There is support at hand for Australians facing financial strife when bill due dates roll around. The Queensland government has provided eligible households with the opportunity to save big on their power costs.
Read on to find out what power savings you may be entitled to.
Electricity and gas rebates in Queensland
Queenslanders may be eligible for the different electricity and gas rebates provided by the Queensland Government. Pensioners, seniors, low-income households, sick or vulnerable people and asylum seekers are among those who may be given access to a rebate.
2024-25 Cost of Living Rebate for households
Eligible Queensland households can claim $1,000 off electricity bills beginning July 1, 2024 under the state’s updated Cost of Living Rebate.
- Rebate amount: $1,000.
- Eligibility: Residential electricity account holders who are separately charged for their energy bill, including customers on embedded networks. Customers must also be connected to the electricity grid (exceptions are available for some households, including Ergon Energy customers).
- Applied to: Electricity bills.
- How to apply: The $1,000 rebate will be automatically applied to eligible residential electricity bills beginning July 1, 2024. Dates may vary depending on customers’ individual billing cycles.
2023-24 Cost of Living Rebate for households
In response to the extra cost of living pressures Queenslanders are facing, the Queensland government released additional support for both residential and small business power customers. Under this, the government is awarding $550 to all residents on their power bills to help offset the rising cost of living and $700 to vulnerable households who also receive the standard electricity rebate from the Queensland government.
- Rebate amount: Up to $700 in total, depending on eligibility.
- Eligibility: Any residential homeowners, tenants and customers who are separately charged for their power bill, meaning it’s not included as part of a rental package. Those who receive an electricity bill from their landlord or body corporate and customers in communities with card-operated meters are also eligible.
- Applied to: Electricity bills.
- How to apply: The amount will automatically be deducted from Queenslanders’ power bill from July 1, 2023, however individual circumstances, such as billing cycles, may dictate when this actually arrives on customers’ bills.
Queensland Electricity Rebate
The Queensland government provides an annual payment to seniors, pensioners, veterans and asylum seekers to help with their electricity bills.
- Rebate amount: $372.20 per year (GST inclusive).
- Eligibility: This rebate applies to those that have a Pensioner Concession Card, Queensland Seniors Card, Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card, Services Australia Health Care Card or Asylum seeker status (ImmiCard details).
- Applied to: Electricity bills only.
- How to apply: If you’re eligible to receive this payment, you can contact your electricity retailer and provide evidence of your status. It’s important to have your concession card handy, as well as some past bills when you apply. When switching energy providers, you could be asked to provide this evidence again. Owners or proprietors of residential home parks or multi-unit residences can also apply for this rebate on behalf of their residents if they are eligible, however, this rebate will be charged as a daily amount.
Reticulated Natural Gas Rebate
Much like the electricity rebate, vulnerable households could also receive a set amount off their annual natural gas bill.
- Rebate amount: $86.75 per year (GST inclusive).
- Eligibility: Natural gas customers could receive the rebate if they hold a Pensioner Concession Card, Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card (and receive the War Widow/er Pension or special rate TPI Pension) or Queensland Seniors Card.
- Applied to: Natural gas bills only.
- How to apply: Get in contact with your gas supplier and ask them for the Queensland natural gas rebate. Your gas retailer will ask you to provide evidence of your status, so make sure to have your pensioner, veterans or seniors card ready, as well as a past bill. Owners or proprietors of residential home parks or multi-unit residences can also apply for this rebate on behalf of their residents if they eligible, however, this rebate will be charged as a daily amount.
Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme
The Queensland government is providing a one-off payment to households experiencing difficulty paying their power bill in the event of an emergency or short-term financial crisis.
- Rebate amount: Up to $720 once every two years.
- Eligibility: An applicant has to be the one responsible for paying the outstanding bill, and has to either hold a current concession card, have an income equal to or less than the Australian Government’s maximum income rate for part-age pensioners, or be part of a hardship program or payment plan. Customers must also have experienced an ‘emergency’, which is something your retailer can help you define.
- Applied to: Electricity and gas bills.
- How to apply: Explain your situation to your energy retailer, and if they deem you appropriate to receive assistance as part of the scheme, they will kick off the application process.
Electricity Life Support Concession
For households with a member or multiple with a serious illness that causes them to rely on a home-based oxygen concentrator or kidney dialysis machine, the Queensland government applies a concession on power bills to help with the cost of running the equipment.
- Rebate amount: For oxygen concentrators, it’s $975.60 per year for each oxygen concentrator. For a kidney dialysis machine, it’s $653.34 each year.
- Eligibility: To be eligible for these concessions, customers must have at least one resident in their home requiring life support machinery, and have received an oxygen concentrator or kidney dialysis machine free through a Queensland hospital or subsidy scheme.
- Applied to: Electricity bills.
- How to apply: Complete the Electricity Life Support Concession application form. The form will either be mailed to you shortly after you receive your machine or be provided by the Renal Unit at Queensland Health hospitals.
Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession Scheme
The Queensland government provides an electricity concession to pensioner or health care card owners that are suffering a medical condition that makes it difficult to self-regulate their body temperature.
- Rebate amount: $479.03 (including GST) per year.
- Eligibility: To qualify for this concession, a household member must have Multiple Sclerosis, Autonomic System Dysfunction, loss of skin integrity or sweating capacity, or a severe sensitivity to environmental temperature leading to loss of mobility or pain. Eligibility is reviewed once every two years.
- Applied to: Electricity bills.
- How to apply: Households must fill out a Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession Scheme (MCHECS) form found on the Queensland government website, to be emailed to the address supplied on the form.
Queensland energy prices
Here are some sponsored deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from our referral partners†. These costs are based on the Energex network in Brisbane but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4613kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area and to see other products in our database that may be available. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
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15% Less than reference price |
$1,675 Price/year (estimated) |
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10% Less than reference price |
$1,772 Price/year (estimated) |
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28% Less than reference price |
$1,422 Price/year (estimated) |
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Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Energex network in Brisbane but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4613kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area and to see other products in our database that may be available. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Image credits: ymgerman/shutterstock.com
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