Energy rebates are offered in every Australian state and territory, and while thousands are eligible for these concessions, only a fraction of people seem to realise. If you’re struggling with the price of power, then consider whether you could be receiving a government discount on energy. Canstar Blue lists the rebates and concessions available in the following states:
NSW Electricity Rebates
New South Wales has five energy rebates for residential customers:
- Low Income Household Rebate
- Family Energy Rebate
- Gas Rebate
- Life Support Rebate
- Medical Energy Rebate
- Seniors Energy Rebate
- Energy Accounts Payment Assistance Scheme
Eligible customers living in an on-supplied premise such as a residential community, retirement village or strata scheme receive an additional 10% on top of the rebates listed below.
NSW Pensioner and Low-income Household Rebate
This is a concession for pensioners, seniors, veterans and households struggling to keep on top of their electricity bill. It involves an annual payment of $285 to eligible NSW residents.
| Concession name | Low Income Household Rebate |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $285 |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the Low Income Household Rebate, visit the NSW Government website.
NSW Family Energy Rebate
Low income families on family Tax benefit A or B may be eligible for an annual electricity rebate of $150. If you also receive the Low Income Household rebate (above), the Family Energy rebate is capped at $20.
| Concession name | Family Energy Rebate |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $180 |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the Family Energy Rebate, visit the NSW Government website.
NSW Medical Energy Rebate
The medical rebate assists customers if they, or someone living them, is unable to self-regulate their body temperature. This is often associated with diseases like Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis, however an independent diagnosis is required to confirm the person is unable to control their body temperature before receiving the rebate.
| Concession name | Medical Energy Rebate |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $285 |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information Medical Energy Rebate, visit the NSW Government website.
NSW Life Support Rebate
If an electricity customer or someone living with them requires life support, they may be eligible to have the energy costs of their life support equipment rebated. To receive this rebate, the life support machine must be from the government’s approved list. The value of the rebate will vary with different equipment.
| Concession name | Life Support Rebate |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | Depends on the support machine |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the Life Support Rebate, visit the NSW Government website.
NSW Gas Rebate
This rebate is essentially the gas equivalent of the low-income household electricity rebate. It provides pensioners, veterans and low-income natural gas and LPG customers with an annual rebate. Mains Natural gas customers receive $110 per year, while those receiving LPG can claim $121.
| Concession name | NSW Gas Rebate |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $110 (natural gas); $121 (LPG) |
| Energy type | Natural Gas |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the NSW Gas Rebate, visit the NSW Government website.
QLD Electricity Rebates
The Queensland government provides four electricity and gas rebates to residential customers:
- Electricity and Natural Gas Rebate
- Electricity Only Rebate
- Emergency Life Support
- Medical Rebate
QLD Pensioner Electricity and Gas Rebate
The Queensland government gives a yearly payment to seniors, pensioners and veterans. It includes a large rebate on both electricity and gas for any electricity customer holding a Pensioner Concession Card, Queensland Seniors Card, Department of Veterans Affairs Card and anyone holding asylum-seeker status.
| Concession name | Electricity and Natural Gas Rebate |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $340.85 (electricity); $73.60 (gas) |
| Energy type | Electricity & Natural Gas |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the QLD pensioner’s rebate, visit the QLD Government website.
Electricity Life Support Concession
The Queensland government provides a rebate to customers suffering a serious illness which forces them to rely on a home-based oxygen concentrator or kidney dialysis machine. If you receive this concession, you will also receive special care in the event of power outages.
| Concession name | Electricity Life Support Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $694.18 per year, or $57.85 per month for each oxygen concentrator; or
$464.88 per year, or $38.74 per month for each kidney dialysis machine. |
| Energy type | Electricity & Natural Gas |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the Life Support Concession, visit the QLD Government website.
Medical Cooling and Heating Rebate
Customers suffering with a condition making it difficult to self-regulate body temperature in extreme hot or cold may be eligible for an annual rebate on their electricity bill. You must hold a current Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card to receive this rebate and you must be diagnosed with qualifying medical condition.
| Concession name | Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession Scheme |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $340.85 |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the Life Support Concession, visit the QLD Government website.
Victoria Electricity Rebates
Victoria has a number of electricity and gas rebates that not enough customers take advantage of. Rather than paying a fixed amount each year, Victorian rebates pay a percentage of your annual bill. This could possibly help you save hundreds of dollars on power each year. If your electricity use is over $2,725 however, you may need to apply for the Excess Electricity Concession to continue receiving a government discount. Vic rebates are the following:
- Annual Electricity Concession
- Controlled Load Electricity Concession
- Non-Mains Energy Concession
- Service to Property Charge Concession
- Medical Cooling Concession
- Life Support Concession
- Winter Gas Concession
VIC Pensioners and Low-income Earner Electricity Rebate
This rebate is for Victorian pensioners, seniors, veterans and low-income earners. It provides concession card holders with an annual rebate on electricity, equivalent to 17.5% of your bill.
| Concession name | Annual Electricity Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | 17.5% of your total bill after discounts and credits |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements | Hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card. |
For more information on the pensioner and low-income concession, visit the VIC rebate website.
VIC Controlled Load Concession
Pensioners, seniors, veterans and low-income earners with a controlled load connecting their electric hot water or slab heating may be entitled to 13% off the controlled load fees. This is in addition to other rebates or concession customers might receive.
| Concession name | Controlled Load Electricity Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | 13% of controlled load charges after discounts and credits |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the controlled load electricity concession, visit the VIC rebate website.
