Energy Centrelink Payments: Full List of Energy Rebates 2024

New South Wales offers many electricity rebates for eligible customers needing help with their gas and electricity bills, including rebates for families and pensioners.

Here, we outline all of the energy rebates available in NSW as well as eligibility requirements and how to apply for them:

• NSW Family Energy Rebate
• NSW gas rebate
• Low Income Household Rebate NSW
• Seniors Energy Rebate NSW
• Energy Accounts Payment Assistance Scheme (EAPA) NSW
• Life Support Rebate NSW
• Medical Energy Rebate
• Solar Rebate NSW

See our guide to energy rebates in NSW for more information or read on below.

NSW Family Energy Rebate

The NSW Family Energy Rebate is a Centrelink payment for families with dependent children.

This hidden Centrelink payment gives eligible households in New South Wales up to $180 per year for assistance in paying their energy bills.

To be eligible for the NSW Family Energy Rebate, families must:

• Be residents of New South Wales
• Be the account holder of an energy retailer (for retail customers) or be an on-supplied customer named on an energy retailer bill (for on-supply customers).
• Have received the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) the previous year and have your entitlement to the payments finalized by Centrelink
• Have the recipient of the FTB be the one to apply for the Family Energy Rebate

Before you apply for the Family Energy Rebate you need to make sure you’ve lodged your tax return with the Australian Taxation Office for the last financial year or notified DHS if you didn’t need to lodge your return and then wait for the confirmation letter stating your FTB has been finalised for the previous year.

After this, you will need your DHS or Services Australia Customer Reference Number, a DVA if applicable, your personal details, and a copy of your most recent energy bill in order to start your application.

NSW Gas Rebate

The NSW Gas Rebate is available to customers who have natural gas in their houses and need help covering the cost.

The NSW Gas Rebate gives recipients up to $110 per year to put toward their gas bills.

To be eligible for the Gas Rebate NSW, you must be a resident of New South Wales, an account holder of a gas retailer and have one of the following:

• Pensioner Concession Card from either the DVA or Services Australia
• A Services Australia Health Care Card
• A DVA Gold Card marked with “War Widow”, “War Widower Pension”, Totally and Permanently Incapacitated”, or “Disability Pension”

To apply you’ll need to get in contact with your gas account provider, ask for the NSW Gas Rebate, and give them your concession or Health Care Card details.

Once that is completed, request confirmation that the rebate is applied to your account. Your rebate amount is calculated daily starting from the day you apply with your retailer.

Electricity Rebate NSWAt present, there is no specific NSW Energy Rebate for residents to apply for. Residents with families can apply for the NSW Family Energy Rebate to assist with electricity bills, and seniors and pensioners can apply for the NSW Seniors Energy Rebate and NSW Pension Supplement for electricity bill support.

Low Income Household Rebate NSW

The NSW Low Income Housing Rebate is a quarterly Centrelink crisis payment applied to each energy bill, up to $285/year.

To qualify for the energy rebate, you must be a resident of NSW, the holder of an account with an energy retailer, and have one of the following:

• A Pensioner Concession Card from either the DVA or Services Australia
• A Services Australia Health Care Card
• A DVA Gold Card marked with “War Widow”, “War Widower Pension”, Totally and Permanently Incapacitated”, or “Disability Pension”

To apply for the Low Income Household Rebate, contact your energy provider and ask for the rebate to be applied to your account.

Once you have provided your concession card or Health Card details, you should request confirmation that the energy rebate has been applied. The rebate is calculated daily from the day you request the energy rebate from your provider.

Seniors Energy Rebate NSW

The Senior Energy Rebate is a Centrelink payment available to independent retirees in NSW who hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC), issued by Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

If you are eligible for the Seniors Energy Rebate, you'll receive up to $200/year for your household electricity bills.

To apply for the NSW Seniors Energy Rebate you must supply the following:

• Your valid CSHC
• Your most recent electricity bill
• Your contact and bank details

Eligible retirees can apply online or by calling: 13 77 88.

Once your application is successful you’ll receive your payment within five working days into your chosen bank or credit union account.

See All Senior Energy Rebates:For a full list of senior rebates visit our guide to energy rebates for seniors in Australia.

