Phase Shift: How Waiting For Battery Rebates Costs You More

The Australian federal election is creeping up, and if history is any guide, Labor and the Coalition will be battling it out with policy sweeteners. One of the likely big-ticket items? Battery rebates. It’s a safe bet that, in a bid to win votes, both sides will throw money at home batteries (just like WA Labor is in today’s state election).

That’s great, except for one thing.

If you’re thinking about a battery, you’re probably considering waiting. Why spend thousands now when a rebate could be announced in a few months? That’s a rational decision – except that ‘a few months’ could easily turn into a year or more before anything concrete is in place. If it happens at all.

Meanwhile, your electricity bills are higher than they need to be, and you’re still relying on the grid when you’d rather be using your own solar power.

The Smarter Move

If you want a battery but are holding out for government handouts, there’s a way to have your cake and eat it too: buy solar now, but with a hybrid inverter.

Why?

1. Immediate savings. Extra solar reduces your power bills immediately, so you won’t burn cash while waiting for a rebate that may or may not arrive.
2. Any federal rebate is likely at least a year away. That gives your installer four seasons of your real-world solar and consumption data to size your battery for what matters most to you, whether it’s fast payback, zero bills, or apocalypse-proof backup.
3. Faster battery install later – a good hybrid inverter means your installer can come back and add a battery in an hour or two, rather than spending a day or two installing the full solar and battery system.
4. Better deals and faster service now – the industry is quieter now than it will be if rebates trigger a buying frenzy. That means better pricing, faster installation, and less chance of being stuck on a waitlist when everyone rushes to cash in on a new scheme.

The Best Tech for the Job

Not all hybrid systems are created equal, but – in my opinion – Sigenergy’s setup is the best architected for adding batteries later. You install their Gateway and modular hybrid inverter now, and when you’re ready for batteries, your installer can literally drop in battery modules and move some cabling a metre or so up the wall. Almost plug in and go.

The Federal Solar Rebate Is Still Kicking (For Now)

While we wait for a potential battery rebate, don’t forget the federal solar rebate (proper name: SRES) is still alive and well. Yes, it reduces every January, but right now, it still knocks thousands off the cost of a solar system – use our STC calculator to see how much it can save you. And while panel prices have been on a long downward slide, there are signs that might be finally reversing. If costs start creeping up, today’s solar and hybrid inverter install could look like a bargain in hindsight.

The Risk of Waiting

We’ve seen it before. Government incentives roll in, demand skyrockets, and suddenly:

• Prices go up because installers are swamped.
• Wait times blow out.
• Stock shortages make it harder to get the battery you want.

By acting now, you sidestep that mess while locking in lower power bills and flexibility for the future. Then, if a rebate does come along, you’re in the perfect position to take advantage of it — without the chaos.

Wouldn’t it be nice if politics didn’t mess with good decision-making? Unfortunately, here we are. But with the right move now, you don’t have to let the pollies’ power moves cost you.

Phase Shift is a weekly opinion column from SolarQuotes founder Finn Peacock, in which he shares his views on all things home electrification. 

Original Source: https://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/waiting-for-battery-rebates-costs-more/