{"id":26419,"date":"2018-12-13T13:10:33","date_gmt":"2018-12-13T02:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=26419"},"modified":"2024-06-05T11:59:58","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T02:29:58","slug":"queensland-battery-grant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/queensland-battery-grant\/","title":{"rendered":"It Appears Impossible To Save Money With The Queensland Battery Grant"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Queensland

Don’t Rush Into Getting A $3,000 QLD Battery Grant:\u00a0 It Can Cost You Dearly.<\/p><\/div>\n

Yesterday a Queenslander asked me for advice.\u00a0 This is not unusual.\u00a0 I’m originally from Queensland, so I understand their primitive ways.\u00a0 I also take care to maintain their respect by never making fun of my home state and only ever saying things about it that are factually true.\u00a0 Such as the plants want to kill you<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This Queenslander asked me if he should take advantage of his state’s $3,000 battery grant scheme<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Update 25th February 2024:\u00a0 The QLD battery grant scheme has ended but a new “Battery Booster<\/a>” subsidy program offering up to $4,000 will begin in early 2024.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

There are only a total of 2,500 packages available so he was wondering if he should get in quick before they run out.\u00a0 After all, there are 5 million people in the sunshine state, which means there’s only 1 rebate for every 770 households or 0.13% of Queensland homes.<\/p>\n

He sent me a quote he had been given for a battery system.\u00a0 I looked over it and told him that, with optimistic assumptions, after 10 years with this battery system, he will have lost over $3,000.\u00a0 This is with the grant he assumed would save him money.\u00a0 While I haven’t checked the prices for every battery system that can receive the rebate, to me it looks as though it is impossible for Queensland households to save money using the battery rebate.<\/p>\n

This is simply atrocious.\u00a0 If my Queensland pal had been a little more impetuous — a little more eager to make sure he got the grant — and bought the battery assuming it would save him him money he would have ended up losing thousands of dollars.\u00a0 This is a ridiculous situation where tax money is being taken from Queenslanders and used to help Queenslanders lose money.\u00a0 The battery manufacturer would make a profit and the installer as well, but the person the rebate is supposed to help will be harmed.<\/p>\n

\"Queensland\"

Here we see Queensland sneakily preparing to stab New Guinea once continental drift picks up.<\/p><\/div>\n

To be clear, as far as I am aware, the installer did absolutely nothing wrong.\u00a0 My contact simply asked how much a battery would cost and they gave him a quote without any arm twisting or claims it would save him money.\u00a0 But people who are looking to save money on electricity bills could easily assume a battery system partly paid for by the Queensland government will do that. The truth is: it will actually lose them money.\u00a0 It’s not like rooftop solar<\/a> where you’re almost certain to come out ahead so long as the solar panels aren’t installed upside down1<\/a><\/sup>.<\/p>\n

I think the problem is so serious that state governments — or the federal government if Labor gets in and offers their $2,000 battery subsidy<\/a> — should require installers to guarantee households will save money if they install a subsidised battery.\u00a0 If they can’t give that guarantee then they won’t get the subsidy.\u00a0 If we are going to use taxpayers’ money to promote batteries the least we can do is make sure they actually save people money.<\/p>\n

The Battery System’s High Price<\/h2>\n

The battery my Queensland pal was considering was an LG Chem RESU6.5.\u00a0 It has a nominal capacity of 6.5 kilowatt-hours and has a usable storage capacity of 5.9 kilowatt-hours.\u00a0 Its price — not including the grant — was $7,300.\u00a0 This is considerably more than its estimated retail price of $5,807 on our battery comparison table<\/a>, but the price he was quoted includes the cost of installation as well as the cost to the installer of supporting it through its 10 year warranty period.\u00a0 While you can shop around to try to find a better deal, there is no way you can avoid having to pay a considerable amount for installation.<\/p>\n

In addition to the battery, the hybrid inverter<\/a> required costs perhaps $700 more than an equivalent standard grid tied2<\/a><\/sup> inverter.\u00a0 He would also have to pay for a power switching box and the hybrid inverter’s electricity meter.\u00a0 The prices given for these components were:<\/p>\n