NSW Energy Rebate for Pensioners

The Pension Supplement is for pensioners receiving Centrelink support and helps with a combined payment of Pharmaceutical Allowance, Utilities Allowance, GST Supplement and Telephone Allowance.

Eligible Centrelink recipients do not need to apply. Services Australia will automatically send the supplement every two weeks.

If you are not eligible for the total Pension Supplement, you might be eligible for the Utilities Allowance to help cover the cost of your utility bills.

This is also offered through Services Australia, and if you are eligible for the Utilities Allowance it will automatically be added to your payments.

Energy Accounts Payment Assistance Scheme (EAPA) NSW

The EAPA Vouchers Scheme is available to households in NSW that are having difficulty paying their energy bills and acts as a Centrelink crisis payment.

If you think you may qualify for the EAPA voucher, you are required to exhaust all other financial assistance options available to you through your energy supplier.

Therefore you should contact your energy retailer to see if a payment plan or other assistance is available to you. If you and your energy provider can’t arrange a payment plan then you can contact an EAPA provider for assistance.

Visit our guide to other hidden Centrelink payments for more information about the EAPA voucher scheme.

Life Support Energy Rebate NSW

The NSW Life Support Energy Rebate is a Centrelink payment that is offered for people using approved, energy-intensive life support equipment or living with someone using such medical equipment.

You can apply for the Life support energy rebate if:

• You are a New South Wales resident
• You are the account holder for your home's energy account
• You have been seen by a registered medical practitioner who assesses and verifies the use of life support equipment

To apply for the NSW Life Support Rebate, download the Life Support Rebate form, complete the necessary information and ask your medical practitioner to do the same. Once this is finished, you should send the application directly to your energy provider.

It’s important to note that you can receive more than one rebate if you use more than one type of medical equipment or if more than one person in the house uses an approved machine. If multiple people in the house need life support equipment, multiple applications must be sent for each person.

NSW Medical Energy Rebate

The Medical Energy Rebate in New South Wales is a Centrelink payment available to eligible concession cardholders to assist with body-temperature regulation when exposed to extreme heat or cold.

If you are eligible you will receive $71 per quarter or up to $285 annually off your energy bill.

To apply for the Medical Energy Rebate you must:

• Be a NSW resident
• Be the account holder on the energy bill
• Be unable to self-regulate body temperature and have been assessed by a registered medical practitioner who has been treating the recipient for at least three months
• Meet at least one primary and one secondary qualifying condition
• Hold either: A Pensioner Concession Card issued by the DVA or Services Australia, or a Health Care Card issued by Services Australia, or a DVA Gold Card

Before you apply, your medical practitioner and you will need to fill out the relevant sections on the application form and send it directly to your energy retailer.

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Residents in the ACT have three energy concessions available for them.

Energy Rebates in the ACT include:

• Utilities Concession
• Life Support Rebate
• Medical Heating & Cooling Rebate

Continue reading for detailed information regarding these rebates and concessions available in the ACT below.

The Utilities Concession ACT

The Utilities Concession is an energy rebate that covers electricity, natural gas, and sewage, bills for up to $700 annually.

ACT residents who live in caravan parks and retirement villages with embedded electricity networks are eligible for the Utilities Concession if they have one of the following:

• Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
• Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card
• Veteran’s Affairs Pensioner Concession Card or Gold Card (Prisoner of War, War Widow, or Totally Permanently Incapacitated)
• ActewAGL Retail, Origin, or EnergyAustralia are all registered providers under the Utilities Concession scheme. If you wish to apply for the concession, contact one of these providers directly.

To apply for the ACT Utilities Concession, you should contact your energy provider directly.

Life Support Energy Rebate ACT

The ACT Life Support Rebate is a Centrelink payment that offers people with electronic life support equipment up to $128 annually for help with their energy bills.

Your life support equipment must be necessary for the treatment of a life-threatening condition and prescribed by an ACT medical practitioner.

A list of approved medical devices for the Life Support Rebate includes:

• Dialysis machine
• Oxygen concentrator
• Respirator
• CPAP regulator
• Longstay life support
• Nebuliser
• LS reference
• TPN device
• Other devices (subject to approval)

ActewAGL Retail, Origin, and EnergyAustralia are all registered providers under the Life Support Rebate.

If you wish to apply for the Life Support Rebate, contact your energy provider.

