Short answer
I found no current NT Government program for heat pump or solar hot water. The Home and Business Battery Scheme covered batteries and has closed. Territorians can still get the federal STC discount, and Darwin is in heat pump zone 1, the warmest zone, where heat pumps have the easiest job.
On this page
The Top End is the one part of Australia where cold weather is never the issue for a heat pump. The questions here are different: humidity, salt air, cyclone-rated installation and whether rooftop solar hot water is the better fit for a very sunny climate.
Is there a heat pump rebate in the Northern Territory?
No current Territory hot water program
- What you get
- I found no current NT Government program for heat pump or solar hot water. The Home and Business Battery Scheme covered batteries and inverters and has closed after reaching its funding allocation.
- Who can get it
- Federal STCs apply in the NT as everywhere else.
- How to get it
- Ask installers to show the STC discount on the quote.
- Official source
- Home and Business Battery Scheme (Northern Territory Government). Last checked: November 2026.
The NT Government says the Home and Business Battery Scheme "has now reached its $6 million funding allocation and is now closed to new grants", and it covered batteries and inverters (NT Government). Current household energy support is a bill credit of up to $150, not an appliance rebate (NT Government). An older NT Smart Energy Grants website, which once covered hot water, no longer exists, and I couldn't confirm its closing date on an official page.
What can Territorians claim?
Small-scale technology certificates (STCs)
- What you get
- A point-of-sale discount worth the market value of the STCs your model earns. The number depends on the model, your postcode zone and the year it is installed, and it falls each year until the scheme ends in 2030.
- Who can get it
- Any home or business in Australia
- The heat pump model must be on the Clean Energy Regulator's register of solar water heaters, with a tank under 425 L
- Installed by tradespeople meeting your state or territory licensing rules
- Key dates
- Installed in 2026: 5-year deeming period. 2027: 4 years. 2028: 3. 2029: 2. 2030: 1. The scheme ends on 31 December 2030.
- How to get it
- Most people assign the STCs to the installer or retailer (a registered agent), who takes their value off the price. You can also create and sell them yourself within 12 months of installation.
- Notes
- The Clean Energy Regulator does not set the price agents pay. The STC clearing house price is capped at $40 excluding GST, and open market prices vary daily.
- Official source
- Solar water heaters and air source heat pumps (Clean Energy Regulator). Last checked: November 2026.
Darwin (0800 to 0854) is in heat pump zone 1, and Alice Springs (0870) is in zone 2 (CER postcode zones). On the register, zone 1 figures run a little lower than the southern zones: the middle value I found was 26 for zone 1 against 30 for zone 3 (my analysis of the CER data file). That is likely because a warm climate needs less energy to heat water in the first place, so there is less saving to certify. The federal Household Energy Upgrades Fund also covers heat pumps through participating lenders (energy.gov.au).
Do heat pumps suit Darwin's climate?
Very well on paper. Darwin Airport's coldest month, July, has a mean minimum of 19.3°C, and its hottest months, October and November, have a mean maximum of 33.4°C (BoM). Your Home says air source heat pumps "work best in relatively warm, humid climates" (Your Home). A heat pump in Darwin rarely needs its backup element.
Things that matter more in the Territory than down south:
- Corrosion. Coastal humidity and salt are hard on outdoor equipment. The Victorian plumbing regulator's heat pump guidance mentions keeping units away from salty or corrosive environments, and manufacturers set their own limits, so read the installation manual and warranty conditions.
- Fixing the unit down. Ask your installer how the unit will be secured and whether that meets local building requirements for wind.
- Noise at night. In a warm climate many homes keep windows open, so siting away from bedrooms matters. See the noise guide.
Heat pump or solar hot water in the Territory?
Solar water heaters are the main alternative in zone 1. A heat pump avoids the roof, the weight and the plumbing runs, and pairs well with rooftop solar panels if you run it on a timer in the middle of the day. Both earn STCs if the model is on the register. My heat pump vs solar hot water page compares them in detail.
Will the Solar Sharer Offer come to the NT?
Not yet. The free midday power offer covers NSW, South East Queensland and South Australia. The federal government says it is working with other jurisdictions on a potential expansion, with no dates (energy.gov.au).
For what is available in other states, see rebates by state.
Sources for this page
- Home and Business Battery Scheme, Northern Territory Government. Last checked: November 2026.
- Energy bill relief for households, Northern Territory Government. Last checked: November 2026.
- Postcode zones for air source heat pumps and solar water heaters (Version 3, 1 January 2020), Clean Energy Regulator. Last checked: November 2026.
- Air source heat pump models (register data file, CSV), Clean Energy Regulator. Last checked: November 2026.
- Household Energy Upgrades Fund, energy.gov.au (Australian Government). Last checked: November 2026.
- Climate statistics: Darwin Airport 014015, Bureau of Meteorology. Last checked: November 2026.
- Hot water systems, Your Home (Australian Government, DCCEEW). Last checked: November 2026.
- Solar Sharer Offer, energy.gov.au (Australian Government). Last checked: November 2026.
- Solar water heaters and air source heat pumps, Clean Energy Regulator. Last checked: November 2026.
Every source used on the site is listed on the sources page.