The federal rebate (applied at the point of sale)
The federal Cheaper Home Batteries program discounts an eligible battery when you buy it, rather than as a claim you chase later. Your installer applies it, which is why you see it reflected in the quote. Indicatively it is worth around $252 per usable kWh at the current spot price, strongest on the first portion of capacity and tapering as systems grow past roughly 14kWh usable.
Because it is tied to the STC spot price, which floats, treat any dollar figure as a guide rather than a fixed amount. The current terms and your exact discount are confirmed in your quote.
The NSW VPP incentive (on top)
Separately, NSW offers an incentive, commonly cited around $1,500, for connecting an eligible home battery to a Virtual Power Plant. A VPP lets your battery be called on to support the grid at peak times in exchange for the incentive and, often, ongoing value.
This is stackable with the federal rebate, so a NSW household can benefit from the point-of-sale federal discount and then the state VPP incentive for joining a VPP. Eligibility, the exact amount and the VPP terms can change, so confirm the current details before you rely on them.
Getting both, without the paperwork headache
The cleanest way to capture both is to use an installer who handles the federal rebate at the point of sale and can connect you to an eligible VPP. That keeps the federal discount off your upfront price and sets up the NSW VPP incentive rather than leaving you to navigate it alone.
Apollo Energy Group is a NSW-based, SAA-accredited installer (Electrical Licence 400672, 10-year battery warranty) that applies the federal rebate at the point of sale. Refer Labs readers also get $500 off their quote through our link, on top of the rebates above.