Updated for 2026 program rules. Original article posted 12 June 2025.
Western Australia’s battery rebate and no‑interest loan program is no longer “proposed”. The WA Residential Battery Scheme opened on 1 July 2025 and is currently operating across both Synergy and Horizon Power customer areas. The scheme provides a WA Government rebate (discounted off the installed battery cost) and, for eligible households, an optional no‑interest loan administered by Plenti. Participation in a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) is a core requirement.
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The scheme provides a WA Government rebate that reduces the installed cost of an eligible home battery. The rebate is calculated per kWh and capped at 10 kWh. The rebate rate depends on your electricity service area:
• Synergy: $130 per kWh (up to $1,300 for 10 kWh)
• Horizon Power: $380 per kWh (up to $3,800 for 10 kWh)
No-interest loan (optional, means-tested). If you qualify, the scheme also includes a no-interest loan administered by Plenti:
• Loan size: $2,001 to $10,000
• Term: 3 to 10 years
• Interest: 0% (fixed)
• Credit assessment applies (Plenti administers applications, approvals and repayments)
• Household gross annual income must be under $210,000 (means-tested)
What the loan can cover: Scheme guidance states the loan can be used for the battery and related new or upgraded equipment (such as inverters and solar panels), provided it’s installed as part of a battery package under the scheme.
Note on federal incentives: Federal incentives are separate from the WA scheme and have their own eligibility rules and timing. If you want a WA-specific explanation of current federal battery incentive changes, 13 Dec 2025, Learn more ›
You are likely eligible for the WA battery rebate if all of the following are true:
- Your electricity account is with Synergy or Horizon Power
- The battery will be installed at a residential property in Western Australia
- The battery system is new and has at least 5 kWh of usable capacity
- You will join an eligible VPP (mandatory)
- You will purchase and install through an accredited vendor using approved products for your network area
- The battery was not installed before 1 July 2025 (no retrospective claims).
If you want the no-interest loan as well, your household’s gross annual income must be under $210,000, and you’ll need to meet Plenti’s credit requirements.
1. Who can apply (applicant). You must:
• Be a permanent resident of Australia
• Be 18 years or older
• Be a Synergy or Horizon Power customer
For the loan, you must also have a household gross annual income under $210,000 (verified as part of the application process).
2. Property rules (homes). Eligible properties include:
• Residential properties in WA (including some rentals, with the required permissions)
• Owner‑occupied homes and long‑term rental scenarios can be eligible, provided the correct owner/tenant approvals are in place
Common property disqualifiers to watch for:
- Non‑residential premises
- Properties owned by excluded entity types (for example, certain government and institutional ownership categories listed in scheme guidance)
- Apartments/strata where electricity is supplied through an embedded network (eligibility can depend on billing and metering arrangements)
3. Battery and inverter rules (product eligibility). At a minimum:
• The battery must be new and at least 5 kWh usable capacity
• The battery and inverter must be on the approved lists for your area (for example, Synergy supported solutions or Horizon Power approved lists) and meet technical requirements
• Components must align with relevant standards and approved product listings where required by the scheme and network rules
4. VPP participation is mandatory. To access the WA battery rebate and/or loan, households must participate in a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
A VPP links participating household batteries so stored energy can be dispatched at certain times (for example, during peak demand events), under the terms of the VPP agreement.
The scheme materials state the VPP agreement period is two years, after which participants can opt out.
The scheme guidance also notes some existing solar systems may need upgrades to meet remote management requirements and current electrical standards (often described as “whole of site compliance”). This can include replacing or upgrading components and/or wiring.
The application pathway has effectively been standardised:
Step 1: Confirm eligibility. Start with your retailer area (Synergy vs Horizon), residential property status, and whether you’re willing to join a VPP (required).
Step 2: Choose an accredited vendor. Applications are submitted by scheme-approved vendors (homeowners don’t lodge rebate applications directly).
Step 3: Select approved products. Your vendor should confirm the battery/inverter combination is on the relevant supported solutions lists and meets technical requirements.
Step 4: Vendor submits the rebate application (and the loan process, if needed). If you opt for the loan, Plenti will contact you to complete the income and credit assessment steps.
Step 5: Install and connect (including VPP onboarding). The scheme includes timing constraints and compliance steps. Practically: don’t treat conditional approval as open-ended—book installation promptly once approved.
Program duration and availability. The WA Government has stated the scheme will run until the allocated number of rebates is used (up to 100,000). Availability can change with uptake, so it’s worth checking funding availability before you proceed.
