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farugeAus(Newbie)Newbie
13 Apr 2026

Hi there - looking for some help as I can't find an answer to my specific question online:


Every year I claim a portion of the power that my home uses for work related activities (technical equipment that runs 24 hours a day, plus home office (work from home).


I'm looking at putting solar power in with a battery which will clearly reduce my quarterly bill somewhat - but I have been told that where still likely be an out-of-pocket expense.


As an example - lets say my bill was $1000 per quarter, and I claimed $500 (50%) as a work related expense (I don't - but just to keep numbers simple. I run power usage meters on all the devices, so I know exactly how much is used).


After solar is installed, my out-of-pocket expense is now just $500 per quarter. Is it possible to still claim the full $500 as a deduction or can I only claim 50% of that (just like I was doing prior to solar installation). The way I'm looking at is if I didn't need to run this home equipment for work, I wouldn't be out of pocket at all. My meter usage will still tell me that it consumes $500 worth of power each quarter and that is what my bill will be $500.


Just wondering how others might differentiate between what solar/battery provides and what you have to still pay out of pocket.


Hope this makes sense :)


Kind Regards


Justin



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1 replies
31 views
1 replies

All replies

KaraATO(Community Support)Community Support
15 Apr 2026

Hey @farugeAus,


Solar can brighten your power bills, but it also changes how deductions are worked out. ☀️


The key thing to keep in mind is that your deduction is limited to what you actually pay out of pocket, and then only the work‑related portion of that amount.


Using your hypothetical example:

  • Before solar:
    • quarterly electricity bill: $1,000
    • work‑related portion: 50%
    • deduction claimed: $500
  • After solar:
    • quarterly electricity bill you actually pay: $500
    • you can only claim the work‑related portion of that $500
    • if 50% is still a reasonable work‑related percentage the deduction would be $250.

You can't claim a deduction for the cost of installing the solar panels and battery themselves. These are considered personal expenses, not additional running expenses incurred as a result of working from home.


You'll need to keep records that show how you calculated the work-related portion of your electricity expense. Since you're using power usage meters to track consumption, that evidence will likely support your claim.


The actual cost method lets you claim the work-related portion of all your running expenses, provided you can demonstrate the calculation is reasonable.

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How does claiming power usage whilst you have solar work? | ATO Community