Imagine your home battery earning you dollars while you’re watching your favourite TV show, or enjoying games night with the kids.
With a battery system and a few tweaks to your energy usage habits, it could be a reality. This article explores the steps you can take to maximise the value of your battery and boost your savings.
If you’re one of the over 4 million Australian households and businesses with solar panels, chances are you’re already ahead with lower energy bills. What you may not realise is installing a home battery can almost double your savings. Plus, when you take advantage of subsidies like Federal Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program, and participate in Virtual Power Plants, you can make your money back on your battery as quickly as four years.
Here’s how thousands of Aussies are using their batteries to add even more value.
Sizing up your opportunity
Your battery size can determine your saving potential.
Larger, 20–30kWh batteries let you store more energy, so you can sell power you don’t use back to the grid – and earn rewards when you do it during certain peak hours.
While a 10kWh or smaller battery will reduce how much you can earn on exporting (because you’ll likely use most of what you store), it can still help you reduce your energy bill significantly. The key is timing your usage and picking the right energy plan.
1. Choose a plan designed for home batteries
The type of energy plan you have can impact your power bill. This is because each plan uses a different pricing structure, called tariffs. Choosing the right tariff for your circumstance can help you save more.
If you have a home battery, a plan with time-of-use (TOU) tariffs is a great option. With a TOU plan, you pay different rates for electricity at different times. Having a battery means you can use stored electricity during peak times, when rates are higher, and rely on the grid when electricity is cheaper. You might want to look for a plan that offers:
Cheaper rates during the day: Perfect for topping up your battery on cloudy days, when your solar system can’t generate the power you need.
Extra rewards or premium rates for selling back electricity: You can use what you need and turn your excess energy into rewards by exporting it to the grid.
Programs like AGL’s Battery Rewards Plan are specifically designed for home battery owners in NSW, QLD, SA and VIC , helping optimise your savings and providing rewards you can earn.
2. Sync your battery settings with your plan
One of the easiest ways to get the most value out of your battery is to configure it to match your energy plan.
Most modern battery systems allow you to automate when and how your battery charges and discharges. Think of it as putting your energy savings on autopilot.
To boost your set up, you can:
Switch on time-based control or TOU mode on your battery
Keep some excess energy to use during the evening – or to sell it back at premium rates during peak hours
Automate when and how much energy your export to the grid .
Check your manual or call your installer if you get stuck.
3. Monitor your battery usage and performance
Keeping an eye on your solar system’s performance and your electricity usage can help you reduce your power bill. Most systems include technology that lets you track:
the amount of electricity your system generates
charging and discharging times
your electricity use
any issues or faults with your system.
If you’re with AGL, our app also helps you monitor how much solar you’ve exported, what you’ve saved, along with your battery’s charge, cycle and count – all in one interactive chart.
Whether you have a panel on your battery or use an app, check your monitoring system regularly to make sure you’re getting the most out of your system.
The best way to make your solar system work harder is to run your appliances when it’s generating electricity. You can check your app to see the best times for your specific system, but typically they are:
11am–2pm in winter
10am–4pm in summer
If your washing machine or dishwasher has a timer, set it so it runs during the day. Do the same with pool pumps. Heat up or cool down the house during daylight hours, and close windows and doors to keep the heat/cool in.
5. Stack your benefits
Buying and selling the energy your battery stores can feel as complicated as playing the stock market. Instead of manually trading energy like you’re on Wall Street, smart programs can do the heavy lifting for you.
Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) are a network of solar batteries that can work together. When the grid needs extra power, your battery contributes a small amount of energy alongside others. You get paid for participating. At AGL, you get $1 per kWh of energy that goes in or out of your battery. And it’s a set-and-forget way to come out on top, while contributing to a more sustainable grid.
AGL’s Battery Rewards Plan puts you in control of your earning potential. Export at least 1kWh from your solar battery to the grid between 5pm and 9pm and you earn gift cards every quarter.
For example, if you export 560-600kWh between 5pm-9pm every 3 months, you couldget a $150 Digital Prepaid Visa gift card. That’s $600 in a year.
Savvy customers have signed up for both, stacking the automatic payments of VPP with the rewards plan when they want to boost their earning.
Take charge of your energy
Think of your home battery as a financial asset that can reduce your bills and boost your bank account. With this simple perspective shift, the right plan and tweaks to your habits, you can start making the most of your battery today.
