Home batteries, and whether one actually pays for you
A solar and battery system starts from $18,990 installed. A battery lets you use your own power through the evening peak instead of exporting it cheaply and buying it back expensively. It does not pay back for every household, and we will tell you which you are.
Whether it pays depends on your household
Most solar companies sell batteries hard because the ticket is bigger. Here is the actual position.
A battery probably pays for you if:
- Your power bill is over about $250 a month
- You are home in the evenings
- You already have or plan to get an EV
- You value backup during outages
- You are on a plan with a poor buy-back rate
A battery probably does not pay yet if:
- You are out all day and away most evenings
- Your bill is under about $200 a month
- You are on a plan with a genuinely strong buy-back rate
If you are in the second group, we will say so. A smaller solar system without storage will serve you better, and you can add a battery later.
What a battery actually does
Solar generates in the middle of the day. Most households use power in the morning and the evening. Without storage, you export the midday surplus at the buy-back rate, currently somewhere between about 7 and 17 cents per kWh depending on your retailer, then buy it back in the evening at the full retail rate.
A battery closes that gap. You store your own cheap power and use it when you would otherwise be buying.
Backup during outages
A battery can keep essential circuits running when the grid goes down, but not every battery does this by default. It depends on the inverter configuration and how the system is wired. If backup matters to you, say so at quote stage, because it changes the specification.
What it costs
| Configuration | From |
|---|---|
| 6.6 kW solar + battery | $18,990 |
| Battery retrofit to existing solar | POA, depends on your existing inverter |
What we install
We specify batteries on usable capacity, warranted cycle life and real-world performance rather than brand recognition. Several less prominent brands offer materially better value per kWh than the best-known names. We will show you the comparison.
Installed to AS/NZS 5139 by EWRB-registered electricians.
Common questions
Prices shown are indicative, GST inclusive, and are not a quote. Actual pricing depends on your home, roof, power use and electricity plan, and is confirmed in your tailored quote.
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