Victorian Solar Battery Loans Installation Deadline Looms

Solar Victoria has issued a reminder that home battery installations supported by the state’s Solar Homes Program loans must be installed soon.

When Is The Battery Installation Deadline?

In an email update yesterday, Solar Victoria stated:

“All solar battery loans were approved by 30 June. We are reminding retailers that to avoid delays in payment or loss of eligibility, all battery installations must be finalised within 120 days of application approval and payment claims submitted. We understand that scheduling and product delay challenges can arise, however no extensions will be granted beyond 31 December 2025.”

The number of loan-supported installations yet to occur wasn’t mentioned.

How The Battery Loan Scheme Works

Eligible Victorians were previously able to apply for zero-interest battery loans of up to $8,800. But applications closed on May 27 this year; not long before the national Cheaper Home Batteries Program (CHBP) formally came into play¹.

Under the scheme, once installation is complete, the loan amount is paid to directly to the retailer and deducted from the customer’s invoice, and the customer pays the retailer the balance. Loan repayments are debited from the customer’s bank account, starting 30 days after Solar Victoria approves the installation. Monthly repayments are up to $183.34 over 4 years, depending on how much the loan was for.

The program’s original goal was to provide 4,500 loans, a target that was exceeded before applications closed. In total, more than 20,000 applications were approved for the loans and/or battery rebates that were available previous to the loans. The rebate was originally $4,838 when launched in 2019, but had reduced to $2,950 by July 2022; then axed in mid-2023 in favour of the interest-free loans.

The original Solar Homes commitment was to help 10,000 Victorian households install batteries. Applications were highest in Melbourne’s outer suburbs; with the top five suburbs being Berwick, Pakenham, Tarneit, Sunbury and Point Cook.

CHBP Fills The Void

Even without the state rebate or loans, a home battery purchase in Victoria is accessible to more households now thanks to the Cheaper Home Batteries Program subsidy. That program formally launched on July 1, but batteries could be installed a couple of months prior — just not commissioned until the start date.

The program currently offers an upfront discount of around 30%, which equates to approximately $372 per usable kilowatt-hour (kWh) of useable battery capacity (before admin fees and charges).

Like the national solar rebate, the subsidy is being delivered through Australia’s Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES). The difference is the Federal Government is buying the Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs), on which the subsidy is based. This means no costs are passed onto energy retailers or households through their power bills. STCs for solar panel installations are purchased by ‘liable entities’ such as electricity retailers.

Assuming it remains funded, the Cheaper Home Batteries Program subsidy will be available until the scheme ends in 2030, but gradually decrease each year.

Solar Homes Program Update

In other news from Solar Victoria, the agency said the month of October saw growth across applications, approvals and installations. And for the first time since March this year, applications and approvals for solar PV exceeded those for the hot water rebate.

“Applications from owner occupiers increased by 13% for solar PV and approvals rose by 10%, contributing to the strongest month in 2025. Installations grew by 14% following a 6% rise in September,” said the agency.

The Victorian PV rebate offers up to $1,400 off the up-front cost of a solar power system, and can be accessed alongside the national solar subsidy. Learn more about the Victorian solar panel rebate.

As for support for hot water, the Solar Homes program currently offers up to a $1,000 rebate for eligible heat pump and solar hot water systems, or up to $1,400 for eligible systems made in Australia. Further details can be found here. Added to that is Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) support, which offer incentives for households to upgrade to efficient hot water systems.