NSW Home Energy Saver loan 2026: up to $15,000 at 0% for solar and batteries

What is the Home Energy Saver program?

Home Energy Saver is a NSW Government program that helps households pay for energy-saving upgrades. The NSW Government announced it on 17 June 2026 with two kinds of help:

• A zero-interest loan of up to $15,000, repaid over up to 10 years. Applications are open now for homeowners and landlords with a combined household income of up to $210,000.
• A discount of up to $4,000 for lower-income households and eligible concession card holders. The NSW Government says discount applications are coming soon.

The loans are funded by the NSW Government and provided by two participating lenders, who assess applications, set up the loan and manage repayments. The work is done by the lenders' approved suppliers: installers who meet the program's accreditation and quality standards. The official Home Energy Saver page links to both lenders, and each publishes its list of approved suppliers.

How much can you borrow, and what does it cost?

You can borrow up to $15,000 in total for each property, at 0% interest, over a term of up to 10 years. The lenders advertise no establishment fee and no account-keeping fee on these loans. A late payment fee can apply if you miss a repayment, so read the loan agreement before you sign. With no interest, you repay exactly what you borrow:

The lender sets the repayment schedule, which may not be monthly; the table shows monthly amounts. Repayments start once your upgrade is installed and working, not when you apply.

What zero interest is worth

The saving is the interest you don't pay. Against an example loan at 8% a year (an illustration, not any lender's rate), borrowing $15,000 over 10 years at zero interest saves about $6,839 in interest:

Who's eligible?

According to the loan guidelines, you may be eligible if all of these apply:

• The home is in NSW.
• You own it, as an owner-occupier or a landlord.
• You're an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
• Your combined, taxable household income is up to $210,000 a year. The lender checks this, usually from the Notice of Assessment for the last completed financial year.
• The upgrade is an approved product, quoted and installed by an approved supplier.
• You meet the lender's credit assessment, including a check that you can afford the repayments.

You can't get the loan if:

• the property has already had $15,000 of upgrades through a Home Energy Saver loan, or
• it's social or community housing, or used for short-stay rental accommodation.

Strata owners can apply, but the owners corporation has to approve the upgrade first. Landlords need to confirm their tenant has agreed to it. Renters can't take out the loan themselves, but may be able to use the discount once it opens, with the landlord's permission.

What can the loan pay for?

The guidelines list these approved upgrades:

• rooftop solar panels (PV)
• a home battery
• a heat pump or electric-boosted solar hot water system
• reverse-cycle air conditioning
• ceiling insulation, double-glazed windows or doors, and draught-proofing
• an induction cooktop (replacing a gas or electric one)
• a Level 2 electric vehicle charger
• ceiling fans and a switchboard upgrade
• a NatHERS home energy assessment

You can combine several upgrades up to the $15,000 limit. The loan covers the upgrade and its installation only: other work your home needs first, such as rewiring, has to be quoted separately (a switchboard upgrade is an approved upgrade in its own right).

The rules for solar panels

• Designed and installed by a Solar Accreditation Australia (SAA) accredited designer and installer, to SAA guidelines.
• Eligible under the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme (under 100 kW).
• Panels and inverter on the Clean Energy Council's approved lists, with an inverter that can communicate with the network (IEEE 2030.5 CSIP-AUS).
• Bought from a New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC) approved seller, and registered on AEMO's distributed energy register.

The rules for home batteries

• More than 5 kWh of usable capacity, with the battery and inverter on the Clean Energy Council's approved lists.
• Internet-connected and able to be controlled by a demand response aggregator, so it can join a virtual power plant (VPP). An older inverter may need replacing to meet this.
• A warranty of at least 10 years that guarantees at least 70% of its usable capacity after 10 years.
• Installed at a home that also has solar panels (existing or new).
• Designed and installed by an SAA-accredited battery installer, bought from a NETCC approved seller, and registered on AEMO's register.
• A working smoke alarm nearby if it's installed indoors.

Check each rule with your installer before you rely on the loan, especially the VPP requirement: not every battery system can be controlled by an aggregator.

Does the loan work with the federal rebates?

Yes. The guidelines say your supplier must apply the other federal and NSW incentives before the loan. So the loan pays for what's left after the federal solar rebate (small-scale technology certificates) and the Cheaper Home Batteries discount. For example, the federal discount on a 10 kWh (usable) battery is about $2,516 as of 26 September 2026; that comes off the price first.

If your price after rebates is more than $15,000, you pay the difference yourself, often as a deposit. Some approved suppliers ask for a deposit anyway; the guidelines say the deposit and the loan together shouldn't be more than the quoted cost. For example, a solar and battery system at $18,000 after the federal rebates could be paid with a $3,000 deposit and a $15,000 loan: $125 a month over 10 years, with no interest.

If you join a virtual power plant, you may also be able to claim the NSW VPP incentive, which is paid by the VPP provider. See every NSW program on our NSW rebates page.

The discount of up to $4,000 (coming soon)

The Home Energy Saver discount is a separate part of the program. It's for owners, and for renters named on the lease, with a combined household income of up to $80,000, or who hold a Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Veteran Gold Card. You'd pay at least $200 towards the upgrade yourself.

You can get both, but the order matters. If you take the loan first, the discount can't go on the same purchase. So if you may be eligible for both, the NSW Government recommends waiting for discount applications to open and applying for the discount first; the loan can then cover the rest.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check you're eligible with the guidelines or the lenders' websites, and decide whether to wait for the discount.
2. Get quotes from approved suppliers. Each lender lists its approved suppliers. The quote should be itemised: the product, installation, the discounts applied and the loan amount.
3. Apply through the lender. Once you choose a quote, the supplier sends you the lender's application link with the upgrade and price filled in. You'll need proof you own the home and your household income, and the lender checks you can afford the repayments.
4. Accept the loan agreement with the lender and sign the installation agreement with the supplier. The NSW Government isn't a party to either.
5. Installation. The supplier books it in. Some upgrades need a licensed electrician to check your electrical safety first.
6. Repayments begin. The lender confirms with you that everything is installed and working, pays the supplier, then starts your repayments.

Is a zero-interest loan right for you?

Zero interest makes a loan much cheaper, but it's still a loan. A few things to weigh up:

• Compare the repayments with your savings. If the system saves more on your power bill each month than the repayment, you're ahead from the start. A longer term lowers the repayment and, with no interest, doesn't cost more overall.
• Your choice of installer is narrower. Only approved suppliers can offer the loan. If the installer you want isn't approved yet, they can apply to a lender to become one.
• Watch for pressure selling. Approved suppliers must not door-knock or cold-call. If a company pressures you, contact NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20 and report it to Scamwatch.
• Price still matters. A cheap loan doesn't make an expensive system good value. Compare the system, the warranty and the price, not just the finance.

On Homerise, when your address is in NSW, Your repayments shows this loan next to your power bill: your installer's price, the loan up to $15,000, the deposit for the rest and whether you'd be ahead each month. You can also enter your own rate, or see it added to your home loan. It's a calculator, not an application: Homerise isn't a lender and isn't part of the program.