The government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program continues to gain popularity, particularly in regional areas with one city in central Victoria installing batteries at six times the rate of Melbourne.
As many as 1071 Bendigo residents have taken up the offer of around 30 per cent off a home battery, government data shows.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said 42 per cent of the more than 235,000 Cheaper Homer Batteries have been installed in regional homes.
“Bendigo knows that batteries in their homes means more cheaper, cleaner energy, night or day when and where they need it,” said Bowen.
This coincides with the AEMO’s latest quarterly report analysing the National Electricity Market for wholesale electricity prices, showing they nearly halved in the December 2025 quarter, driven by record renewable generation.
Renewables, including energy storage, delivered 51 per cent of overall supply, up from 46 per cent in Q4 2024, with generation records broken across the sector including roof-top solar.
Of this renewable energy generated, installations of rooftop solar and household battery surged to a new high, where for one half hour interval during the quarter supply reached 61 per cent of NEM.
Household battery installations across Australia surged past 145,000 for the quarter, the AEMO report also noted, with total storage capacity at 3,398 megawatt hours (MWh) showing their increasing importance in the grid and the popularity of the government rebate.
Impacts of upcoming changes to the Cheaper Home Batteries Program to commence on 1 May 2026 will be watched closely.
The STC Factor, which determines the number of STCs a system is entitled to create per kWh of useable capacity, will be adjusted from 8.4 to 6.8. The level of support for batteries will also shift as of 1 May 2026.
Meanwhile in Central Victoria, the federal government is also helping councils and community facilities with energy efficiency upgrades and $1.4 million going to projects across the region.
“Every local household or small business that installs roof top solar and batteries are also helping to take pressure off the grid,” said Lisa Chesters MP, Member for Bendigo.
The Bendigo Library’s $1.2 million electrification project will reduce carbon emissions as part of the city’s climate goals and be the first major public building in Bendigo to transition to fully electric heating and cooling systems.
The $248,000 in funding for the Mount Alexander Shire Council to electrify the Castlemaine Town Hall will also see it lower energy bills and make the town hall more comfortable year-round.
