There are fresh claims a multi-billion-dollar taxpayer-funded program to encourage households to install solar batteries is being rorted by unscrupulous operators.
They are accused of mocking up installs, forging signatures, using unlicensed tradies for cash jobs and leaving customers with unsafe or broken systems.
The allegations of fraud and misconduct were contained in tip-offs sent to the federal watchdog overseeing the Albanese government's Cheaper Home Batteries Program.
These untested claims were obtained by the ABC through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, which did not detail any regulatory action that may be underway.
The Cheaper Home Batteries Program offers a generous subsidy for households — up to 30 per cent of the cost of solar battery systems.
Australians have rushed to sign up, with more than 530,000 batteries installed since July 2025.
The program is estimated to cost more than $7.2 billion over four years — about $5 billion more than originally announced.
Solar and consumer advocates have labelled the accusations "absolutely shocking".
The federal opposition will push for a Senate inquiry to probe the allegations while advocates want an urgent increase to safeguards, including more inspections and better consumer protections.
The FOI documents included 95 tip-offs detailed over...
In a 2017 piece in The New York Times, voting expert Ari Berman wrote, “The Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed tactics that prevented blacks, Hispanics and other minority groups from voting. But fo...