Compare battery quotes Bendigo

Battery size and hardware

Quote states nominal kWh and usable kWh. A 13.5 kWh battery may have a different usable figure, and usable capacity is what runs the house.
Battery brand, model and warranty are written down, including years and cycle limit.
Inverter or hybrid inverter brand and model are listed, not just described as premium.
The quote says whether the system is AC coupled, hybrid, or a full solar and battery replacement.

Backup and electrical scope

Backup is defined as no backup, selected circuits, or whole home where possible.
Backup circuits are named, such as fridge, lights, modem and one power circuit.
Switchboard upgrade, sub-board, neutral links and RCD work are included or excluded with dollar allowances.
Battery location is shown and checked against AS/NZS 5139 clearances, fire separation and access requirements.
Powercor connection and inverter setting paperwork are included where the battery changes the grid connection.

Rebates, payment and handover

Federal battery discount or STC value is shown separately where the system is eligible.
Deposit is 5-10% on a normal job, or a higher deposit is explained in writing.
Final payment is due after installation, commissioning and Certificate of Electrical Safety, not before.
Monitoring app setup and owner handover are included before the installer leaves.

Registration and product checks

Installer can provide current SAA accreditation for battery installation.
Electrical work is done by a Victorian licensed electrician and a Certificate of Electrical Safety will be issued.
Battery, inverter and PV products are on the approved lists needed for rebate or STC eligibility.
The installer confirms what happens if a warranty claim is needed in year 8 or year 10.

Red flags - walk away if you see these

The quote uses storage size but never states usable kWh.
Backup is promised but no circuits are named and no backup gateway is listed.
Full payment is requested before installation or commissioning.
Battery location is decided by sales staff without photos or a site inspection.
The installer cannot give an SAA accreditation number or Victorian electrical licence details.
Switchboard work is listed as to be confirmed with no price range.

What a compliant written quote has to state

A useful battery quote should let you compare like with like in 10 minutes. It should name the battery, inverter, usable storage, backup scope, installation location, safety works, rebate treatment, warranties, payment schedule and handover documents. If you cannot see those items, you are not comparing battery systems. You are comparing sales summaries.

For Bendigo homes, the key line is often the backup scope. A battery that only stores solar and powers the house while the grid is live is not the same as a battery that runs selected circuits during an outage. Backup wiring can add $600-$2,000, and whole home backup can be limited by high load appliances. If you want the fridge, modem, lights and one power circuit to stay on, ask for those circuits to be named.

The quote should also show how the federal battery discount is treated. The Australian Government Cheaper Home Batteries Program operates through the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme and is generally handled as an upfront discount through the retailer or installer. Eligible batteries and inverters must meet program requirements, so the quote should not rely on a product that cannot be claimed.

For more context, compare the battery quote with the Bendigo battery sizing guide, the rebate eligibility page, and the general pricing guide. If the system includes new panels, also check the solar and battery systems page so the solar capacity and battery capacity are matched.

What is usually excluded and later charged as a variation

The most common variation is the switchboard. Older Bendigo homes around Eaglehawk, California Gully and Golden Square often have boards that were acceptable for lights and power points but are tight once solar, battery, EV charging and safety switches are added. If the quote says standard electrical works, ask whether it includes a new main switch, RCBOs, enclosure work, a backup sub-board and labelling.

The second common variation is battery placement. AS/NZS 5139 has strict battery location and safety requirements. A battery may not be allowed exactly where the salesperson drew it if it is close to a habitable room opening, a path of travel, combustible material or a vehicle impact zone. Moving the battery can mean extra conduit, cable and wall mounting gear. A quote should allow for the actual wall, not an imaginary perfect garage.

The third is backup. Some quotes use backup as a general word but only include blackout capable hardware, not the circuit wiring. Other quotes include selected circuits but not high loads such as oven, ducted heating, air conditioning or instantaneous hot water. The honest question is not can it back up the house. The honest question is which circuits will run, for how many hours, and what loads must be left off.

Deposit limits and licence checks

For a normal home battery job, a small deposit is reasonable because the installer may need to order equipment. As a practical Bendigo rule, 5-10% is normal. A deposit above 20% should have a specific reason, such as special order equipment, and the contract should still hold the balance until the battery is installed, commissioned and handed over. Do not pay the whole amount before work starts.

If a domestic building contract applies, Victorian deposit rules are stricter, commonly 10% for contracts under $20,000 and 5% for larger contracts. Many solar and battery jobs sit in electrical contracting rather than a building contract, so do not assume the building deposit rule automatically protects you. Use the stricter habit anyway: small deposit, clear milestones, final payment after commissioning.

To check the installer, ask for SAA accreditation for grid connected battery work, then check the electrical licence through Energy Safe Victoria. For Solar Victoria work, check whether the retailer is authorised. For federal battery discount claims, check the battery and inverter are on the relevant approved product lists. A legitimate installer will not treat those checks as an insult.

One honest constraint: if your daily usage is under 10 kWh, you have no outage concern and your feed-in tariff still offsets much of the bill, a battery may not be the best first spend. You may get better value from solar repairs, panel cleaning, tariff changes or a smaller battery later. A good quote should say that out loud.

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Battery quote comparison questions

How many battery quotes should I compare?

Compare at least 2 written quotes and preferably 3 if the job is over $12,000. A good quote should make the usable kWh, backup circuits, inverter model, warranty and rebate treatment easy to compare. If one quote is $2,000-$4,000 cheaper, check whether it excludes switchboard work or backup wiring.

What should a battery quote state?

It should state the battery brand, model, nominal capacity, usable capacity, inverter or hybrid inverter model, backup arrangement, monitoring, install location and total GST inclusive price. It should also show the federal battery discount or STC value as a separate line where it applies. Ask for exclusions in writing, not verbally.

What deposit is reasonable for a battery system?

For a normal residential battery job, 5-10% is a reasonable deposit and 20% is already high unless special order gear is involved. Do not pay the full balance before the battery is installed, inspected and commissioned. For a $14,000 battery, a deposit above $2,800 deserves a clear written reason.

How do I check the installer is allowed to do battery work?

Ask for the SAA accreditation details for battery installation and confirm the electrical licence through Energy Safe Victoria. The person doing the electrical work must be licensed in Victoria. For rebates, also check the retailer and products are eligible under the relevant Solar Victoria or federal program.

What exclusions become variations later?

Common variations are switchboard upgrades at $1,200-$2,800, backup circuit rewiring at $600-$2,000, long cable runs at $25-$60 per metre and non compliant battery locations that need a different wall or bollards. A quote that says standard installation only is not enough. Make the installer write exactly what standard means for your house.

Is the cheapest battery quote usually bad?

Not always, but a cheap quote has to explain itself. It may be cheaper because it has no backup, a smaller usable kWh capacity, a shorter warranty, a less expensive inverter or no switchboard allowance. A genuinely good cheaper quote will still list all of those items clearly.

Compare Bendigo battery quotes by usable kWh, backup and exclusions, not headline price