to $5,500 today. If someone is promising “$9,000 of government rebates” on the same package, the claim is not consistent with the maths, and you should ask where it comes from. State schemes add other amounts in some places, so check state pages, but each should be named and checkable.
Use the STC calculator and the battery STC calculator before you talk to anyone.
The patterns
The “government” cold call or door knock
Callers claim to be from a rebate office, an energy department or a “national rebate program”, and say you qualify for a free or heavily subsidised system. Reports of this pattern are persistent, and official scam warnings describe fraudsters using official-sounding titles, forged IDs and high-visibility clothing. Government agencies do not door-knock to sell solar. If the contact is unsolicited, treat it as a sales pitch at best.
The upfront “processing fee”
A genuine rebate does not need a fee from you. A request to pay to secure, process or release a rebate is a red flag, as is a deposit demanded before any quote or system design.
The expiring-tonight deal
“The rebate ends today” is a pressure tactic. Real deadlines are published as dates, such as the deeming period stepping down each 1 January, and they do not apply to you personally at 6 pm. See when the solar rebate ends.
Signed-away certificates with no discount
You sign an assignment form, which transfers the right to the certificates, but the invoice shows no matching discount. The installer collects the value and you pay the full price. The fix is simple: the STC line on the quote must show the number of certificates and the dollar value, and the invoice must match.
Inflated paperwork
Some fraud never reaches the homeowner. Claims are lodged for systems that were never installed, or for a larger system than the one on the roof. That is a crime against the scheme, and homeowners can be pulled into an audit. Reports in September 2026 of whistleblower allegations about misconduct in the battery scheme show regulators are watching this area closely. Keep your paperwork, including photos and serial numbers, for at least as long as the warranty.
The vanishing installer
A business takes a deposit, installs partially or not at all, and closes. Check how long it has traded, whether it is a registered business and whether the installer holds current accreditation. See what happens if an installer goes bust.
Eight checks before you sign
- The installer’s accreditation number checks out with the accreditation body. See how to check it.
- The quote lists system size, panel and inverter models, and the STC count and value.
- The assignment form is complete and matches the quote, with no blank fields.
- The deposit is modest and tied to a stage, not a large amount paid on the spot.
- For batteries, the model is on the approved list and VPP-capable.
- You have the installer’s licence and business details, not just a mobile number.
- You have time. No legitimate deal expires within the hour.
- You have a second quote to compare.
From the desk: as a certificate desk we see the paperwork side. The most frequent sign of trouble is a mismatch: system size on the form differs from the invoice, or the install date predates the quote. Honest installers have clean paperwork because they have nothing to hide. If a seller is vague about the STC line, that vagueness is information.
If something has gone wrong
- Stop payment if you can and contact your bank about a chargeback or a dispute.
- Report to Scamwatch, and to the Clean Energy Regulator if an installer or certificates are involved.
- Contact your state regulator for electrical and fair trading issues, and the scheme body for state rebates.
- Keep records: the quote, the contract, messages, photos and a note of calls.
- Read our answers on STC scams in solar and the insights article on STC scams.
If you are an installer
Honest installers lose business to dishonest ones, so the fix is to make honesty visible: show the STC line, give the customer the calculation and use a trader that pre-checks claims. Our compliance desk checks photos, forms and serials before lodgement. See how it works and how STC audits work.
What to do next
- Calculate your own rebate before taking a quote.
- Verify the installer’s accreditation and business.
- Compare two quotes line by line.
- If you are choosing a trader, read choosing a certificate trader.
For definitions of any term used here, see the glossary.