Federal Labor offers $2000 rebate to help homeowners install solar-powered battery systems

Australians would be given cash to install solar-powered battery systems to their homes to protect themselves from soaring power bills, under a signature energy policy to be unveiled by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Australians would be given $2000 to install solar-powered battery systems to their homes to protect themselves from soaring power bills, under a signature energy policy to be unveiled by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

Labor will also keep Malcolm Turnbull’s National ­Energy Guarantee on the table with a higher emissions ­reduction target, but won’t rule out scrapping the policy and directly funding renewable ­energy projects instead.

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Mr Shorten will today ­release his long-awaited ­energy plan, including a new ­national target to have 1 million household battery installations by 2025.

From 2020, there will be a $2000 rebate for 100,000 households on incomes of less than $180,000 per year to buy and install battery systems, as well as other low-cost loans.

Households would be ­expected to slash more than 60 per cent of the cost off their power bills under the move.

Mr Shorten said Labor’s ­rebate would triple the number of battery systems in Australian households.

Bill Shorten will today unveil a $2000 rebate to install solar-powered battery systems to homes.

“The massive boost will also help manufacturers scale up production and reduce their costs, in order reach the goal of 1 million households with battery systems by 2025,” he said.

“Australians love renewable energy because they know it saves them money and it’s good for the environment.”

Labor’s plan also includes $100 million for renters and public housing tenants to benefit from cheaper and renewable energy such as solar panels.

There would be “community power hubs” for projects in local areas, including solar gardens on apartment rooftops and community wind farms.

The entire plan is expected to cost $215.9 million over the forward estimates.

The plan also includes $100 million for renters and public housing tenants.

The installation of solar-fired batteries has skyrocketed in Australia from 7000 homes in 2007 to 1.8 million today.

Batteries allow solar-­pan­elled homes to draw on stored energy at night when the sun is not shining, reducing reliance on the grid.

Mr Shorten will also leave open the option of keeping the NEG, which was developed by Mr Turnbull and helped bring down the former prime ­min­ister.

But the Opposition Leader will flag directly underwriting and investing in renewable ­energy projects — including storage and gas — if the ­Coalition drops its support for the NEG.

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