VIC Non-Mains Energy Concession
If you don’t rely on grid electricity or mains natural gas, you may be entitled to the non-mains energy concession to help cover your annual costs. Non-mains sources of energy include LPG, firewood, heating oil, generator fuel and electricity accessed through an embedded network. The rebate value depends on how much has been spent on energy that year.
| Concession name | Non-Mains Energy Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $50 for spending from $100 to $288.99
$152 for spending from $289 to $867.99 $253 for spending from $868 to $1,443.99 $361 for spending from $1,444 to $2,060.99 $461 for spending from $2,061 to $2,636.99 $561 for spending $2,637 and above. |
| Energy type | LPG, firewood, heating oil, generator fuel and embedded energy. |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the controlled load electricity concession, visit the VIC rebate website.
VIC Electricity Supply Charge Concession
Concession card holders may be entitled to the supply charge concession, in addition to other concessions they may be eligible for. Under the supply charge concession, if your supply charges exceed your electricity usage charges, the supply charge is reduced to the cost of the electricity used.
| Concession name | Service to Property Charge Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | Supply charges exceeding usage charges are reduced to the cost of electricity used. |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
Hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card. |
For more information on the controlled load electricity concession, visit the VIC rebate website.
VIC Medical Cooling Concession
Electricity account holders suffering from an approved list of conditions can apply to receive a 17.5% electricity concession on top of the annual electricity concession (Total of 35%).
| Concession name | Medical Cooling Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | 17.5% of controlled load charges after discounts and credits |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the controlled load electricity concession, visit the VIC rebate website.
VIC Life Support Concession
Concession card holders who require an eligible life support system at home could be entitled to the Victorian Government’s life support concession. This rebate only applies to oxygen concentrators, haemodialysis machines and intermittent peritoneal dialysis machines.
| Concession name | Life Support Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | 1,880 kWh worth of electricity per year |
| Energy type | Electricity |
| Eligibility requirements |
|
For more information on the controlled load electricity concession, visit the VIC rebate website.
VIC Winter Gas Concession
This rebate helps pensioners and low-income families deal with the dreaded winter heating bill. Concession card holders that use mains natural gas can receive a concession of 17.5% off their gas bill, so long as it’s under $1,588 for the winter period (1 May to 31 October).
| Concession name | Winter Gas Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | 17.5% of your total bill after discounts and credits |
| Energy type | Gas |
| Eligibility requirements | Hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card. |
For more information on the controlled load electricity concession, visit the VIC rebate website.
Excess Electricity and Gas Concession
Concession card holders with particularly high electricity or gas bills won’t be eligible for the standard pensioner concessions and will need to apply for the excess electricity or excess gas concessions. Just like the standard concessions, this is a 17.5% rebate. The only point of difference is that you’ll be required to make a declaration that you’re not using electricity and gas for commercial purposes
South Australia Electricity Rebates
South Australia doesn’t have as many rebates as most other states, nor are they as generous, but it’s still worth investigating for households struggling to pay their bills. There are two energy concessions and one general cost of living concession:
- Energy Bill Concession
- Medical Heating and Cooling Concession
- Cost of Living Concession
SA Pensioner and Low-income Earner Energy Pension
The South Australian government has a catch-all rebate for pensioners, seniors, veterans and low-income earners. It is a $217.90 rebate to cover both electricity and gas (ie: If you have both electricity and gas, the rebate remains at $217.90).
| Concession name | Energy Bill Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $226.67 to cover both electricity and gas |
| Energy type | Electricity, natural gas & LPG |
| Eligibility requirements | Hold a Pensioners Card, Seniors Card, Health Care card, DVA Gold Card or receive certain Centrelink benefits. |
For more information on the energy bill concession, visit the SA rebate website.
SA Medical Concession
If a bill payer or someone living at the property suffers a condition that makes them unable to regulate their body temperature, the South Australian government offers a rebate to help with the cost of cooling and/or heating.
| Concession name | Medical Heating and Cooling Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | $226.67 to cover both electricity and gas |
| Energy type | Electricity, natural gas & LPG |
| Eligibility requirements | Must be diagnosed with a condition that makes it difficult to regulate body temperature. This must be signed off by a qualified medical practitioner. |
For more information on the medical concession, visit the SA rebate website.
Cost of Living Concession
The cost of living concession is a general concession to ease the cost of basic utilities like water, gas, medical bills and electricity. You can apply for this concession even if you’re receiving the Energy Bill Concession.
| Concession name | Cost of Living Concession |
|---|---|
| Rebate amount | Homeowners – $210.70
Homeowner retirees with seniors health card – $105.40 Tenants – $105.40 |
| Energy type | Electricity, gas and other utilities |
| Eligibility requirements | Hold a pension card, DVA card, health care card, seniors card, receive a selected Centrelink payment, or can show low income provisions are met. |
For more information on the medical concession, visit the SA rebate website.
How can I reduce my power bill?
Even if you’re eligible for a rebate, there’s a lot more every Aussie household can do to save on electricity and gas. If it’s been a while since you last compared energy retailers, then you could be paying too much for energy. Canstar Blue endeavours to help consumer make the most informed decision possible. To see if you could save on energy, check out our customer satisfaction ratings and price comparison tool below.
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