Is a home battery worth it?

Updated 29 October 2026

A battery stores the solar you'd otherwise export for a few cents, and lets you use it in the evening instead of buying power at full price. Whether that pays off depends on your household more than on the battery.

A battery tends to pay off when

You use a lot of power after the sun goes down: cooking, air conditioning, pool pumps, an electric car.
Your feed-in tariff is low, so exporting earns little.
You're on a time-of-use plan with expensive evening rates.
You can join a virtual power plant that pays you, or you're in WA where joining one unlocks the state rebate.

You might wait when

Your evening use is small, or someone is home using solar during the day.
Your solar system is small and has little left over to store.
Your switchboard needs an upgrade that adds a lot to the price. Ask the installer.

Sizing it

Size the battery to your evening and overnight use, not to the biggest rebate. Because of the tiers, kWh above 14 earn 60% of the rate and above 28 only 15%. A 13.5 kWh battery currently attracts about $3,367 in federal rebate.

Try the savings calculator with and without a battery to see the difference for your bill.