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Victoria Energy Concessions Explained

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If your power bill is a constant bugbear, you could be eligible for a concession to help ease the financial stress of utility bill due dates.

The Victorian government has a few electricity and gas rebates to help the vulnerable households in the state stay afloat. Find out what kind of discounts you could be entitled to below.

Energy Concessions in Victoria

Households in Victoria are spoilt for choice when it comes to power concessions, with 11 ways to ease the pain of energy bills.

Annual Electricity Concession

The Annual Electricity Concession is designed to give pensioners or concession card holders a discount on their power bill appropriate to their yearly power bill.

  • Concession amount: 17.5% of electricity usage and service costs.
  • Eligibility: To be eligible, the electricity account holder must hold a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card. Customers with very high power bills (more than $3,563 annually) are not eligible for this concession. This concession does not apply to the first $171.60 of the annual bill.
  • Applied to: Electricity bills only.
  • How to apply: Apply for this concession by phoning your electricity provider directly. A representative will ask for your concession card and energy account details, so make sure you have them on hand.

Excess Electricity Concession

For financially vulnerable Australians, such as pensioners, with unusually high power bills for reasons other than medical, the Victorian government provides an electricity bill concession.

  • Concession amount: 17.5% of electricity usage and service costs.
  • Eligibility: This concession is suitable for residential households with considerably high power bills, specifically more than $3,563 a year. Customers must also have either a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card.
  • Applied to: Electricity bills only.
  • How to apply: Contact your power retailer and let them know you’re looking for an Excess Electricity Concession Application Form. A form will then be sent to your address, asking you to verify your concessional status as well as that the power is not used for commercial or illegal purposes. At that point, you’ll mail your application to the address provided on the form.

Winter Gas Concession

Over the course of winter (May 1 to October 31), the Victorian government provides concession card holders with an extra discount on their gas bills.

  • Concession amount: 17.5% of gas usage and service costs.
  • Eligibility: A gas account holder with a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card will be eligible for this saving at their residential address. Please note, this concession does not apply to the first $62.40 of the six-month winter period bills.
  • Applied to: Gas bills only.
  • How to apply: To apply, contact your natural gas supplier over the phone, or check their website for somewhere to submit an application. You will receive the discount on your next bill after your provider verifies your concession card details.

Excess Gas Concession

Financially vulnerable households with particularly high gas usage could be eligible for a concession on their gas bills.

  • Concession amount: 17.5% of gas usage and service costs.
  • Eligibility: Concession card holders with gas bills above $2,067 between May 1 and October 31 should apply for this concession. Health Care Card and Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card holders are also eligible.
  • Applied to: Gas bills only.
  • How to apply: Your retailer should send you an application form for this concession once you’ve alerted them of your eligibility. Fill out this application and mail it back to the address listed on the form. During this process, you’ll be asked to confirm that no commercial business is being conducted at your residential address.

Controlled Load Electricity Concession

For concession card holders that are charged separately for electric hot water or slab heating, the Victorian government provides a modest discount on that amount. Please note, this concession will no longer be available to customers as of December 1, 2023.

  • Concession amount: 13% of controlled load electricity costs.
  • Eligibility: Pensioner Concession Card holders, Health Care Card holders and Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card Holders. Households must also have an eligible dual element electricity meter or dual element smart meter.
  • Applied to: Controlled load electricity costs.
  • How to apply: Contact your electricity retailer directly, and supply the customer service agent with your concession card details.

nurse giving woman a tea

Electricity Transfer Fee Waiver

For eligible concession card holders that are moving house, the Victorian government will waive the transfer fee, also known as a move-in/move-out fee or connection fee, from your power bill. Please note, this concession will no longer be available to customers as of December 1, 2023.

  • Concession amount: Full transfer fee waived.
  • Eligibility: Electricity account holders with an eligible Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card Holders. Customer must also be moving house.
  • Applied to: Electricity bills.
  • How to apply: Call your electricity retailer to see if you are eligible for this concession. If you are, your retailer will automatically deduct this fee from your account when you move.

