Minister for Energy and Climate Change Chris Bowen has met with a local energy provider to kick off a major government battery rebate.
Bowen visited the Erskine Park warehouse of sustainable solar provider OSW to officially mark the start of the government’s Cheaper Home Battery Scheme, a major election commitment, which kicked off on Tuesday, July 1.
Australians are now expected to save thousands when installing a solar battery, with the 30 per cent government rebate for the installation under the scheme.
It will take the average cost of installing a solar battery from in excess of $10,000 down to roughly $6,000.
The batteries enable households to store excess electricity generated from their solar panels during the day to power their home at night instead of using the electricity grid.

Bowen visited the Erskine Park warehouse last Friday, June 27, to officially acknowledge the scheme’s entry into Australian law along with a range of industry representatives.
“I signed the regulation for cheaper home batteries about two weeks ago. Yesterday [Thursday, June 26], her excellency the Governor General signed the regulation,” Bowen said.
“When the Ministers sign the regulation and the Governor General sign the regulation, it becomes a law of Australia the next day.”
While visiting OSW, Bowen was introduced to OSW’s battery storage range and two of its most impactful digital platforms GreenSketch and GreenDeal.
GreenSketch is OSW’s free solar and battery design platform, helping installers to build accurate and to scale battery wall plans and supports clearer communication with customers, while simplifying rebate documentation.
“We are proud that GreenSketch is playing a part in Australia’s clean energy transition,” OSW Head of Product and Marketing Usama Aslam said.

“We believe digital tools like ours are key to supporting installers, simplifying rebate processes, and making battery storage more accessible to Australian households.”
Bowen acknowledged there is more work to be done in the renewable energy sector but said the scheme is a good start.
“It’s a very exciting time for consumers, customers and for the industry here in western Sydney. So many people are now employed in this supply chain whether it is here at companies like OSW or it is the installers and increasingly, over the coming years and decades, the manufacturers,” Bowen said.
“That’s our vision; to be making solar panels and batteries in Australia and a lot of that would be happening in western Sydney, we have a long way to go but we’ve got a great start.
“The renewable energy transformation creates thousands and thousands of jobs, and it is very important for our community to have those jobs here in western Sydney.

“Many, many locals work in some part of the renewable energy supply chain now and that’s just a wonderful thing.”
To find out more, visit http://www.dcceew.gov.au/energy/programs/cheaper-home-batteries.

Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.