Electrification rebates in Victoria, explained plainly
What is actually on offer in 2026 for solar, batteries, heat pump hot water, heating and cooling, what closed, and how much comes off your quote. We check your eligibility and lodge every one of these for you.
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Four programs, and one that people still ask about
There are four live incentives for a Melbourne home going electric: the federal small-scale technology certificates (STCs) on solar and heat pump hot water, the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount, the Solar Victoria solar panel rebate with its interest-free loan, and Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) discounts on heat pumps, reverse cycle heating and cooling and some other upgrades. Between them they take a serious chunk off almost every job on this site.
The one people still ask about is the Solar Victoria battery rebate and interest-free battery loan. Both closed in 2025 when the program hit its target. Anyone still advertising them is out of date. The federal battery discount has since replaced it and is more generous for most homes. Everything below is applied on the quote before you sign, not claimed back afterwards, and we do the paperwork.
Roughly what comes off the quote
Indicative figures at the time of writing. The exact amount depends on the system, the property and the program rules on the day, and we confirm it in writing before you commit.
Cheaper Home Batteries Program, on approved batteries, no income test.
Plus an interest-free loan for the same amount, for eligible owner-occupiers.
Point-of-sale discount on solar systems and heat pump hot water.
Discounts on heat pump hot water and reverse cycle heating and cooling, largest when replacing gas.
Rebates on the jobs we actually do
The same three jobs make up most of our work. This is what applies to each.
Heat pump hot water: VEU plus STCs
The two stack. A Victorian Energy Upgrades discount, largest when you are replacing a gas unit, and federal STCs on the heat pump. Both come off the quote at the point of sale. This is why a heat pump swap is normally the first thing we recommend to a home going off gas.
- VEU discount
- Federal STCs
- Applied on the quote
- Largest when replacing gas
Solar and battery: three programs
STCs on the panels, the Solar Victoria rebate and interest-free loan on the panels for eligible owner-occupiers, and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount on the battery. Doing solar and battery together means all three land on one quote, which is usually the strongest payback on the whole list.
- Federal STCs
- Solar Victoria rebate and loan
- Federal battery discount
- One quote, all three
Heating and cooling: VEU
Replacing ducted gas heating or a gas wall furnace with reverse cycle qualifies for a VEU discount, applied on the quote. Rentals qualify too, which matters for landlords facing the Victorian minimum standards. Induction cooktops are the exception: there is no incentive we can process on those, so we quote them at a straight price.
- VEU discount
- Rentals eligible
- Applied on the quote
- No cooktop rebate
Whole-home electrification packages get every program that applies to each step, on one quote. See home electrification for how we sequence it.
What is open, what closed, who qualifies
Current at the time of writing. Programs change, so we check the rules on the day we quote.
| Program | Applies to | Worth | Who qualifies | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal STCs (Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme) | Solar panel systems, heat pump hot water | Point-of-sale discount, scales with system size and shrinks each year to 2030 | Any home or small business, no income test | Open |
| Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program | Approved home batteries installed with solar | Around 30 percent off the battery, based on usable capacity | Homes, small businesses and community facilities, no income test, one battery per property | Open |
| Solar Victoria solar panel rebate and loan | Solar panel systems on owner-occupied homes | Rebate up to $1,400, plus an interest-free loan up to $1,400 | Owner-occupiers under the household income and property value caps, no solar in the last ten years | Open |
| Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) | Heat pump hot water, reverse cycle heating and cooling, some other upgrades | Varies by product and what it replaces, largest for gas replacement | Homes and businesses in Victoria, work done by an accredited provider | Open |
| Solar Victoria battery rebate and battery loan | Home batteries | Was up to $8,800 as a loan | Owner-occupiers | Closed 2025, replaced by the federal battery discount |
| Induction cooktop incentives | Gas to induction cooktop changeovers | Listed under VEU but not processed by us | Ask us on the day | Not offered by Powerband |
Figures are the published program amounts at the time of writing and are not a quote. Eligibility is confirmed per property before you sign anything.
