Western Australia guide
Solar and batteries in Western Australia: what’s different
WA households can’t choose their retailer, are paid more for solar exports in the evening than at midday, and can get a state battery rebate on top of the federal discount if they join a virtual power plant. Each of these changes what a battery is worth.
Reviewed 18 October 2026 · General informationOn this page
The numbers for a typical Perth home
Solar is a strong buy in WA. A typical Perth home could get its money back in about 5.5 years, then keep saving every year after that. A 10 kWh battery adds about $810 a year and pays back in about 11 years on bill savings alone, before any state incentive or VPP payment. The WA battery rebate of up to $1,300 is not included and would shorten the battery payback.
Swipe across the table to see all figures and assumptions.
| Input | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Household use | 5,000 kWh a year | Assumed example home; range covers evening-heavy to daytime use |
| Usage rate | 33.26c/kWh | Synergy Home Plan (A1) from 1 July 2026 (regulated) |
| Feed-in | 10c 3pm–9pm, 2c other times | Synergy DEBS: 10c 3pm–9pm, 2c other times |
| Solar output | 4.4 kWh per kW a day | Perth average (Australian Government figures) |
| Solar price | $5,500 for 6.6 kW | Estimated from Perth 6 kW and 10 kW prices, Solar Choice, October 2026 |
| Battery price | $8,300 (10 kWh), $15,800 (20 kWh) | National average with inverter, after the federal discount, Solar Choice 2026 |
Yearly solar saving range: $910–$1,100 depending on when the home uses power. Payback counts solar output falling 0.5% a year, battery benefit falling 2% a year over a 15-year life, and electricity prices held flat (the cautious case: rising prices would shorten every payback). Calculated by Solvetted’s engine (version 0.1.0-preview). An example home, not a quote or advice for yours.
You can’t shop around for a plan
In Perth and the rest of the South West Interconnected System, households buy electricity from Synergy, and Western Power runs the network. Most regional and remote areas are supplied by Horizon Power. Almost all WA households cannot choose their own retailer, and prices are regulated rather than set by competing offers.
That makes the plan decision simpler than in the eastern states, but the plans that are available matter a lot. National comparison services such as Energy Made Easy don’t cover WA.
Feed-in pays more in the evening
Under the Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS), the WA Government’s published rates from 1 July 2024 pay Synergy customers 10c/kWh for exports between 3pm and 9pm, and 2c/kWh at other times. Horizon Power’s off-peak rate is 3c/kWh for most customers. Rates are reviewed each year, so check your bill or retailer for the current figures.
Most solar is exported in the middle of the day, when it earns the low rate. Using that solar at home, or storing it for the evening, is worth far more than exporting it. That is why batteries and daytime usage are more valuable in WA than a single headline feed-in rate suggests. DEBS applies to systems up to 5 kW of inverter capacity; a typical 6.6 kW panel system with a 5 kW inverter counts as 5 kW.
The WA Residential Battery Scheme
- Rebate: up to $1,300 for Synergy customers and up to $3,800 for Horizon Power customers, based on 10 kWh of usable capacity. Larger batteries can receive the same maximum. It is applied as an upfront discount by the approved vendor.
- Condition: you must join a virtual power plant (VPP) product from your retailer, and the battery must be on Synergy’s or Horizon Power’s supported list and installed by an approved vendor.
- No-interest loans: up to $10,000 over up to 10 years for households with combined income under $210,000.
- Availability: until the planned 100,000 rebates have been given out.
The state rebate sits alongside the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, whose support tapers above 14 kWh of usable capacity for installations from 1 May 2026. Ask for a quote that shows each discount separately, and check what the VPP lets your retailer do with your battery. See our federal battery discount guide.
Technical rules for new systems
New and upgraded systems with inverters of 5 kW or less must support “emergency backstop”, so they can be turned down or off remotely as a last resort. Systems above 5 kW are subject to export limits; alternatively a household can choose a 1.5 kW export limit, but those systems aren’t eligible for DEBS payments. From 1 May 2026, systems up to 30 kVA must support the newer grid communication standards. A battery added to an existing system must comply; the existing solar doesn’t need to.
These rules affect what size inverter makes sense and whether a larger system can earn feed-in at all. Ask your installer to explain the option they propose.
Time-of-use plans
Synergy offers time-of-use plans alongside its flat Home Plan (A1). Its Midday Saver plan, for example, has a cheap rate from 9am to 3pm and a higher peak from 3pm to 9pm. That rewards running appliances in the middle of the day and makes evening battery power more valuable. Check Synergy’s current prices before choosing, because the right plan can change once you add a battery.
Modelling a WA home in Solvetted
Solvetted’s calculator handles WA’s main differences:
- Tick “My feed-in pays more from 3pm to 9pm” and enter both DEBS rates from your bill.
- On a time-of-use plan, enter the peak, the optional 9am–3pm midday rate and the rate at other times.
- VPP payments aren’t modelled; tick the WA Residential Battery Scheme to take the rebate off typical prices, and treat VPP income as a bonus.
For WA homes
See what a battery is worth on WA rates.
Enter one Synergy or Horizon Power bill. No sign-up, nothing stored.