This energy rebate is also available to those living in caravan parks and retirement communities with embedded electricity networks. If you live somewhere with an embedded network, contact the ACT Revenue Office directly by calling (02) 6207 0028.

Medical Heating and Cooling Rebate ACT

Residents of the ACT can apply for the Medical Heating and Cooling Rebate if they or someone living in their household, is unable to regulate their body temperature without outside assistance.

ACT residents are eligible if they hold a Concession, Low Income Health Care, or DVA Pensioner or Gold Card, and meet the following requirements:

• The resident has a medically-diagnosed inability to self-regulate body temperature
• They have at least one qualifying medical condition such as Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, or Lymphoedema
• They have at least one secondary medical condition such as severe immobility resulting in problems with the self-regulation of body temperature due to a loss of sympathetic nervous system control
• Residents who qualify can print and fill out the application form with their medical practitioner.

To Apply, you must send a completed application form signed by your medical practitioner to:

ActewAGL Retail Life Support
GPO Box 366
Canberra ACT 2601

Or via email to [email protected]

Queensland energy customers have a number of energy rebates, Centrelink crisis payments and concessions available to them, for both long-term rebates and sudden financial difficulty.

Energy rebates in Queensland include:

• Life Support Rebate QLD
• Electricity and Gas Rebate QLD
• Medical Heating and Cooling QLD
• Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme QLD

Below we cover these rebates and concessions in Queensland in greater detail.

Life Support Energy Rebate QLD

Life support rebates are available to eligible Queensland residents using medically necessary oxygen concentrators or kidney dialysis machines provided by MASS or Queensland Health.

Life Support Rebates offer up to $694.18 per year for each oxygen concentrator or $464.88 per year for each kidney dialysis machine.

To be considered eligible for the kidney dialysis machine life support rebate, you must receive your kidney dialysis machine through a Queensland Health hospital free of charge.

To receive the life support rebate for oxygen concentrators, you must:

• Have your condition assessed by MASS and received an oxygen concentrator from MASS free of charge
• Hold one of the following concession cards: Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Health Care Interim Voucher, Child Disability Allowance, or Queensland Seniors Card.

Important to noteCustomers’ whose oxygen concentrators or kidney dialysis machines are not provided by MASS or Queensland Health (including private or home care package supplied life support equipment) are not eligible for the Life Support Rebate.

Eligible customers who wish to apply for the life support rebate can fill out the Electricity Life Support Concession application form, which should be sent to your residence within 14 days after receiving your life support equipment.

If you have not received an application form, contact MASS to receive a new one by calling: 1300 443 570

Electricity & Gas Rebate QLD

Queensland Electricity and Gas rebates are Centrelink payments that function as a seniors energy rebate and are available to Pensioners and seniors living in Queensland. This seniors energy rebate will pay up to $340.85 per year for electricity and $73.60 per year for gas.

To be eligible you must hold one of the following:

• Pensioner Concession Card
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card (and receive the War Widow/er Pension or special rate TPI Pension)
• Queensland Seniors Card
• Commonwealth Health Care Card (Electricity Rebate only)
• Asylum seeker status—residents will need to provide their ImmiCard details (Electricity Rebate only)

You must also fulfil one of the following living requirements:

• Live with their spouse
• Live with other people who hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Queensland Seniors Card
• Live with other people wholly dependent on them
• Live with other people who receive an income support payment and who do not pay rent
• Live with other people who live with the cardholder to provide care and assistance, and who do not pay rent.

To apply for the electricity or gas rebates, you’ll need to contact your energy provider to get the application started.

If you live in a community where your energy is provided to you through a third party (such as an apartment complex or retirement community), contact the person or organization sending you the energy bill.

Medical Heating & Cooling Rebate QLD

The QLD Medical Heating and Cooling Concession of up to $340.85 per year is available to people with multiple sclerosis or another condition where heating or cooling is a medical necessity to stop symptoms from worsening.

To be eligible, Queensland residents must:

• Have a qualifying medical condition where heating or cooling is a necessity (including multiple sclerosis, severe compromise of functioning such as mobility at extremes of environmental temperature, or autonomic system dysfunction)
• Live at their principal place of residence which has air conditioning or a heating unit
• Hold a current Pensioner Concession Card or a current Health Care Card
• Be financially responsible for paying the electricity bill

Multiple people living in the same group home can all apply for the Medical Heating and Cooling Concession, but each must submit a separate application. If you’re already receiving an electricity rebate you can still apply for the Medical Heating and Cooling Concession. To apply, download the Heating and Cooling Rebate application form and send it in to the address listed. Applications will need to be renewed every two years.

Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme QLD

The Home Energy Assistance Scheme is a Centrelink crisis payment available to Queensland residents who are experiencing a sudden financial hardship and are having trouble paying their electricity bills.

This one-off assistance pays up to $720 once every 2 years, and you can also only apply for the Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme once every two years.

Queensland residents experiencing financial hardship can apply for the Emergency Assistance Scheme if they meet one of the requirements:

• Hold a current concession card
• Have an income equal to or less than the Australian Government’s maximum income rate for part-age pensioners. Contact Centrelink for details of the maximum income rate.
• Be part of your energy retailer’s hardship program or payment plan

In order to apply, contact your energy retailer and they will start the application process. Full eligibility requirements are available through your energy retailer or financial counsellor.

The South Australian government offers multiple concessions and rebates for SA residents who need help with their energy bills.

These are some of the SA government rebates in 2022:

• Solar Home Battery Assistance
• Energy Bill Concessions
• Medical Heating and Cooling Concession
• Home and Business Energy Incentives
• Cost of Living Concession
• Energy Concession Discount Offer through Origin

Read below for more information on these electricity and gas schemes.

Solar Home Battery Assistance

If you have a household in South Australia, the South Australian Home Battery Scheme helps you access government energy rebates, subsidies & loans of up to $3000 to pay for the installation of home battery systems.

The subsidy is only for the battery, but you can also apply for finance through the Australian Government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation to purchase new or additional solar panels or the battery system.

These are the benefits you can expect from this energy rebate:

• Lower energy prices
• More grid stability
• Coverage during a grid outage
• Reduced greenhouse emissions

Energy Bill Concessions SA

Energy Bill Concessions are a type of one-off emergency payment available in South Australia for residents on low or fixed incomes and pay up to $226.67 per year to help you with your gas or electricity bills.

To qualify, South Australian energy customers must:

• Live at the property
• Be listed as an account holder on your energy bill
• Hold an eligible concession card or,
• Receive an eligible Centrelink payment
• Not be living with anyone who has an income of more than $3,000 per year, unless they either: get an allowance from Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) or are your spouse, domestic partner or dependent

Asylum seekers are eligible for an energy concession if they meet certain requirements: Contact your SRSS provider to begin the application process.

Applications can be submitted online, or by filling out the applicant form and sending it in to ConcessionsSA.

Home and Business Energy Incentives

This is an energy rebate from the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) program. They focus on low-income households and give them incentives to save energy.

The REPS sets energy productivity targets that electricity and gas retailers need to meet, and the electricity and gas retailers offer energy productivity activities to households and businesses.

These activities are determined by the Miniser and include the installation of:

• Efficient lighting products
• Low-flow showerheads
• Standby power controllers
• Ceiling Insulation
• High efficiency appliances
• Efficient water heaters

You can access these activities by contacting the obliged energy retailers or call 1800 633 592 for more infomration on these energy rebates.

Medical Heating and Cooling Concession SA

South Australian Medical Heating and Cooling Concession is a Centrelink payment available to South Australian residents with a clinically verified medical condition requiring the use of heating and cooling to manage symptoms or prevent the severe worsening.

Eligible recipients can receive up to $226.67 per year.

To be eligible, you must:

• Live at the address on the application form
• Have, or be the parent or legal guardian of, a child who has a qualifying medical condition requiring cooling or heating to prevent severe worsening of their condition
• Provide certification from their medical specialist or general practitioner that the medical condition is severely worsened by hot or cold weather
• Use an air conditioning unit at that address to meet their medical heating and cooling requirements
• Be financially responsible for the full or part payment of the energy bill
• Hold an eligible concession card or receive an eligible Centrelink payment

To apply for the South Australian Medical Heating and Cooling Concession, download and complete the Medical Heating and Cooling Concession application form and have a certified medical practitioner sign off on it.

Cost of Living Concession SA

The Cost of Living Concession for customers in South Australia is a Centrelink payment to assist low or fixed income earners with bills associated with the cost of living.

