Is a solar battery worth it?
It's worth it when your home uses a lot of power after the sun goes down and your retailer pays little for the solar you export. Every kWh a battery moves from export into the evening is worth your evening rate minus your feed-in tariff. On Victoria's default time-of-use offer the 4 pm to 9 pm rate is 37.57c to 47.64c a kWh depending on your network (Essential Services Commission, 2026-27), and there's been no minimum feed-in tariff since 1 July 2025: each retailer sets its own (ESC).
A 10 kWh battery costs about $7,000 to $11,000 installed with the federal discount already off (CHOICE, updated 26 August 2026). The discount drops on 1 January 2027. Checked 29 October 2026.
What 10 kWh a day can be worth, by network.
The ceiling assumes the battery fills from spare solar and empties into your own use every day of the year. Take off $36.50 a year for every cent of feed-in tariff you'd otherwise have been paid. Rates are the Victorian Default Offer for homes, including GST; your own plan may differ, so use the rates on your bill.
| Network | Peak 4 pm to 9 pm | Flat rate | Ceiling a year, time-of-use | Ceiling a year, flat rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AusNet Services | 47.64c | 31.98c | about $1,740 | about $1,170 |
| CitiPower | 38.31c | 25.96c | about $1,400 | about $950 |
| Jemena | 37.57c | 27.47c | about $1,370 | about $1,000 |
| Powercor | 41.67c | 28.22c | about $1,520 | about $1,030 |
| United Energy | 40.32c | 27.35c | about $1,470 | about $1,000 |
Worked example: on CitiPower's time-of-use rate with a 5c feed-in tariff, 10 kWh a day is worth at most about $1,220 a year. Against a battery costing $7,000 to $11,000 after the discount, that's roughly 6 to 9 years at best. Real homes rarely cycle a full 10 kWh every day of winter, so treat it as the fastest case, not a forecast.
When a battery is worth it.
- Most of your use is after 4 pm. Cooking, heating, hot water on a timer, an EV charging at night. The battery only saves money on power you'd otherwise buy.
- You export a lot now. If your solar sends 10 kWh or more to the grid on a typical day, there's spare energy to store. A small system that already covers your daytime use leaves little to fill a battery.
- Your feed-in tariff is low. The lower it is, the more each stored kWh is worth. Check the rate on your last bill; it's set by your retailer, not by government.
- You're staying put. A battery that claims the federal discount has to stay at the property until the end of 2030 or the end of its warranty, whichever is later (Clean Energy Regulator).
When it isn't yet.
Low evening use, a small solar system, or a plan to sell within a few years all push the sum the wrong way. So does buying bigger than you need: above 14 kWh the federal discount drops to 60% a kWh, and only one battery per home can ever claim it (Clean Energy Regulator).
What 1 January 2027 does to the sum.
The discount falls from 6.8 to 5.7 certificates a usable kWh for batteries installed from 1 January, about $400 less on 10 kWh. If installers hold their prices, that adds to the price and stretches the payback. The full schedule: federal battery rebate changes.
Adding a battery to solar you already have.
The federal discount covers it. The inverter the battery connects to has to be able to join a virtual power plant and be on the Clean Energy Council's list, or have been listed when your solar went in; if not, it gets replaced, which adds to the quote (Clean Energy Regulator). Prices by size: solar battery cost.
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Your postcode
The zone, the state programs and the install counts all hang off it. Nothing else about your address is asked or kept.
No email, no phone number. The figures appear on the next page, and the only thing we ask after that is whether you'd like to call.
Questions people ask.
Is a solar battery worth it in Australia in 2026?
When you use a lot of power after dark and get a low feed-in tariff. The federal discount takes around 30% off the upfront cost, and each stored kWh is worth your evening rate minus your feed-in tariff, so the answer is on your bill. Checked 29 October 2026.
How long does a solar battery take to pay for itself?
Divide the price after the discount by what it saves a year. The fastest case for 10 kWh in Victoria, cycled fully every day on a time-of-use plan, is about $1,190 to $1,560 a year at a 5c feed-in tariff, so about 4.5 to 9.2 years on a $7,000 to $11,000 battery. Most homes take longer.
Is a battery worth it on a flat rate?
Less than on time-of-use, because the evening rate is lower. On Victoria's 2026-27 default flat rates of 25.96c to 31.98c a kWh, each stored kWh is worth that rate minus your feed-in tariff.
Is there a battery rebate in Victoria?
The federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount: about $2,500 on a 10 kWh battery installed by 31 December 2026. Victoria's own battery loan is closed.
Do I have to join a virtual power plant?
Not for the federal discount; the battery only has to be able to join one. Joining can pay a higher feed-in tariff for what the battery exports, which the Clean Energy Regulator lists as a benefit.
Is this a government website?
No. Energy Upgrade Guide is an independent reference. Tariffs come from the Essential Services Commission, prices from CHOICE and the discount rules from the Clean Energy Regulator.
Sources.
- Essential Services Commission: Victorian Default Offer 2026-27 (domestic flat and time-of-use tariffs, incl. GST) in effect 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027
- Essential Services Commission: minimum feed-in tariff (no longer set; retailers set their own) since 1 July 2025
- CHOICE: solar battery buying guide (installed prices after the federal rebate, SolarQuotes data) page updated 26 August 2026
- Clean Energy Regulator: solar batteries (STC factors by period, taper bands) page updated 29 October 2026
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Cheaper Home Batteries Program (install date rule, annual review, funding) page updated 9 June 2026
Related: the upgrade order · solar battery cost · battery rebate calculator · battery rebate changes