Helping more Victorians lower their energy bill with solar

Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio today announced the combined household income threshold for the Solar Homes Program will rise from the current $180,000 per year to $210,000 per year.

The increase will allow an additional 10,000 Victorian households to access rebates and loans to help them install renewable energy technology at home.

Eligible households will be able to access the $1,400 solar panel rebate – which will help them slash $1,200 off their energy bill annually.

Families can also access an $8,800 interest-free loan for a household battery system – in some cases this will reduce the upfront installation costs to zero. Homes with both solar and a battery save around $1,500 on their energy bills each year.

A solar hot water rebate of up to $1,000 is also available on eligible heat pumps and hot water systems. This can save up to $400 a year on energy bills.

When the Solar Homes Program was established in 2018 just over 85 per cent of Victorian homeowners were eligible for a rebate. In the ensuing five years, that proportion has dropped to 82 per cent.

Raising the income threshold to $210,000 will return the proportion of Victorian households eligible for a Solar Homes rebate to the original proportion.

Since 2018, the Solar Homes Program has helped more than 260,000 Victorian households cut their energy costs by making the switch to solar panels, batteries and energy efficient hot water.

About 61 per cent of rebates go where they are needed most – to those with a combined household income of less than $100,000.

For further information, including eligibility criteria, and to apply, visit solar.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio

“We’re opening up these grants to 10,000 more households, supporting more Victorians than ever before to transition their homes to running on cheap, renewable energy and paving the way for increasing home electrification.”

"To achieve our nation-leading renewable energy target of 95 per cent by 2035, we’re helping Victorian households transition to running on renewable energy.”