Two things we get asked a lot: is there still a no-interest way to pay for a battery, and does "free solar battery" mean what it sounds like? The honest answers are it depends on your state, and no. Here's what's actually on offer, checked against the state schemes directly rather than assumed.
State finance: interest-free and low-interest loans
The federal rebate cuts the upfront price everywhere. On top of that, a couple of states have run their own battery loan, and the terms are not the same as each other, and not always what the "interest-free" reputation suggests today.
Victoria: the interest-free loan is closed to new applicants
Solar Victoria's interest-free battery loan is the one most people mean when they search for this. It closed to new applications in May 2025, once the program reached its lending target. Households who already have one of these loans keep repaying it on the original terms, but nobody new can apply. Victorian households today get the federal discount from the state's own side; there's no active state loan to pair with it, and we won't tell you otherwise just because the loan used to exist.
ACT: a real loan, but low-interest, not zero
The ACT's Sustainable Household Scheme is still open, and it's the state's one genuine finance option for a battery. It isn't interest-free: it charges 3% interest, with no establishment or account-keeping fees, over a term of up to 10 years. The loan cap rose to $20,000 from 1 July 2026, up from $15,000 for earlier participants. It's arranged through the scheme's finance partner, Brighte, and a battery can be financed on its own without bundling in new solar.
Every other state: a rebate, not a loan
Elsewhere, state support mostly takes the shape of a rebate, a VPP incentive or grant rather than a loan you repay. We cover each one on its own state page rather than folding them into a single "finance" number, because they're genuinely different kinds of support. See the Victorian rebate page or the ACT rebate page for the full picture in those two states, or the rebate hub to find yours.
What "free solar battery" offers actually mean
"Free solar battery" is a real search, and it gets a lot of misleading marketing in the results. It never means the battery cost anyone nothing. When you see the phrase, it usually means one of three things:
- The federal rebate, described as making the battery "virtually free." The Cheaper Home Batteries discount is real and worth roughly 30% off, but it's a discount off a real price, not a giveaway. You still pay the balance.
- The battery cost folded into a solar-plus-battery package at a higher headline price, so the battery line reads as "free" while the total is no lower than buying both separately, sometimes higher.
- A finance plan with no repayments for an introductory period, after which normal repayments (and interest) start. Nothing was free, the cost just moved later.
None of that makes a battery a bad deal. Once the federal discount and any state incentive are applied, the real out-of-pocket price is usually genuinely lower than people expect. Just ask for the itemised price before and after every rebate, in writing, before you commit to anything advertised as free.
Battery rebate eligibility, quick answers
These come up as direct questions more than search phrases, so here they are straight.
Can renters get the battery rebate?
Not directly. The federal discount applies to the owner of the battery at the premises, so a tenant can't claim it themselves. If your landlord installs a battery, the benefit is theirs to pass on or not; you can't put in the paperwork on their behalf.
Can apartments get the battery rebate?
It depends on the building. A single unit with its own rooftop solar and its own meter is treated like any other premises and is eligible in the same way a house is. A whole block sharing one battery is harder, because the rebate is generally worked out one battery per premises, which was built with single dwellings in mind. Embedded networks, such as some retirement villages where each unit counts as its own premises, can qualify. If you're in a strata building, ask an installer who has actually done one before assuming either way.
Does it work with existing solar?
Yes, and this is the most common case, not the exception. The federal rebate covers a battery added to solar you already own, not only new solar-plus-battery installs. See adding a battery to existing solar panels for how the connection actually works. If you don't have solar yet, a battery can still go in alongside a new system.
Are there special pensioner or concession-card provisions?
No separate one. The federal battery discount carries no income or concession-card test, so the rate is the same whether or not you hold a card. If you do hold one, your state's energy bill relief or hardship programs are worth checking separately, they're different schemes again, aimed at ongoing bills rather than the upfront cost of a battery.