Eligible energy customers can receive between $105.40 and $210.70 depending on their living situation.

To be eligible for the cost of living concession you must live on the property and either hold an eligible card or receive an eligible Centrelink payment or meet low-income provisions

To apply for the Cost of Living Concession you can submit an application online, or download the Cost of Living concession application form and send it in by email.

Energy Concession Discount Offer through Origin (South Australia)

Energy Concession recipients are also eligible for the SA Concession Energy Discount Offer (SACEDO) with Origin Energy for gas and electricity.

In addition to a guaranteed discount for gas and electricity, customers also get flexible payment options and zero late payment, processing, credit card, or exit fees.

• Electricity recipients can get an ongoing discount rate of 20% off their electricity bill
• Gas customers can get an ongoing discount rate of 11% off their gas bill

To apply, contact Origin Energy.

Current Origin Energy customers will begin receiving the discount as soon as Origin agrees to the plan. New customers switching to Origin Energy will need to wait for Origin to send out someone for a special meter reading and transfer the account from your current provider. Origin, however, cannot transfer your concession.

To transfer your concession, contact ConcessionSA once you receive your first electricity bill.

Victorian residents have a number of energy rebates and concessions available to them for both gas and electricity. Here we outline what energy rebates residents can apply for, as well as eligibility requirements and how to apply.

The following energy rebates are available in Victoria:

• Power Saving Bonus
• Annual Electricity Concession
• Life Support Rebate
• Medical Cooling Concession
• Winter Gas Concession

Below we review these in greater detail.

2021-2022 Power Saving Bonus in Victoria

The Victorian Power Saving Bonus is a one-off energy assistance payment of $250 available to eligible households between February 2021 to 31 January 2022.

This is a direct energy assistance payment, either transferred to the recipient's bank account or sent by cheque if requested and can take three weeks to process.

If you hold one of the following concessions, you're eligible for the 2021-2022 Power Saving Bonus:

• Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
• JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Austudy or Abstudy
• Department of Veterans Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
• Department of Veterans Affairs Gold Card

To apply you must visit compare.energy.vic.gov.au before 31 January 2022 and apply online. Your application should be processed in 2-3 weeks.

Only one Power Saving Bonus is available per household.

Before applying make sure you have an original PDF or hard copy of your household electricity bill from your energy provider, and your concession card number.

Annual Electricity Concession Victoria

The Annual Energy Concession for residents of Victoria is a year-round concession available to eligible electricity account holders, who have one of the following cards:

• Pensioner Concession Card
• Health Care Card
• Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card

The concession available to residents is 17.5% off of your energy providers annual electricity bill after the first $171.60, after retailer discounts and solar credits have been discounted.

To apply contact your energy provider and give them your concession card details.

Excess Electricity ConcessionEligible concession cardholders, with annual bills above $2,890.45 should apply for the excess electricity concession instead of the annual electricity concession. While still 17.5% off a household’s annual electricity bill, applicants will need to submit a declaration that their energy usage is residential only and has no commercial purposes. Contact your energy retailer to apply.

Life Support Energy Rebate Victoria

The Victorian Life Support Rebate is available to Victorian residents who use an eligible life support machine or who live with someone using an eligible life support machine and holds a qualifying concession card.

Eligible life support machines are those that use at least 1,880kWh per year of electricity or 168 kilolitres of water.

The rebate is calculated using the cost of 1,889kWh or 168 kilolitres of water, using the general domestic tariff of your retailer. You can get an application for the Life Support Rebate by contacting your electricity retailer or water corporation, through the hospital providing your life support machine, or by calling 1800 658 521.

Applications must be signed by your doctor, nurse or hospital social worker and sent to your energy retailer or water corporation.

Medical Cooling Concession

The Medical Cooling Concession is a Centrelink payment available to residents of Victoria with a medical condition affecting their body’s ability to self-regulate temperature and hold a qualifying concession card.

Eligible applicants will receive a rebate of 17.5% of their electricity usage between the months of 1 November and 30 April. You can find applications by contacting your energy provider or calling 1800 658 521 and having their doctor, nurse, or hospital social working certify your medical condition.

