THE Federal Government is looking to help households, small businesses and community groups bring down their energy bills with the expansion of the Cheaper Home Batteries program.
Since July 1, 2025, 350,000 Australian households and businesses, including 2424 in McEwen, have installed Cheaper Home Batteries.
Federal Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell is happy to announce an expansion to the original program came into effect on Friday.
“Our Cheaper Home Batteries program is bringing down the cost of a typical battery by around 30 per cent, and because of our responsible Budget management more Australians will be able to take up the discount,” he said.
“These changes will make the program more sustainable over the long term while at the same time expanding it, meaning now 2 million Australian homes will be able to secure a battery, double our original election promise.
“This will be a game changer for energy bills – slashing up to 90 per cent off your energy bill from day one. And with those savings on bills people will be able to pay down the cost of their battery faster.
“Batteries are good for bills and good for the grid because it means getting more cheap, fast, safe solar energy available in our homes night or day, when and where it’s needed.”
McEwen has the sixth largest number of batteries installed in Victoria, with five of the top six all taking in outer suburban or peri-urban electorates. These are often growth areas with families feeling the enormous pressures of the cost of living.
The benefits go well beyond individual households. The Australian Energy Market Commission recently found a faster battery uptake can reduce electricity costs for all households by up to 3% annually.
The Federal Government has revised its estimates to provide for an additional $4.9 billion over the next four years. This is expected to see more than two million Australians install a battery by 2030, delivering around 40 gigawatt hours of capacity, doubling the election estimate of 1 million batteries and increasing the expected capacity by almost four times.