Life Support Concession

In some cases, homes that have at least one member requiring the use of a life support machine are entitled to have their power costs reduced.

  • Concession amount: The cost of 1,880 kWh of power per year at your chosen retailer’s rate. For water, it is the cost of 168 kilolitres of water per year.
  • Eligibility: In order to apply, you must hold an eligible concession card and either use a life support machine yourself, or live with someone in need of one. Machines must use more than 1,880kWh/year, such as dialysis machines or oxygen concentrators.
  • Applied to: Electricity and/or water bills.
  • How to apply: Receive an application form through your power retailer or hospital supplying the life support machine and obtain a signature by a doctor or nurse to confirm your usage of the machine. Send the form directly to your power retailer once you’ve finished filling out the application.

Medical Cooling Concession

Certain medical conditions, such as Multiple Sclerosis and Lymphoedema, inhibit people from self-regulating body temperature. The Victorian government provides concession card holders with a condition like this with a concession on their power bills.

  • Concession amount: 17.5% of electricity usage and service costs between November 1 and April 30.
  • Eligibility: Concession card, Health Care Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card holders that have a medical condition that affects their, or someone in their household’s, ability to self-regulate their body temperature should apply for this concession.
  • Applied to: Electricity bills only.
  • How to apply: Either your power company or the Concessions Information Line can send you a form to apply for this concession. It needs to be filled out by you and signed by a health professional confirming your condition. Send the form directly to your electricity retailer when you’re done filling it out.

LPg blue tank

Non-mains Energy Concession

Concession card holders could be eligible for a concession on non-mains energy supply for heating, cooking or hot water.

  • Concession amount: Varies according to your spending, between $55 and $619.
  • Eligibility: Applicants must hold a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card.
  • Applied to: LPG bills, embedded network electricity, or heating costs through firewood, heating oil or generator fuel.
  • How to apply: Call the Victorian Concessions Information Line and ask for an application form to be sent to your address. Applications close on December 31 for the following year’s bills.

Service to Property Charge Concession

On the off chance your electricity usage bill is lower than the service amount, the Victorian government is offering a concession on the supply charge. Please note, this concession will no longer be available to customers as of December 1, 2023.

  • Concession amount: The service charge is reduced on your electricity bill.
  • Eligibility: In order to be eligible for this concession, applicants must hold either a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card.
  • Applied to: Electricity bills only.
  • How to apply: You don’t need to do anything, in these situations your retailer should automatically apply the concession to your bill. To check if you should be receiving this concession however, it’s best to contact your power provider directly.

$250 Power Saving Bonus

The Victorian government has a website with the aim of helping locals compare their electricity and gas bills with others available. Eligible customers can receive a credit on bills worth $250 known as the Power Saving Bonus.

  • Concession amount: $250.
  • Eligibility: The applicant must be a Victorian residential energy customer. Applicants will also need to compare plans through the Victorian Energy Compare website, however, they are not required to switch plans if they do not wish to.
  • Applied to: Electricity bills.
  • How to apply: Once you’ve landed on the results page on the Victorian Energy Compare website, you should see a button advertising a $250 Power Saving Bonus. You’ll need to upload a PDF of your power bill and other details to receive the discount.

VIC 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 referral partners†. These costs are based on the Citipower network in Melbourne but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4000kWh/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.

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†. Costs are based on the Citipower network in Melbourne but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4000kWh/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: Ruby Balasko/shutterstock.com, Nicholas Taffs/shutterstock.com, Halfpoint/shutterstock.com, Nor Gal/shutterstock.com
Original Author: Jared Mullane

Tara Donnelly
Utilities Editor
Tara Donnelly is an internet and mobile expert - sectors she’s spent a decade covering - and also oversees energy and consumer technology content. She holds a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canberra and has shared her expertise on national media including 9 News, 7 News, Sunrise and the ABC.

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