You never fill in a rebate form
Every incentive above is applied on the quote and lodged by us. This is what that looks like.
- 01Eligibility checked at the site inspection
Owner-occupier or rental, income and property value where a program has caps, what is being replaced and whether it is gas. We know which programs apply before we write a number.
- 02Applied on the quote, not claimed back
The quote shows the full price, each incentive as its own line and the figure you actually pay. No estimates that shrink later, no rebates you have to chase.
- 03Lodged by us
Solar Victoria applications, STC assignment, VEU paperwork and the federal battery discount are all processed on our side. You sign what needs signing and that is it.
- 04Confirmed in writing
If a program changes between quote and install, we tell you in writing before the job starts. The number you agreed to is the number you pay.
Where to start
Each service page carries the detail for its own rebates. These are the three with the most on offer.
VEU plus STCs, the quickest payback in the house and normally step one off gas.
Solar and batterySTCs, the Solar Victoria rebate and loan, and the federal battery discount on one quote.
Heating and coolingVEU on gas-to-reverse-cycle swaps, ducted and split, for homes and rentals.
Rebates from the crew that does the job
Plenty of businesses sell rebates. We install the thing the rebate is attached to, which changes what we tell you.
SAA accredited installer, Clean Energy Council approved retailer and a VEU accredited provider. If we were not, none of these would apply to your job.
A rebate on the wrong system is still the wrong system. We recommend the unit first and apply what it qualifies for second, and we will say so when a cheaper option without a rebate is the better buy.
Going all-electric in stages means several programs across several jobs. We map them on one plan so nothing is missed and nothing is claimed twice.
Programs open, close and change. We keep this page and our quotes current, and we corrected our own battery loan wording when Solar Victoria closed it.
What customers say about the numbers
Live Google reviews. Fixed after-rebate quotes come up a lot.
Rebate questions
Anything else, call 0466 355 441. You will get someone who lodges these every week.
Is the Solar Victoria battery rebate still available?
No. Solar Victoria closed the battery rebate and the interest-free battery loan in 2025 once the program reached its target. It has been replaced by the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount, which takes around 30 percent off an approved battery with no income test and is available to more homes than the Victorian program was.
What is the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount?
A federal program that discounts approved home batteries by roughly 30 percent, calculated on usable capacity and applied at the point of sale through the STC system. The battery has to be on the approved list and installed with solar by an accredited installer. Every battery we sell qualifies.
Is the Solar Victoria solar panel rebate still open?
Yes. Eligible owner-occupiers can get a rebate of up to $1,400 on a solar panel system plus an interest-free loan for the same amount, subject to household income and property value caps and no solar installed at the property in the last ten years. We check eligibility and lodge it.
What are STCs?
Small-scale technology certificates, the federal incentive on solar systems and heat pump hot water. Their value depends on system size and location, and the number you get shrinks a little each year until the scheme ends in 2030. We assign them on your behalf and apply the value as a discount on the quote.
What does VEU cover?
Victorian Energy Upgrades discounts apply to heat pump hot water, reverse cycle heating and cooling and a range of other efficiency upgrades. The discount is largest when you are replacing a gas appliance. We are an accredited provider, so it comes off the quote.
Is there a rebate for an induction cooktop?
Gas-to-induction changeovers are listed under VEU, but we do not process incentives on cooktop installs, so we quote those at a straight fixed price. If a provider is offering one at the time, we will tell you and you can pursue it directly.
Do rentals qualify?
For VEU and STCs, yes, and landlords use them heavily for hot water and heating upgrades. The Solar Victoria solar rebate has a separate rental stream with its own conditions. The federal battery discount applies to rental properties too.
Do I have to claim anything myself?
No. Everything on this page is applied on the quote and lodged by us. You sign the assignment forms and the number you pay already has the incentives taken off.
Find out what your house qualifies for
Your address, what you have now and what you are thinking about. We will tell you which programs apply, roughly what they are worth, and book a free site inspection for a fixed after-rebate quote.
- Call us0466 355 441