What happened, in short
- More than 507,000 households, small businesses and community organisations have installed a battery under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, the Prime Minister and Energy Minister announced.
- The program, launched in July 2025, discounts the upfront cost of eligible batteries by around 30% and is budgeted at an estimated $7.2 billion over four years.
- Uptake has been strongest outside the major cities, including the NSW electorates of Hume, Mitchell, Greenway and Macquarie.
- Around half of installations have been paired with new or upgraded solar, according to earlier government figures.
- For builders, battery-ready design is fast becoming a client expectation: wall space in a compliant location, conduits, switchboard capacity and spare ways.
More than 507,000 home batteries have now been installed under the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, according to figures announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen. The milestone comes just over a year after the program launched in July 2025, and it marks one of the fastest take-ups of a household energy technology in Australia.
For builders, the numbers matter because they change client expectations. When half a million households have a battery, the next client asking for a new home or a renovation is likely to want one, or at least to want the house ready for one.
The program at a glance
Source: Energy-Storage.News, 17 August 2026; DCCEEW.
What was announced
According to the announcement, reported by Energy-Storage.News, more than 507,000 households, small businesses and community organisations have installed a battery under the program. The Cheaper Home Batteries Program is administered by the Clean Energy Regulator and discounts the upfront cost of eligible small-scale batteries connected to solar by around 30%, through the small-scale renewable energy scheme.
The program’s budget was expanded to an estimated $7.2 billion over four years, more than three times the $2.3 billion initially projected. From 1 May 2026, the way the discount is calculated was adjusted, reducing the proportional discount for the portion of larger batteries above a set capacity.
The Energy Minister said uptake has been strongest outside the major cities, naming the NSW electorates of Hume, Mitchell, Greenway and Macquarie, Wright in Queensland and Mayo in South Australia, and that in some electorates more than 10% of houses now have a battery under the scheme.
How fast it grew
Government updates tracked by Energy-Storage.News show how quickly installations climbed. By early May 2026, 380,712 systems had been installed, representing 10.7 GWh of storage. Later in May the program passed 400,000 installations and 11.2 GWh. The August announcement did not include an official capacity figure; Energy-Storage.News estimated around 14 GWh based on earlier averages.
Average battery size has also grown, from around 25 kWh at the 250,000 mark to about 28 kWh at 400,000 installations, according to program figures. Around half of installations have been paired with new or upgraded solar.
What it means for builders
Clients will ask
With batteries this common, clients building new homes and major renovations increasingly raise them at the design stage. Some want a battery at handover. Many more want the house ready for one, so they can add it when the budget allows. Builders who can explain the options, and design for them, have an advantage.
Battery-ready design is cheap; retrofits are not
The cost of making a new home ready for a battery is small: a suitable wall location, a conduit from the switchboard, spare switchboard ways and adequate supply capacity. Adding those after handover can mean chasing walls, replacing the switchboard and upgrading the supply.
Making a new home battery-ready
- Choose a battery location that meets the manufacturer’s requirements and the Australian Standard for battery installations.
- Run a conduit from the switchboard to the battery location, and one to the roof for future solar.
- Leave spare switchboard ways for battery and backup circuits.
- Check supply capacity and the network operator’s rules for solar and battery connections.
- Record conduit routes and spare capacity in the handover documents.
Location rules matter
Battery systems must be installed in locations that meet the manufacturer’s requirements and the Australian Standard for the safety of battery installations, which restricts where batteries can go, particularly in relation to habitable rooms, exits and other hazards. The electrician and battery installer will know the requirements; the builder’s job is to plan a compliant location at design stage rather than leaving the installer to find space in a finished house.
Supply and switchboard capacity
Batteries, solar, heat pumps, air conditioning, induction cooking and EV chargers all add to a home’s electrical demands. The network operator’s rules also govern how solar and batteries connect. Getting the maximum demand calculation and the switchboard right at design stage is the foundation of a battery-ready home.
Don’t sell what you can’t install. Builders should leave battery sizing, product choice and discount eligibility to licensed installers and the program rules. The builder’s role is to make the house ready: location, conduits, switchboard and capacity.
Renovations: adding batteries to existing homes
Most of the half a million batteries have gone into existing homes, not new ones. For renovation builders, that means batteries often come up as part of a wider job: a kitchen renovation that goes all-electric, an extension that adds a new switchboard, or a roof replacement that adds solar. Coordinating the battery with the rest of the work, particularly the switchboard upgrade, the battery location and any new solar, avoids doing the electrical work twice.
Older switchboards and supplies are often the constraint. A renovation that adds air conditioning, induction cooking and a battery may need a switchboard replacement and a supply upgrade. It is better to discover that at the quoting stage than halfway through the job.
Questions clients ask builders
Should I get a battery now or later? That depends on the client’s budget, energy use and the current discount, and it is a question for a licensed installer or energy adviser. The builder’s answer is: whatever you decide, we will make the house ready so adding one later is simple.
Where will it go? In a location that meets the manufacturer’s requirements and the Australian Standard, which the installer will confirm. Planning it at design stage avoids ending up with a battery in an awkward spot.
Will it keep the power on in a blackout? Only if the system is designed and installed with backup capability, which not all are. That is another question for the installer, and a reason to plan backup circuits on the switchboard if the client wants it.
Regional builders, take note
The strongest uptake has been outside the major cities. Regional clients often have larger roofs, higher exposure to network outages, and more interest in energy independence. Regional builders are likely to see more requests for battery-ready and battery-included homes, and for renovations that add solar and batteries to existing houses.
Safety and fire considerations
Battery systems store a lot of energy, and installation rules exist for good reason. Builders should expect installers to follow the manufacturer’s requirements and the Australian Standard on location, clearances, ventilation, protection from impact and separation from habitable rooms and exits. A battery squeezed into a spot that suits the floor plan but not the rules will be refused by a competent installer, or worse, installed anyway. Planning the location at design stage avoids both problems.
The bigger picture
Home batteries are part of a wider shift towards all-electric, solar-powered homes. They help households use more of their own solar in the evening, and the Government says they are easing pressure on the grid during evening peaks. For builders, the practical implication is that the electrical design of a new home is becoming as important as its plumbing: supply, switchboard, circuits and future capacity all need to be thought through.
The program is budgeted over four years, so demand for batteries is likely to continue. Builders who make battery-ready design a standard inclusion, and explain it clearly to clients, will be meeting an expectation that is quickly becoming normal.
Questions builders ask
How many batteries have been installed under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program?
More than 507,000, according to figures announced in August 2026 by the Prime Minister and Energy Minister.
How much is the home battery discount?
Around 30% of the upfront cost of eligible batteries, delivered through the small-scale renewable energy scheme. The discount was adjusted from 1 May 2026 to reduce the proportional discount for larger batteries.
Where has battery uptake been strongest?
Outside the major cities. The Energy Minister named the NSW electorates of Hume, Mitchell, Greenway and Macquarie, Wright in Queensland and Mayo in South Australia.
How do I make a new home battery-ready?
Plan a compliant battery location, run conduits from the switchboard to the battery and roof, leave spare switchboard ways, and size the supply for future loads.
Sources
- Australia’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program officially passes 500,000 installations · Energy-Storage.News · 2026-08-17
- Cheaper Home Batteries Program · Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Published 17 August 2026. General information for builders, not legal, financial or engineering advice for a specific job. Check current requirements with the relevant regulator or standard before relying on them.