Pre-approved medical conditions include:

• Multiple Sclerosis
• Lymphoedema
• Parkinson’s disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Post-polio Syndrome/Poliomyelitis
• Motor Neurone Disease

If your condition is re-approved, simply send the completed application to your energy retailer. If your condition is not one of those listed, it must first be approved by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Winter Gas Concession Victoria

The Winter Gas Concession is available to eligible concession cardholders who use gas heating during the winter.

The Winter Gas Concession offers 17.5% off of your gas usage and service bill after the first $62.50 of the six-month winter period (1 May to 31 October each year) once all retailer discounts are applied.

To be eligible you must hold:

• Pensioner Concession Card
• Health Care Card
• Veterans' Affairs Gold Card

You can apply for the Winter Gas Concession over the phone by calling your gas retailer and providing your concession card information directly to them.

Excess Gas ConcessionEligible concession cardholders, with gas bills over $1,587.82 in the period from 1 May to 31 October should apply for the Excess gas concession instead of the winter gas concession. While still 17.5% off a household’s winter gas bill, applicants will need to submit a declaration that their energy usage is residential only and has no commercial purposes. Contact your energy retailer to apply.

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Energy customers in Tasmania have four concessions and rebates available to them:

• Annual Electricity Concession Tasmania
• Heating Allowance Tasmania
• Life Support Concession Tasmania
• Medical Heating or Cooling Concession Tasmania

For more information about these concessions and energy rebates available, continue reading below.

Annual Electricity Concession Tasmania

The Annual Electricity Concession is a Centrelink payment available to Tasmania residents holding an eligible concessions card.

With the Annual Electricity Concession, customers of any of Tasmania’s electricity providers will receive a daily discount of 140.740c/day off their electricity bill.

To apply for the Annual Electricity Concession, you must contact your energy provider:

• 1st Energy
• Aurora Energy
• Momentum Energy (King and Flinders Island residents)

Heating Allowance Tasmania

The Heating Allowance is a hidden Centrelink payment available to Pensioners with an eligible DHS or DVA Pensioner Concession Card living in Tasmania.

The Heating Allowance is given in two payments of $28 in May in September for a total of $56 annually.

To be eligible, single pensioners cannot have more than $1750 in cash assets, while married or de-facto couples cannot have more than $2,750 in cash assets. For more information visit the Tasmania DHS website.

Life Support Concession Tasmania

The Tasmania Life Support Concession is available to people with medically necessary life support equipment, or who live with someone using life support equipment in Tasmania.

The exact concession amount available depends on the life support equipment in use. However, Life Support Concessions payments can range from 37.015c/day up to 196.577c/day.

To apply, fill out a Life Support Concession application and have it signed by your medical practitioner before submitting it to your electricity retailer.

Medical Heating or Cooling Concession Tasmania

The Medical Heating or Cooling Concession is a hidden Centrelink payment available to people who have a medical condition or live with someone who has a medical condition requiring heating or cooling in Tasmania.

Currently, the Medical Heating or Cooling Concession is set at 42.155c/day.

To apply for the Medical Heating and Cooling Concession, you must fill out the Medical Heating and Cooling application found online and have it certified by a medical practitioner before submitting it to their energy retailer.

Western Australia offers a number of energy concessions, rebates, and schemes for its concession, pension, or health cardholders.

Western Australia has the following energy rebates:

• Energy Assistance Payment (EAP) Western Australia
• Energy Concession Extension Scheme Western Australia
• Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS grant) Western Australia
• Dependent Child Rebate (Electricity) Western Australia
• Cost of Living Rebate Western Australia
• Thermoregulatory Dysfunction Energy Subsidy Scheme Western Australia
• Life Support Equipment Electricity Subsidy Scheme Western Australia

Below we cover these energy rebates in more detail.

Energy Assistance Payment (EAP) Western Australia

Customers who have means‑tested Commonwealth concession cards might be eligible for the Energy Assistance Payment of $300 annually through Synergy or Horizon Power.

Eligible cards include:

• Centrelink Health Care card
• Pensioner Concession card
• Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold
• Pensioner cards.

To apply for the Energy Assistance Payment, contact Synergy or Horizon Power directly, or visit their websites.

Energy Concession Extension Scheme Western Australia

Customers who do not have their energy provided to them through Synergy or Horizon Power, and are concession card holders, might be eligible for the Energy Concession Extension Scheme in Western Australia.

