Clock ticking on mega power hacks that slash electricity bills

23 hours ago 8

Mortgage relief may be off the table for now, but Aussies can claw back and save big on monthly budgets by locking in major savings on power bills before time runs out.

After two years of subsidised household electricity, the government’s $1.8 billion energy rebate package was wound up this year, meaning higher power prices are set to hit consumers at the same time as mortgage bills go up following the February rate hike.

The cost of air conditioning, cooking, appliance usage and entertainment had been subsidised thanks to the package, but now homeowners and property seekers will need to take stock of usage, rates, and deals to keep bills low.

From maximising battery rebates and new rules on fairer bills to new solar schemes, here’s how you can get more for less this year while mortgage relief is on the backburner.

Battery rebates

The government's Cheaper Home Battery scheme is set to change in May, with the government recently moving to a tiered system that sees incentives progressively drop off.

The scheme allows households to reduce the upfront cost of a battery, which stores energy from their rooftop solar panels to use when the sun isn't shining.

Rooftop solar panels can be useful even in cloudier weather. Picture: Getty

Federal energy minister Chris Bowen confirmed over 160,000 households have installed batteries since 1 July, with rebates having knocked thousands off the upfront cost of installation. An extra $5bn will now be invested to allow for a further two million battery systems over the next four years.

From May, the subsidy will be scaled back further to close a loophole that has allowed households to install supersized battery systems, with only the first 14 kWh set to qualify for a full rebate.

In some states, households installing large batteries last year could receive more than $10,000 in rebates — but that support is expected to drop by almost half once the new rules kick in.

Aussie families now have this small window to install larger ‘super-size’ batteries before the changes take effect, though the most generous rebates have already been scaled back from the peak.

Solar batteries and solar meter box with gas meter. Picture: Getty

Solar sharing scheme

While not all homes are suitable for solar installation, there are still ways to get ahead when it comes to cutting down on bills.

Energy retails will be pushed to offer free electricity for up to three hours a day during midday solar generation peaks from this year.

The scheme is already in place in several parts of the country and will roll out over 2026 and 2027 to reduce energy costs for all households by sharing cheap surplus solar generation.

“It’s about giving more Australians the opportunity to access similar benefits as someone who has solar,” AGL chief customer officer Jo Egan said.

“Customers who plan to shift their energy use can create savings on their electricity bills, they don’t need to install solar panels to reduce their energy usage costs during daylight hours.”

A fairer go for consumers

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission analysis of retailer pricing data shows electricity prices were higher last year than in 2024 across all regions, with loyal customers on older plans revealed to be the most disadvantaged.

From the 2026-27 financial year, new Australian Energy Market Commission protections for consumers mean greater fairness for energy bill pricing and rebate concessions are set to sweep the market.

Retailers need to ask more questions around concession eligibilities from 1 July, while also clearly laying out any available rebates.

Vulnerable customers will also get increased assistance under the new protections, meaning major electricity savings will be accessible to all households, not just the most digitally savvy.