The campaign battle over the next step to cheaper power bills

The Smart Energy Council calculates that an average home in NSW could save about $1100 in electricity costs a year with a battery, while Victorians could snip about $650 off their bills.

But uptake is relatively low despite NSW’s existing subsidy for household-battery buyers of up to $2400, and Victoria’s four-year interest-free loan of up to $8800.

The purchase price of a battery large enough for a family home is between $10,000 and $15,000 – and installation costs are also thousands of dollars.

Just 300,000 homes have installed a battery, compared to the high uptake of solar panels that are on 4 million of Australia’s 11 million homes.

“The best way for government to provide cost-of-living relief is to help families and businesses install solar and batteries, and batteries are the missing piece of the puzzle,” Scamps said.

John Grimes, chief executive of the Smart Energy Council, said “the best way to help households slash their energy bills is through solar and battery”.

The Council advocates for subsidies or grants to cut the purchase price of a battery, rather than loans, to drive greater uptake of batteries, which they argue cut the overall demand on the electricity grid at peak times and help lower power prices for all households, including those without batteries.

Ian and Michelle Millner, who live in Scamps’ electorate of Mackellar on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, bought a 1-kilowatt battery system two years ago to complement their 17-kilowatt solar panel array, as well as to charge their electric vehicle.

The battery system cost about $10,000 to buy and $5000 to install, and Ian Millner said his recent quarterly power bills have ranged from $80 to generating $64 in credit.

He conceded the battery was expensive but valued that he was able to help reduce his reliance on the grid, which is still comprised of more than 50 per cent coal power, and help reduce emissions and global warming.

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“I’m putting my money where my mouth is,” Millner said. “I believe we have a global problem, and I’m trying to assist in making the shift.”

The government has committed to support large-scale wind and solar farms to raise renewables to 82 per cent of the grid, and announced more than $1 billion to support for households and apartments electrification, including low interest loans for batteries and solar panels.

Opposition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien criticised the “government’s inability to ensure affordable and dispatchable power”. The Coalition has pledged to scale back the renewable rollout and instead build seven nuclear plants.