This scheme not only covers the Energy Assistance Payment but could also include the dependent child rebate and air conditioning rebate for qualifying Western Australia residents.

Eligible cards include:

• Pensioner Concession Card
• Health Care Card
• Veterans’ Affairs Gold card (TPI, War Widow and Dependent Child)
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

You can apply for the scheme online. Payments for the Energy Concession Extension Scheme include:

• $305 annually for the Energy Assistance Payment
• $320 for the Dependent Child Rebate + $84 annually for each additional child
• $59.75 per month for the Air Conditioning Rebate

Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS grant) Western Australia

The Hardship Utilities Grant Scheme is there for Western Australians who are unable to pay their utility bills due to financial hardship in order to ensure they remain connected to essential services. In order to apply, you must start with contacting your energy provider to assess financial hardship and begin a payment plan for 180 days.

Contact your energy provider as soon as you begin experiencing financial hardship to assess the situation and begin a payment plan. After 180 days, if you have avoided disconnection or a notice of disconnection, you can request that your energy provider begins a HUGS application on your behalf

Once your energy provider sends in your HUGS application, you will be referred to a HUGS Service Center to begin an assessment of needs and offer support, and recommend if you are eligible for a HUGS grant

Once the HUGS assessment is complete, your approved application will be sent to your energy provider. If your application is denied, you will be contacted directly

Depending on where you live, your payments could be up to $580 annually or up to $960 annually, but the total HUGS grant amount cannot exceed more than 85% of the total debt owed.

Already disconnected?If your utilities are already disconnected, you may still be eligible for the HUGS grant. In order to become eligible, you will need to pay the minimum amount for reconnection to your property (usually 50% of the debt owed) and enter into a payment plan for the remaining debt

Dependent Child Electricity Rebate Western Australia

Synergy or Horizon Power cardholders with dependent children can apply for the Dependent Child electricity rebate.

Eligible cards include:

• Holders of a Pensioner Concession Card
• Health Care Card
• Veterans' Affairs Gold Card.

Permanent residents of caravan parks holding an appropriate concession card can also apply for this rebate, which is then provided as an electronic funds transfer. The rebate amount depends on the total number of dependent children and is calculated daily. In order to apply, contact Synergy or Horizon Energy directly.

Cost of Living Rebate Western Australia

The Cost of Living Rebate in Western Australia was put in place to help WA Senior Cardholders with the cost of living, including energy bills.

To be eligible, residents holding WA Senior Cards must apply before 31 May of the year, but once an application is accepted you do not need to reapply.

To get an application, contact the WA Seniors Card Centre by dialling 6551 8800 or 1800 6713 233 (country free call).

Thermoregulatory Dysfunction Energy Subsidy Scheme Western Australia

Western Australian residents who require heating or cooling equipment to manage their body temperature, due to a certified medical condition, might be eligible for the Thermoregulatory Dysfunction Energy Subsidy Scheme.

To be eligible, applicants must have a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card and have their condition certified by a treating doctor who has been caring for the patient for at least three months. Applications can be found online and must be filled out by the applicant and authorised by their physician.

Life Support Equipment Electricity Subsidy Scheme Western Australia

Western Australia residents who require medically necessary life support equipment, as prescribed by a medical practitioner, might be eligible for the Life Support Equipment Subsidy Scheme (LSESS).

To be eligible, you must hold one of the following:

• Pensioner Concession Card
• Health Care Card or
• Health Care Interim Voucher

In addition, both the following requirements must be met:

• The life support equipment must be prescribed by an appropriate specialist medical practitioner or a medical practitioner working in a specialist department of a hospital
• The life support equipment operates at the applicant's address

Applications can be found online and must be completed in full, including authorization from your doctor or medical practitioner.

Annual subsidies for life support equipment depend on the type of equipment necessary but can be anywhere from $51 per year for a medically necessary nebuliser, up to $1,315 per year for a child’s oxygen concentrator. A full list of approved medically necessary life support equipment can be found on the WA Department of Financial Services grants and subsidies webpage.

Electricity Rebate for Air Conditioning - Western Australia

Concession card-holding residents of Western Australia, who live in areas north of the 26th Parallel and/or north of the 50 Day Relative Strain Index line can be eligible for the Air Conditioning electricity rebate through Synergy or Horizon Power. In order to qualify, customers must hold either:

Both a WA Seniors Card and either a Pensioner Concession Card or a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, or

Have dependent children and a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold card.

