Solar Rebates and Feed-in Tariffs in WA 2026: A Complete Guide for Perth & WA Homeowners

By Dr. Emily Tran | 2026-08-01 | Category: Solar

A 2026 guide to WA solar rebates, Synergy and Horizon Power feed-in tariffs, and the federal battery rebate — plus how to check if solar still pays off.

If you're weighing up solar rebates and feed-in tariffs in WA 2026, the rules in Western Australia work quite differently to the eastern states — and that catches a lot of homeowners out. WA has no retail electricity competition for most households, a single feed-in scheme run by Synergy (or Horizon Power in regional areas), and its own quirks around time-of-day export rates. This guide walks through exactly what's on offer this year, what's changed, and how to work out whether solar (or a battery) still stacks up financially for your household.

How Solar Rebates Work in WA in 2026

There is no separate Western Australian government rebate that pays cash toward buying solar panels. Instead, like every other state, WA households access the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES), which creates Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) for eligible solar installations. In practice, your solar installer calculates the STC value and applies it as an upfront discount on your quote — you rarely see the certificates yourself. The size of the discount depends on your system size, location, and the STC market price at the time, and it gradually reduces each year as the scheme phases down toward 2030, so acting sooner generally locks in a slightly larger discount than waiting.

The bigger recent development is the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, which began in mid-2025 and continues through 2026. It provides a point-of-sale discount (delivered the same way as STCs, via an installer discount) on eligible battery systems installed alongside or after solar. For WA households on Synergy's time-varying feed-in tariff (more below), a battery can meaningfully change the economics of solar by letting you shift self-generated power into the evening peak rather than exporting it for a low rate.

Because rebate values, eligible product lists, and installer pricing all move throughout the year, it's worth getting a personalised, up-to-date figure rather than relying on last year's numbers — you can get a free solar savings estimate in a couple of minutes to see what current rebates and feed-in rates mean for your roof.

Feed-in Tariffs in WA 2026: The DEBS Explained

Most WA homes in the South West Interconnected System (Perth and surrounding regions) are on Synergy's Distributed Energy Buyback Scheme (DEBS), which replaced the older flat feed-in tariff a few years ago and remains the standard scheme in 2026. DEBS pays a time-varying rate for the electricity you export to the grid:

A low rate for exports during the middle of the day, when rooftop solar across WA is flooding the grid with supply.
A materially higher rate for exports during the evening peak window (typically mid-afternoon through to around 9pm), when demand is high and solar output is falling.

The exact cents-per-kWh figures move periodically and can also differ slightly for older versus newer solar connections, so treat any specific number you read as indicative only and confirm the current rate on your Synergy plan or bill. The key strategic point is that DEBS rewards households who can shift usage — or store excess solar in a battery — to cover the evening peak, rather than simply exporting everything at midday for a low return.

If you installed solar under an older scheme before DEBS existed, you may still be on a legacy flat-rate feed-in arrangement until that arrangement expires; check your Synergy account to see which scheme applies to you, since it affects whether a battery is worth adding now.

Feed-in Tariffs for Regional WA (Horizon Power)

If you're outside the South West Interconnected System — in the Pilbara, Kimberley, Goldfields, or other regional and remote areas served by Horizon Power — your feed-in tariff and connection rules are set separately and can vary significantly by town and network capacity. Some regional networks have export limits or different tariff structures due to smaller, more constrained grids. Always check with Horizon Power directly for your specific location rather than assuming Synergy's Perth-area rates apply.

Why WA's Solar Market Is Different from Other States

One thing that trips up homeowners moving to WA from NSW, Victoria, or Queensland: those states have competitive retail electricity markets where you can compare and switch electricity providers for a better deal (see our NSW electricity guide, VIC electricity guide, or QLD electricity guide for how that works). WA's South West grid is different — most residential customers can only buy electricity from Synergy, the government-owned retailer, at regulated tariffs. There's no equivalent of shopping around for a cheaper electricity plan the way you can in the eastern states.

That doesn't mean WA households have no room to save, though. Gas (via providers like ATCO), internet, mobile, and insurance markets in WA are competitive, and switching providers in those categories can still meaningfully cut your household bills. It's worth comparing gas plans, internet plans, mobile plans, and home and contents insurance alongside optimising your solar setup — the savings add up across the board.

Is Solar Still Worth It in WA in 2026?

For most Perth-area households, yes — solar generally still pays for itself well within its warranty life, largely because WA gets excellent, consistent sun and upfront costs have been reduced by the STC discount. The bigger question in 2026 is less "should I install solar" and more "how do I get the most out of DEBS." A well-sized system paired with smart usage timing (running the dishwasher, washing machine, and EV charging during the day) captures more value than exporting everything at the low midday rate. A battery, boosted by the federal battery rebate, can further increase the share of your own solar you use to cover the high-value evening peak instead of buying it back from the grid at retail prices.

Because rebate amounts, DEBS rates, and installer pricing all shift over the course of the year, the only reliable way to know your real numbers is to check current offers for your specific address and usage pattern rather than relying on rules of thumb.

Steps to Take

Check your Synergy (or Horizon Power) account to confirm which feed-in scheme you're on — legacy flat-rate or current DEBS — and note the actual export rates that apply to you.
Get 2-3 solar quotes and confirm the STC discount each installer has applied is current, not based on an old rebate figure.
If you're considering a battery, ask installers to itemise the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program discount separately so you can compare true out-of-pocket cost across quotes.
Review your daily usage patterns and see whether shifting high-draw appliances to daylight hours (or adding a timer/smart plug) would reduce reliance on evening grid imports.
Compare your gas, internet, mobile, and insurance plans too, since WA's lack of electricity retail competition means those categories are where switching still saves you money.
Get a free, personalised solar and bill estimate before signing anything, so you're deciding on your actual numbers rather than averages.

Rebate values, STC prices, and feed-in tariff rates change throughout the year — always confirm current figures with your retailer or installer before committing.

Don't guess at what solar and your household bills could look like in 2026 — see what you could save in 2 minutes with a free, no-obligation bill check, or head straight to compare energy deals and get a free solar savings estimate tailored to your WA address. It takes minutes and could save you hundreds this year.

Related Guides

Compare energy plans: Compare Electricity Plans Australia | More Energy Tips