Updated 10 October 2026: re-checked against energy.nsw.gov.au. An earlier version said the Peak Demand Reduction Scheme pays a per-kWh battery incentive; that installation incentive ended on 30 June 2025. What NSW pays now is below.
The NSW Empowering Homes program, which offered interest-free loans of up to $14,000 for solar and batteries, no longer takes applications, and its program page has been removed. NSW battery support now comes from two places: a one-off incentive for connecting a battery to a virtual power plant (VPP), and the Home Energy Saver package.
What NSW pays in 2026
- VPP incentive, only if you join a VPP. NSW publishes no fixed amount. Its own page says the upfront incentive "depends on the battery capacity in kilowatt-hours (kWh) made available to the grid, up to 28 kWh", and varies with the VPP provider and contract you choose. Batteries from 2 kWh up to 50 kWh are eligible from 1 July 2026, once per electricity meter.
- Home Energy Saver loan: zero interest, up to $15,000 over up to 10 years, for owners with a household income up to $210,000. Open now.
- Home Energy Saver discount: up to $4,000 for homeowners and renters with a household income up to $80,000 or a concession card. Listed by NSW as coming soon; not open at 10 October 2026.
Sources: NSW VPP incentive, Home Energy Saver.
What every NSW household gets
The unconditional money is federal: about $1,784 in STCs on a 6.6 kW system in Sydney and about $3,608 off a 13.5 kWh battery under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, at the 15 October 2026 price of $39.65 per STC. That is $5,392 on a typical solar plus battery install. The VPP incentive is on top only if you join a VPP, and the zero-interest loan changes how you pay, not the price.