Eligible customers can apply by directly contacting either Synergy or Horizon Power, depending on who their provider is.

The Northern Territory offers two schemes for its residents, both of which include energy concessions.

These two schemes are:

• the NT Concession Scheme
• the NT Seniors Recognition Scheme.

Below they are covered in greater detail.

NT Concession Scheme

The NT Concession Scheme is a means-tested scheme designed to help assist with the cost of living for residents of the Northern Territory. In order to be eligible, applicants must be residents of the Northern Territory and have one of the following:

Centrelink account: Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, Parenting Payment (single), or

Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) card: Repatriation Health Card TPI/War/Widower (Gold Card), Repatriation Pharmaceuticals Benefits Card (Orange Card), Pensioner Card (Blue Card), Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

The NT Concessions Scheme helps residents pay for utilities and the cost of living which includes electricity bills. In order to be eligible for electricity rebates & concessions in the Northern Territory, you must be the primary account holder for your energy retailer.

NT Seniors Recognition Scheme

The NT Seniors Recognition Scheme is a Centrelink payment open to all Australian residents 65 years or older, who live in the Northern Territory at least 183 days out of the year.

If you qualify you can receive up to $500 per year, to assist with not only the cost of living but travel and accommodation expenses as well. While this was first issued as travel vouchers, it has now been replaced by a prepaid card that can be used for travel and airfare, accommodation, fuel distribution (service stations), and water and electricity.

If you were previously issued travel vouchers and would like to exchange them for a prepaid card, you can call 1800 777 704. However, previously issued travel vouchers are still valid and able to be used under the existing terms and conditions.

Energy Concession Northern Territory

Qualifying applicants of either the NT Concessions Scheme or the NT Seniors Recognition Scheme can be eligible for the energy concessions available. These concessions are available to all types of electricity generation, including:

• Jacana Energy and Power and Water customers
• Prepaid electricity meters
• Solar Electricity
• Caravan Park Residents
• Alternative Energy (off-grid, including diesel fuel, unleaded fuel, LP Gas, Kerosene and Deep Cycle Batteries for solar systems)

Depending on the type of electricity used, applicants could receive either a concession of $1.274 per day and $0.091 per kWh used, or up to $1,200 worth of prepaid electricity meter tokens. Customers who use off-grid electricity can receive $1.275 per day for their concession.

Government electricity rebates (and gas rebates, and utility concessions) are help given to households through the state and federal governments for paying energy bills and covering energy-related expenses.

These energy rebates and concessions vary by state and territory, but most are available to those who receive Centrelink payments, hold certain Concession Cards or Health Care Cards, or that have a Department of Veterans’ Affairs card. The amount you could receive from a gas or electricity rebate varies depending on the type of rebate, and your personal circumstances.

Eligibility for electricity rebates and gas rebates depend on the type of rebate you’re applying for, and the state you live in.

In general, you’re probably going to be eligible for at least one energy rebate or concession if you hold a Concession Card, a Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card, or a Health Care Card. For most medically necessary energy rebates (for example, if you use a dialysis machine or need medical heating and cooling), you’ll need your medical practitioner to verify your eligibility.

There are numerous energy rebates and concessions for pensioners and seniors who hold a valid Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Senior Health Card. These include the Seniors Energy Rebate and Energy Rebate for Pensioners in New South Wales, the Northern Territory Seniors Recognition Scheme, and many rebates available in most other states and territories.

EAP Centrelink payments are emergency one-off energy payments available through your state’s government. Most states have their own version of this, to help households experiencing sudden financial hardship (due to job loss, medical emergency, or other sudden difficulty). In 2019, the federal government closed its EAP program and is no longer taking applicants. However, there are one-off emergency payment programs known as "EAP" in NSW and WA as well as several other Centrelink emergency payments available through other state programs.

There are many solar panel and solar battery rebates available to Australians interested in investing in solar power. At a federal level, small-scale technology certificates through the Renewable Energy Target are available to all Australians which can reduce the cost of solar panels. In addition, individual states also offer solar rebates to residents. These include:

• Solar rebates in NSW
• The Victoria solar homes program
• Government solar rebates in Queensland
• South Australia Home Battery Scheme