⚡ Solar and batteries, but make it simple

Never heard of a kWh? Perfect.

This page explains solar, batteries, and the rebate like you're chatting with a friend. No big words. Short answers. You'll understand the whole thing in about 5 minutes.

8 short answers ~5 minutes to read No jargon, promise
The whole thing in 30 seconds:
A home battery saves your daytime solar power so you can use it at night instead of buying it back from the power company. The government pays for most of it. In WA, a typical battery costs around $13,000. With the rebates you pay around $4,000. That's it. The rest of this page just explains the parts.
Question 1

What's a kWh?

It's just a way to measure electricity. Like litres for petrol.

Boil the kettle

That uses about 0.2 kWh. So 5 boils = 1 kWh.

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Watch TV for 4 hours

That's about 0.4 kWh. TVs are pretty efficient.

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Run the fridge all day

That's about 1.5 kWh. Quiet, but always on.

When you hear "13.5 kWh battery": that means it stores enough power for a normal evening. Cooking, TV, lights, fridge, hot showers. Should easily get you through to morning.
Question 2

Solar versus battery — what's the difference?

Solar makes electricity. A battery stores it. That's the whole thing.

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Solar panels

Live on your roof. Make electricity when the sun is up. Stop working when the sun sets.

The problem: you make heaps of power during the day when nobody's home. At night you have to buy expensive power back from the grid.

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Battery

Lives on a wall in your garage. Saves the daytime solar power for when you need it.

The fix: instead of giving your solar away cheaply during the day, you save it. Then you use your own free power at night.

The easy way to think about it: solar panels are like a kitchen garden. A battery is like a fridge. Without the fridge, you have to eat your tomatoes the day they ripen. With it, you can save them for dinner.
🛰️ Want to see your roof from above?

Type your address. We'll show you what an installer sees when they check your house.

Check my roof
Question 3

What's a rebate? Who actually pays it?

It's a discount. The government pays it. The installer takes it off your bill.

You don't fill out forms. You don't wait for a cheque. The installer drops the price for you and gets the rebate back from the government themselves.

The WA discount

From the WA state government.

  • Up to $5,000 off if you live in Perth or nearby
  • Up to $7,500 off if you live in the country

Country gets more because batteries help reduce diesel generators out there.

The federal discount

From the Australian government.

  • About $330 per kWh of battery
  • So a 13.5 kWh battery gets about $4,450

This one shrinks every year (see Question 8).

You get both. They add together. For a normal battery in Perth, the total discount is around $9,500. You pay the rest.

Question 4

Do I need solar panels before I get a battery?

Yes. Almost always. Here's why.

A battery only saves you money when free solar is filling it up. Without solar, you'd be buying grid power to charge it — which defeats the point.

If you don't have solar yet: the same installer puts in both at the same time. There's another government discount for the solar panels too (it's been around for years). They'll quote you the whole package.

If you already have solar: great, you can add a battery. The installer will check that your existing setup will work with it. Most do. If not, they'll suggest a small upgrade as part of the job.

Question 5

How big a battery do I need?

Probably smaller than the salesperson will try to sell you.

Easy rule. Find your last power bill. Look for the number "average daily usage" - it'll be something like 22 kWh per day. Then:

Match this to your bill

  • Under 15 kWh/day → a 5 to 7 kWh battery is enough
  • 15 to 25 kWh/day → 10 to 13.5 kWh (most people)
  • 25 to 40 kWh/day → 13.5 to 20 kWh
  • Over 40 kWh/day → ask the installer about bigger options

Watch out for upselling

Some installers will push you toward a 20 kWh system "for the future". For most homes that's way more than you need.

Why? Because the WA government discount is capped. You don't get more money for a bigger battery. You just spend more out of pocket.

Question 6

Synergy or Horizon Power — what's the difference?

It's just which company sells you power. You don't pick. Your postcode does.

Synergy

If you live in Perth or anywhere nearby, you're on Synergy.

Postcodes: 6000-6385 and 6800-6999.

Max discount: $5,000.

Horizon Power

If you live up north, out east, or anywhere regional, you're on Horizon.

Postcodes: 6386-6799.

Max discount: $7,500 (bigger because regional WA relies on diesel).

Not sure which you're on? Check your power bill - the company name is at the top. Or type your postcode into the calculator and it'll tell you.
Question 7

What happens when I ask for a quote here?

Four short steps. Takes you about a minute.

  1. You answer 4 questions (postcode, do you have solar, what size battery, when you want it). That's the form.
  2. We match you with 2 or 3 installers who work in your area. All certified by the government. No dodgy operators.
  3. Each installer phones or emails you within 24 hours with their quote. You get a few to compare instead of chasing them yourself.
  4. You pick one. Or none. Totally up to you. There's no obligation.
It's free for you. Installers pay us a small fee when we send them a lead. We never charge homeowners anything.
Question 8 - the timing one

Why should I install this year and not next year?

Two real reasons. No fake "act now" stuff.

The federal discount shrinks every year

It's meant to phase out by 2030. Here's the schedule:

  • 2026: about $330 per kWh
  • 2027: about $260 per kWh
  • 2028: about $200 per kWh
  • 2029: about $130 per kWh
  • 2030: close to zero

Plain numbers: for a 13.5 kWh battery, waiting until next year costs you about $945 extra.

The WA discount has a limit

There's only enough money in the pot for 100,000 households across the state.

Once that's used up, the WA discount ends. People are signing up fast, so it'll probably run out by 2028.

After it runs out: only the federal discount left, which by then is much smaller.

Bonus question

I'm still lost. Can I talk to a human?

Yes. Email wattsmyrebate@outlook.com and I'll answer within a few hours.

I'm Christian. I built this site. There's no call centre. No salesperson. Just me, replying to your email like a normal person.

Ask anything. "I live in an apartment, does any of this work?" "My roof is shaded, am I wasting my time?" "I don't even understand my power bill." All fine questions. No judgement.

Got it. What's next?

If you want to see your exact discount: run the calculator. If you want quotes from 3 installers: fill in the form. Both are free.