NSW BATTERY INCENTIVE
Got a home battery in NSW?
Connect your eligible home battery to Amber’s SmartShift and you may be eligible for up to $1,015 through the NSW battery incentive.
Eligibility, assessment, application and incentive processing are managed by the third-party provider and subject to their terms and conditions.
What is the NSW battery incentive?
What is the NSW battery incentive?
The NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme offers incentives to eligible households that connect their home battery to a Virtual Power Plant (VPP).
A VPP connects home batteries so they can respond to electricity demand and help support the grid.
*For home batteries onboarded to a VPP from 1 July 2026, the required nomination can now be completed within 90 days of onboarding. Final eligibility is determined by MAC Trade Services.
Your property is in NSW
Batteries with more than 2 kWh and up to 50 kWh of usable capacity may be eligible, with the incentive calculation capped at 28 kWh.
You have an eligible home battery
Your battery meets the relevant scheme requirements
Your battery is connected, or eligible to connect, to Amber’s SmartShift.*
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE INCENTIVE
3 easy steps to get started
The incentive is available to eligible new and existing batteries connecting to Amber's SmartShift for the first time. Once connected, complete your application directly with MAC Trade Services.
If you're not yet an Amber for Batteries customer in NSW, the first step is to join Amber. Once your new battery is installed, submit your battery details to connect to SmartShift.
Once you’re an Amber customer, we’ll email you the IPART VPP fact sheet and your MAC Trade Services nomination contract. Save the nomination contract as a PDF, as you’ll need it for your application.
Once SmartShift is optimising your battery, we’ll email you a link to complete your application with MAC Trade Services, along with your SmartShift terms and conditions.
Amber does not assess eligibility, approve applications or pay the incentive.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
Have these documents ready
You’ll need to upload supporting documents as part of the MAC Trade Services application.
Documentation requirements are determined by the third-party provider and may vary depending on your system.
Recent electricity bill
Download your latest bill from the Bills section of the Amber app. A previous retailer's bill works too, as long as it's not older than 6 months.
VPP onboarding welcome email
Search your inbox for "Your battery is being optimised". If you can’t find it, Amber support can send you a copy.
Battery quote or detailed purchase invoice
Reach out to your battery installer if you don’t have this document.
Photos of your battery
Include a clear shot of the serial number.
Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work (CCEW)
Reach out to your battery installer if you don’t have this document.
Signed VPP contract, or terms and conditions
Use a standard copy of the SmartShift terms and conditions. It doesn’t need to be signed or personalised.
Completed scheme nomination form
Part of the first email Amber sends you about the rebate. Search for "IMPORTANT INFORMATION to claim your NSW battery rebate" and save that email as a PDF.
Supporting equipment photos
Only where the provider asks for them, depending on your system.
FAQS
Common questions
What changed on 1 July 2026?
The NSW battery incentive eligibility rules expanded from 1 July 2026, including an increase in eligible battery capacity, removal of the solar requirement and greater flexibility around nomination timing.
What changed recently with the NSW battery incentive?
Eligibility has widened. As of 1 July 2026, batteries up to 50 kWh can now join the scheme. The incentive amount is calculated on a maximum of 28 kWh of usable capacity, so a bigger battery now qualifies, it just doesn't earn extra for the portion above 28 kWh.
The solar requirement has been removed for BESS2, so you can connect your battery to a VPP even without solar panels.
Customers who onboard from 1 July 2026 have 90 days from onboarding to sign their nomination form and confirm their accredited business (MAC Trade Services).
What if I joined a VPP before 1 July 2026?
Different eligibility requirements may apply. Check with the third-party provider to understand which rules apply to your system.
Do I need solar panels?
No. For batteries onboarded to a VPP from 1 July 2026, solar panels are no longer required under the updated eligibility rules.
My battery is larger than 28 kWh. Could I be eligible?
Potentially. Batteries with more than 2 kWh and up to 50 kWh of usable capacity may now be eligible. However, the incentive is calculated on a maximum of 28 kWh of usable battery capacity. Final eligibility is determined by the third-party provider.
How does eligibility actually work? Who checks it, and how?
IPART (the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal) sets the rules and oversees the scheme. MAC Trade Services is one of IPART's accredited providers (ACPs), and it's MAC Trade Services who assesses and processes each customer's application.
To qualify, the customer must be the account holder for the property's NMI (National Metering Identifier) and the person who signed the VPP or aggregator contract. The property needs a battery installed at the same address, and no life support equipment on site.
NSW customers also have an addendum in their VPP terms and conditions specific to this: clause 23 commits Amber to making the SmartShift service available for a nominal 12 month term.
Are there any other eligibility requirements?
Yes. The battery itself needs to be on the CEC (Clean Energy Council) approved battery list at the time it's onboarded to the VPP, prior to automation. Battery models can lose CEC approval over time, so this isn't a permanent guarantee.
Solar is not required. The site must be residential, the customer can't have claimed BESS2previously on their battery (one time per NMI), and households with life support equipmentcannot participate.
How much is the incentive?
Incentive amounts vary and are determined by the third-party provider following their assessment. Amber does not calculate or estimate incentive amounts.
Is the incentive guaranteed?
No. Eligibility and incentive amounts depend on the third-party provider's assessment and applicable terms and conditions.
How long does the process take?
Processing times vary and are managed by the third-party provider.
Do I apply through Amber?
No. You'll be redirected to the third-party provider to check your eligibility and continue the application.
Does Amber pay or process this incentive?
No. The incentive is administered by MAC Trade Services. Amber does not assess applications, determine incentive amounts, process payments or receive a fee.
Are Amber and MAC Trade Services partners?
Amber supports eligible customers to access the scheme through MAC Trade Services, which administers the incentive. Amber cannot approve applications, determine payments or speak onMAC Trade Services' behalf.
What if I can't find my paperwork?
Already signed, but lost the copy: if you can't find your paperwork, like your nomination contract,get in touch and we'll send you another copy.
Haven't signed yet: if you onboarded on or after 1 July 2026, you have up to 90 days from your onboarding date to submit your nomination.
#1 choice for battery automation
$25/month membership gives you access to wholesale energy prices
We’ll handle the transfer from your current retailer
Join Amber and claim the NSW battery incentive
Already have a battery in NSW? Connect it to SmartShift and you could be eligible for the NSW battery incentive.
Eligibility, assessment, application and incentive processing are managed by the third-party provider and subject to their terms and conditions.