Solar rebates in doubt for West Australian homeowners

Solar rebates could be at risk in Western Australia, with the state government looking at winding them back or even scrapping them altogether.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt has today confirmed he is investigating the future of the renewable energy buyback scheme, which is designed to pay households for every unit of surplus power they put back into the grid.

Currently, homeowners get back 7.1 cents, however that could be about to drop further.

“It’s so cheap, it’s so reliable and it produces so much energy now that the incentives perhaps will need to change,”  told Mr Wyatt told 9NEWS.

Instead, the state government is considering redirecting rebates at batteries.

“What can we do to ensure demand and the supply of renewable energy is a better match?" the treasurer said.

“That is a storage solution."

Around 250,000 West Australian households already have solar panels, more than anticipated.

“We’re installing about 140 megawatts of solar in WA every year,” sustainability expert Professor Ray Wills told 9NEWS

“To put that into context, that’s about half of a Collie power station.”

Mr Wills agrees subsidies do need to be wound back, but warns it has to be at the right time.

The review is part of a wider inquiry about the future of WA’s electricity generation.