1. Federal STCs for solar panels. Most rooftop solar systems in Australia are supported through STCs under the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, typically delivered as an upfront discount at point of sale.. Guide: Solar rebate Perth & Bunbury region simplified (zone 3) ›
2. Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program (battery STC discount). This federal initiative supports the combined WA Residential Battery Scheme guidance for a 10 kW battery as part of the initial scheme, offering $5,000 from Synergy and $7,500 from Horizon. The state announced these rebates to promote the broader distribution of this program. Announced December 13 2025, the Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program’s value dilutes ›
Cheaper Home Batteries Program key points (as of 2 January 2026 on the Clean Energy Regulator’s program page):
• Around a 30% upfront discount, gradually decreasing until 2030.
• Eligible battery nominal capacity: 5 kWh to 100 kWh.
• STCs calculated on usable capacity; claimable for the first 50 kWh of usable capacity.
• Must be installed with a new or existing solar PV system
Installed by an appropriately accredited installer (such as PSW) and compliant with standards
What’s different about the WA battery rebate: it’s a state co‑contribution that stacks with the federal battery STC discount and is specifically tied to VPP participation.
3. Feed‑in tariffs/export credits Export credits in WA are generally time-based rather than a single flat rate. In the Synergy (SWIS) area, the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) uses peak and off-peak export rates. In Horizon Power areas, buyback rates can vary by location and product.
Synergy (SWIS): Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS) price schedule (effective 1 July 2025) lists:
• Peak export (3pm–9pm): 10 c/kWh
• Off‑peak export (before 3pm or after 9pm): 2 c/kWh
Why this matters when comparing “battery vs no battery”: batteries are often most valuable when they reduce imports during expensive peak demand periods (and when they shift midday excess solar into evening self‑consumption). DEBS is a credit for exports; it doesn’t replace the value of avoiding retail-priced imports.
Horizon Power: buyback rates vary by town + Community Wave options. Horizon Power’s buyback pricing factsheet (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026) shows DEBS export rates by town classification, for example:
• Low‑cost towns: 3.00 c/kWh off‑peak; 10.00 c/kWh peak
• Medium‑cost towns: 11.33 c/kWh off‑peak; 37.76 c/kWh peak
• High‑cost towns: 16.80 c/kWh off‑peak; 55.99 c/kWh peak
The same document describes a “Buyback Bonus” available to Community Wave customers, with seasonal and time‑of‑day rates (Community Wave is Horizon Power’s VPP offering).
A: Likely eligible (rebate only)
Homeowner on Synergy, buying a new 10 kWh battery from an accredited vendor such as PSW
Will join an eligible VPP
Result: likely eligible for the WA rebate and the combined rebate outcome, subject to approved product lists and installation compliance.
B: Likely eligible (rebate + loan)
Same criteria as Example A, household gross income under $210,000
Result: may be eligible for the no‑interest loan (credit assessment applies).
C: Eligible property, but must have permissions
Tenant on Synergy with the landlord’s written consent to install a battery
Result: potentially eligible if approvals are in place; confirm early because ownership/tenancy paperwork is commonly required.
D: Not eligible
Battery installed before 1 July 2025
Result: not eligible for WA rebate/loan; and federal STC rules also require the battery to be certified as installed on/after 1 July 2025 for eligibility.
E: Maybe (needs review)
Apartment/strata with electricity supplied via an embedded network or body corporate arrangement
Result: eligibility can be complex; the WA scheme is linked to having a Synergy or Horizon account for the premises, and the WA Government flags these arrangements as case‑by‑case.
If you believe you qualify, the most effective next step is to move from “reading” to “documentation”:
1. Confirm your retailer area (Synergy vs Horizon) and whether you’re willing to join a VPP.
2. Get an itemised quote from an accredited vendor using approved battery + inverter options. Consider Perth Solar Warehouse.
3. If you want the no‑interest loan, pull your most recent tax return (the scheme guidance references verification against tax returns) and be ready for Plenti’s credit assessment process.
Perth Solar Warehouse, under the co-owned brand PSW Energy, is listed by Plenti as an accredited WA Residential Battery Scheme vendor (Synergy area). If you want us to check eligibility against the current approved lists and lodge the rebate application through the correct channel, request a battery quote and note whether you’re also considering the no‑interest loan.
- The scheme is live, not “soon‑to‑be introduced”.
Applications opened on 1 July 2025 and are submitted via approved vendors. The rebate is not a flat “$500 per kWh” WA payment. As of June 30, 2025, ahead of the operating scheme, the WA portion is redistributed as $130/kWh (Synergy) or $380/kWh (Horizon) offer, capped at 10 kWh, and the larger “up to $5,000 / $7,500” figures now reflect stacking with the federal battery STC discount.
VPP participation is not optional.
It’s a stated eligibility requirement for the WA rebate and loan.Application hygiene matters more.
Consumer Protection has explicitly warned households to use care with pre‑scheme sales tactics and to avoid high‑pressure marketing; in 2026, the practical equivalent is: verify vendor accreditation, insist on itemised quotes (showing rebates/discounts separately), and check product approvals before paying deposits.
