What is the VPP connection incentive?
The NSW Government’s VPP connection incentive is a one-off payment available once per household. Battery owners who never connect to a VPP simply leave it unclaimed.
You’ve got a battery sitting at home storing your own energy. The electricity grid comes under the most strain on cold winter evenings and hot summer afternoons. The NSW Government is paying households to help the grid by connecting their battery to a VPP.
ActewAGL gives you a simple path to connect. Through MAC Trade Services, an Accredited Certificate Provider under the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme, we handle the paperwork, so the incentive value is passed on to you.
Illustrative examples of how much you could receive
The table below shows how much you could receive based on battery model and capacity.
| Battery make | Battery model | Battery capacity | Estimated rebate* |
| Tesla | Powerwall 3 | 15.5 kWh | $489 |
| SolarEdge | BAT-10K1P | 9.7 kWh | $351 |
| AlphaESS | SMILE-BAT-13.3P | 13.34 kWh | $483 |
| Sigenergy | SigenStor-6S-16 | 15.6 kWh | $565 |
| Sungrow | SBH250 | 25 kWh | $906 |
How it works
Step 1: Check you’re eligible. Your property must be in NSW with solar and a VPP-capable battery on the Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved product list. (Full eligibility below.)
Step 2: Register your interest with ActewAGL. Tell us your battery details and address. We’ll confirm whether your battery qualifies.
Step 3: Connect your battery to ActewAGL’s VPP. With your consent, your eligible battery is enrolled so it can support the grid during peak demand events.
Step 4: Receive your incentive and earn ongoing bill credits. The NSW Government incentive is passed to you as a one-off upfront payment through MAC Trade Services. After that, you can earn an additional $60 per quarter via the Battery Power Top-Up.
Eligibility
You may be eligible if:
- You are an ActewAGL residential customer in NSW.
- You have rooftop solar and an eligible battery that can be enrolled in ActewAGL’s VPP.
- Your battery has a usable capacity of between 2 kWh and 50 kWh.
- Your battery is VPP-capable and on the current CEC approved product list.
- You have not already claimed the NSW VPP incentive for your battery at your address.
- You are not a life-support customer.
- You sign and accept the ActewAGL VPP terms and conditions and nomination form.
If you’re installing a new eligible battery, this NSW incentive can be claimed in addition to the Australian Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program (subject to eligibility). The federal rebate is applied at install by your installer.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Who pays the incentive? Is it ActewAGL?
No. Under the NSW Government’s Peak Demand Reduction Scheme the incentive is funded through Peak Reduction Certificates. ActewAGL, working with MAC Trade Services as the Accredited Certificate Provider, handles the paperwork and passes the value to you. ActewAGL doesn’t fund the incentive.
-
How much will I receive?
It’s a one-off amount based on your battery’s usable capacity. Most batteries receive less than the scheme cap. The exact figure is indicative and depends on your battery size, the scheme’s certificate value and any fees. Use the MAC Trade Services calculator to estimate your rebate.
-
Can I claim the incentive more than once?
No. It’s available once per electricity meter (NMI). If you already claimed the NSW VPP incentive for this meter, you can’t claim it again.
-
I'm an ACT customer, am I eligible?
No. The NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme incentive is for NSW properties only.
-
Can I combine this incentive with the federal battery rebate?
If you’re installing a new eligible battery, yes. The NSW VPP incentive can be claimed in addition to the Australian Government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program, subject to eligibility. The federal discount is applied at the time of install through your installer.
-
What batteries are eligible?
Your battery must be VPP-capable, on the Clean Energy Council (CEC) approved product list and compatible with ActewAGL’s VPP. It also must have a usable capacity of between 2 and 50 kWh.
-
What if I'm on life support?
Life support premises are not eligible for the VPP. If you or someone at your property relies on life support equipment, please don’t register for VPP connection. Please contact us about other options.
Footnotes and disclaimers
- Government scheme, not an ActewAGL credit. The Virtual Power Plant connection incentive is provided under the NSW Government’s Peak Demand Reduction Scheme and is funded through Peak Reduction Certificates. It is delivered via an Accredited Certificate Provider (MAC Trade Services). ActewAGL does not fund the incentive.
- NSW only. Available for eligible NSW properties only. ACT customers do not qualify for the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme incentive.
- Rebate amount. The rebate is a scheme cap reached only by the largest eligible batteries. Most batteries receive less. The amount is based on usable capacity and is indicative. Calculate your estimated rebate amount on the MAC Trade Services website.
- Once per meter. The incentive is available once per National Metering Identifier (NMI).
- Life support. Life-support premises are not eligible for the VPP.
- Eligible batteries. Battery must be on the Clean Energy Regulator’s approved list and be compatible with ActewAGL’s VPP, with usable capacity between 2 and 50 kWh.
- Federal program stacking. For new installs, the NSW incentive may be claimed in addition to the Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program, subject to eligibility. The federal discount applies at install.
- Ongoing earnings. Any ongoing VPP earnings are separate from and additional to the one-off government incentive and are subject to their own terms. For example, ActewAGL’s Battery Power Top-Up gives you a $60 per quarter ongoing bill credit.
