Claims WA could be waiting awhile for home battery scheme to deliver

Amber-Jade Sanderson has described about 4600 home battery systems in six months as a “steady start”, rejecting Opposition claims that Labor’s Made in WA election centrepiece has fallen behind schedule.

On Monday, the Energy Minister and Premier Roger Cook inspected a house in Woodvale, to make the opening of a Local Battery Manufacturing Program aiming to boost the roll-out.

But the Opposition has seized on figures showing 4,605 rebates have been paid out since July, to claim the scheme has stalled.

“They should be apologising for the slow and ungainly roll out,” Shadow Energy Minister Steve Thomas said.

“At this rate, the Government will struggle to get to its target of 100,000 rebates..”

The Energy Minister dismissed claims it could take a decade or longer to reach the 100,000 target, at the current rate.

“What we’ve seen is a good, steady start,” Ms Sanderson said.

“We made the decision after the election, to partner with the Commonwealth, so that we had a five year pipeline of work for the sector, and that we were able to deliver these batteries in a sustainable manner for households.

“I’m confident that we’ll meet the 100,000 by 2030 as we see more and more people see the benefits.”

She said more than 18,000 rebate applications have been approved.

One of them was Woodvale home owner Steve Gilbert’s, who estimated he’ll make back the $9000 cost for new panels and a battery within five years.

“I don’t really envisage much of a bill at all, to be honest. If it was anything, it might be $20 a month. So it’s big savings, it’s definitely worth it,” he said.

Ms Sanderson described delays processing payments to some installers and concerns the application portal was confusing as “teething” issues.

“They’re largely ironed out, and we’re working through all of that, any any backlog of payments, which are reducing every day,” she said.

Applications for a $30 million grant scheme for battery manufacturers have now opened, with the Government predicting more locally-made components could drive prices further down.

Low-interest loans will become available later this year.

“We can be part of a battery manufacturing supply chain. It’s an exciting program,” the Premier said.

“The sector has told us that they want to scale up manufacturing of residential batteries and create a stronger local market for Western Australia.”