Could a company claim a rebate in my name without my knowledge?

It has happened in Australia. Rogue operators have submitted rebate claims using real customer addresses and falsified consent. If you are concerned, you can contact the relevant state energy regulator or the Clean Energy Regulator to check whether any claims have been lodged against your property address.

If an installer is suspended from a rebate scheme, what happens to customers who already had work done by them?

This depends on the specific scheme and the nature of the suspension. In some cases, claims already processed are honoured; in others, the regulator may require an audit of past work. If you had an install done by a company that has since been suspended or deregistered, it is worth contacting the relevant regulator directly to understand your position.

How does YSA check that an installer is legitimate before recommending them?

We verify Clean Energy Council (CEC) accreditation, check for any regulator suspensions or deregistrations, review the installer's compliance and complaint history where records are available, and assess whether their quoting and documentation practices meet the standards required by the relevant rebate scheme. Our clients do not need to do this checking themselves — that is what we are here for.

Industry news

Fake photos and fraudulent claims: what the latest rebate suspension means for homeowners

A regulator has suspended another company from an energy upgrades scheme for alleged fraud. Here's what it means for homeowners claiming solar and battery rebates.

Andrew TonkinLast reviewed 26 August 20265 min read

Short answer

A state regulator has suspended another company from an energy upgrades subsidy scheme after it was allegedly caught submitting doctored installation photos and falsified customer details to claim rebates. For homeowners, the immediate takeaway is simple: rebate fraud is not a fringe problem, and it can put your own subsidy — and the safety of your installation — at genuine risk. Knowing what legitimate paperwork and process looks like is now a practical part of getting solar or batteries done right.

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What happened

According to RenewEconomy, a state regulator has suspended a company from participating in an energy upgrades subsidy scheme after it was allegedly found to have submitted doctored photos and falsified customer details as part of its rebate claims. The regulator has not been named in this summary as the specific state has not been confirmed, but the pattern is consistent with enforcement actions seen across multiple Australian jurisdictions in recent years.

This is not an isolated case. Regulators in several states have periodically suspended or deregistered installers and retailers from rebate schemes for similar conduct — fake before-and-after photos, customer details added without consent, and installs claimed for work that was never completed or was done to a substandard level.

Why this matters to you as a homeowner

If a company submits fraudulent paperwork under your name or property address, you may not even know until you try to claim a rebate yourself — or until an audit flags your address as already having claimed one. In some cases, homeowners have found their rebate entitlement has been exhausted by a rogue operator without their knowledge.

There is also a safety dimension. Rebate schemes typically require installations to meet minimum technical standards. When a company falsifies documentation, there is no reliable evidence that the work was actually done to those standards. That matters for insurance, for future property sales, and for day-to-day safety in your home.

The broader pattern: why rebate schemes attract bad actors

Government subsidy schemes create a financial incentive that, by design, makes solar and batteries cheaper for consumers. That same incentive, however, attracts operators who want to claim the subsidy without doing the work properly — or at all. The faster a scheme ramps up and the lighter the administrative checking, the more opportunity exists for this kind of conduct.

Australia's various state and federal rebate programs have generally tightened their audit processes over time, but enforcement still tends to lag behind the volume of claims. Suspensions and deregistrations happen, but often after multiple fraudulent claims have already been lodged. The regulator acting is a good sign — it means oversight is working — but it is not a reason for complacency.

What separates a legitimate install from a risky one

Legitimate operators will provide you with a signed installation certificate, a copy of your grid connection notification, and documentation that ties your specific rebate claim to your address and consent. You should receive paperwork — not just a verbal assurance — and the rebate should be applied transparently on your invoice rather than handled entirely out of sight.

Red flags include installers who are vague about which scheme applies to your job, who ask you to sign forms in blank, or who cannot produce accreditation details on request. At YSA, we vet the accreditation status and compliance track record of every installer we work with, so our clients do not have to navigate this themselves.

What to do if you are planning an install

If you are considering solar panels, a battery, or any other energy upgrade that attracts a government rebate, the single most useful thing you can do before signing anything is understand which scheme applies to your situation, what documentation you are entitled to receive, and whether the company you are dealing with is currently in good standing with the relevant regulator. That due diligence is exactly the work YSA does on behalf of our clients — checking installer accreditation, reviewing quotes for compliance, and confirming rebate eligibility before any contract is signed.

For a plain-English summary of which rebates are currently available and how the application process is supposed to work, our rebate guides at /rebates are kept up to date as programs change. Rebate amounts and conditions shift regularly, so we describe direction rather than quoting specific figures that may already be out of date.

Fake photos and fraudulent claims: what the latest rebate suspension means for homeowners

Short answer

What happened

Why this matters to you as a homeowner

The broader pattern: why rebate schemes attract bad actors

What separates a legitimate install from a risky one

What to do if you are planning an install

Primary references used for this guide.

Could a company claim a rebate in my name without my knowledge?

If an installer is suspended from a rebate scheme, what happens to customers who already had work done by them?

How does YSA check that an installer is legitimate before recommending them?

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