Bill’s big power play

long-awaited energy plan, including a new national target to have 1 million household battery installations by 2025.

From 2020, there would be a $2000 rebate for 100,000 households on incomes of less than $180,000 per year to buy and install battery systems, as well as other low-cost loans.

Households would be expected to slash more than 60 per cent of the cost off their power bills under the move.

Mr Shorten said Labor’s rebate would triple the number of battery systems in Australian households.

“The massive boost will also help manufacturers scale up production and reduce their costs, in order reach the goal of 1 million households with battery systems by 2025,” Mr Shorten said. “Australians love renewable energy because they know it saves them money and it’s good for the environment.”

Labor’s plan also includes $100 million for renters and public housing tenants to benefit from cheaper and renewable energy such as solar panels.

There would be “community power hubs” for projects in local areas including solar gardens on apartment rooftops and community wind farms.

The entire plan is expected to cost $215.9 million over the forward estimates. The installation of solarfired batteries has skyrocketed in Australia from 7000 homes in 2007 to 1.8 million today.

Batteries allow solar-panelled homes to draw on stored energy at night when the sun is not shining, reducing reliance on the grid.

Mr Shorten will also leave open the option of keeping the NEG, which was developed by Mr Turnbull and helped bring down the former prime minister.

But the Opposition Leader will flag directly underwriting and investing in renewable energy projects — including storage and gas — if the Coalition drops its support for the NEG.