NSW interest-free solar and battery loans: Home Energy Saver explained

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If you live in NSW and you've been waiting for the right moment to put solar on the roof, install a battery in the garage or upgrade to a heat pump, this is it. As of 17 June 2026, the NSW Government has launched the Home Energy Saver program. A $557 million scheme that lets eligible homeowners borrow up to $15,000 at zero interest to install energy upgrades, then pay it off over up to ten years.

That's a serious chunk of change with no interest attached. On the same loan from your bank you'd typically cop around $2,400 in interest over ten years. So between this loan and the federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program rebate that's still running, solar + battery economics in NSW just took a big leap.

Here's everything you need to know.

What is the NSW Home Energy Saver program?

The Home Energy Saver is the Minns Government's new $557 million program designed to make energy upgrades affordable for households that have been priced out by the upfront cost.

It has two components:

1. Zero-interest loans up to $15,000. Available right now. $480 million pool. Expected to support 32,000+ households.
2. Discounts up to $4,000. Available later in 2026 for lower-income households and concession card holders. $77 million pool.

You can use either or both, and you can stack with the federal battery rebate.

What can you use the interest-free loan for?

Here's the full list of eligible upgrades under the program:

• Solar systems (rooftop PV)
• Residential batteries
• Switchboard upgrades (handy if your switchboard's old and needs replacing before solar or a battery can go in)
• Heat pump water heaters
• Solar water heaters
• Reverse cycle air conditioners
• Induction cooktops
• EV Level 2 chargers
• DC ceiling fans
• Ceiling insulation
• Draught-proofing
• Double glazing
• NatHERS home assessments

You can bundle multiple upgrades into the same loan as long as the total stays under $15,000. So if you're keen on solar plus a battery plus an EV charger, it's possible to roll the lot into one application.

How much can you borrow?

You can borrow up to $15,000 per property, repaid over up to 10 years, at zero percent interest. No application fees. No account-keeping fees. No early repayment fees.

A few things to know:

• The loan only covers the upgrade and its installation. If your property needs extra prep work (think old wiring, asbestos removal, switchboard replacement that isn't bundled), that's quoted separately
• You can only get one Home Energy Saver loan per property up to the $15,000 max
• The loan is delivered by Brighte or Plenti, the two approved finance providers
• Brighte and Plenti pay your installer directly once the install is complete

Who's eligible for the loan?

To qualify for the loan you need to:

• Own the property (owner-occupier OR landlord, both work)
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• Have a combined annual taxable household income up to $210,000
• The property must be in NSW
• The property must not be social or community housing, or used for short-stay accommodation
• Meet Brighte or Plenti's credit assessment

That income threshold is generous. $210,000 combined household income covers the bulk of working Aussie families. The intent is to help low- to middle-income homes electrify.

Note for renters: the loan component is owner-only. But the discount component opening later in 2026 will be available to renters (with landlord permission). More on that below.

Discounts up to $4,000 (coming later in 2026)

Alongside the loan, the Home Energy Saver also includes a discount component worth up to $4,000 per household. The discount applies to the same list of eligible upgrades as the loan.

Eligibility for the discount:

• Combined annual household income up to $80,000, OR
• An eligible concession card (Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Veteran Gold Card)
• Renters are eligible too, with landlord approval

If you're eligible for both the loan and the discount, the NSW Government recommends you apply for the discount first, then use the loan to cover whatever's left. This way the loan only has to fund the smaller balance, and your repayments are lower.

Applications for the discount are expected to open later in 2026.

How the NSW loan stacks with the federal battery rebate

The Home Energy Saver loan is designed to stack with all existing federal and NSW rebates. What makes it even better is that the other incentives are to be applied first, then the loan covers whatever's left - meaning you get even better value.

For a solar and battery install, the order of operations looks like:

1. Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program rebate comes off the battery (around $251.60 per kWh in 2026, so roughly $2,500 off a 10 kWh battery)
2. Federal solar STC rebate comes off the solar system (around $2,200 to $2,800 off a typical 6.6 kW system in 2026, lower than past years because the STC deeming period dropped to 5 years on 1 January)
3. NSW PDRS battery incentive if you sign up to a Virtual Power Plant (up to $1,500 more off)
4. NSW Home Energy Saver discount if eligible (up to $4,000 off, opening later in 2026)
5. NSW Home Energy Saver loan covers the remaining balance, zero interest, up to $15,000

The result for most NSW households: every available rebate brings the upfront price down, then the loan turns whatever's left into ten years of small repayments instead of one massive upfront hit. For a lot of homes the monthly loan repayment ends up smaller than the monthly bill saving from the new system. The system pays for itself while you own it.

How we help you get the NSW Home Energy Saver loan

If you're keen to get your new solar and battery system (with maybe even a heat pump or EV charger thrown in) we can handle the lot for you, end to end. Here's how:

1. We check your eligibility. Quick conversation to confirm you meet the income and property requirements, and that the upgrades you want are covered by the program.
2. We do your tailored quote. Personalised to your home, your bill and your usage pattern, with every federal and NSW rebate already stacked in. You see your real after-rebate price upfront.
3. We apply for the finance on your behalf. Once you're happy with the quote we prepare and lodge the Home Energy Saver loan application with Brighte or Plenti for you. You provide your ID and a recent tax return for income proof, then sign the loan agreement once it comes back approved.
4. We handle your install. Our NETCC accredited team does the install end to end, gets the system commissioned, and switches it on. Your zero-interest repayments start from there.

Ready to use your $15,000 interest-free loan? We'll sort the quote, the rebates, the loan paperwork and the install. Get started with a free quote.