Western Australia Rebates | Full List of WA Energy Rebates
Western Australia residents experiencing financial difficulties have access to a number of government energy rebates and assistance programs to help with electricity and gas bills. If you’re in need of a little help or want to find out if you qualify for an energy rebate or concession in Western Australia, you can find more information by reading below.
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WA Government Rebate |
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*Rebate amount depends on your specific conditions and eligibility criteria. You could receive more depending on your eligibility for other combinable rebates. You could receive less depending on your specific eligibility criteria.
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Below we cover these energy rebates in more detail.
Energy Assistance Payment (EAP)
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.
The Energy Assistance Payment (EAP) is a $300 payment offered by the government of Western Australia to assist homeowners with financial hardship to pay their energy bills.
The EAP is only available to Synergy & Horizon Power customers who have a Centrelink Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession card, Department of Veterans' Affairs Gold or Pensioner card.
To apply for the EAP, simply call your energy provider directly and request more information about the energy assistance payment. If your application is approved, the EAP will be credited directly toward you energy bill.
If you aren't a customer of Synergy or Horizon Power, you could still be entitled to an energy assistance payment through the Energy Concession Extension Scheme. Visit the government's Grants & Subsidies page for a full list of other hidden Centrelink payments available.
Energy Concession Extension Scheme
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)
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.
The Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS) grant in Western Australia is another energy assistance payment to help utility customers who are unable to pay their bills due to financial hardship.
An important distinction about the HUGS grant, as it's affectionately called, is that it's not only a water or energy assistance payment.
The main principle of HUGS is to connect utility providers with customers in order to share responsibility for managing financial difficulty and payment issues by working together to create a manageable payment arrangement in order to avoid disconnection and debt escalation.
However, an energy assistance payment through HUGS will only be available once other strategies have been exhausted, such as previous debt arrangements. See the drop-down menu below for answers to frequently asked questions about the HUGS grant.
More about the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS)
How much can I get with the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme?
The energy assistance payment amount you receive through the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme depends on several factors, but it must not exceed 85% of the amount you have outstanding on your water, gas, or electricity bill.
- If you live south of the 26th parallel (south of Denham), you are eligible for up to $580 per financial year.
- If you live north of the 26th parallel (north of and including Denham), you are eligible for up to $960 per financial year.
If you and your energy provider have arranged a 180-day debt payment plan, which you have complied with, your provider can recommend an additional $50 if the equivalent amount is waived from your outstanding debt.
Am I eligible for the Energy Assistance Payment in Western Australia?
Your eligibility for the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme depends on if your utility provider assesses you as being in of the following situation:
- You contact your utility provider to discuss your outstanding debt and you are assessed by your utility provider as being in financial hardship and not in payment difficulty, and
- You have exhausted all your options with the utility provider and entered into a payment arrangement for at least 180 days to address the outstanding debt, and
- After completion of the payment arrangement, if your outstanding bill is still more than $300
Who is not eligible for a Hardship Utility Grant?
You are not eligible for an energy assistance payment through HUGS if:
- You do not reside at the supply address
- You’ve already used your grant limit for the financial year
- You’ve been assessed as not being in financial hardship
- You have bottled gas
- For Water Corporation, Busselton Water, Aquest and Lancelin South Water customers, HUGS is only available for the owner-occupiers of residential properties
- You live in an Aboriginal community and have your water managed by the Water Corporation
- Your debt transfer is older than 12 months, such as debt transferred when moving house
How can I apply for the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme?
There are three steps when it comes to applying for the Hardship Utility Grant Scheme.
Utility Provider Assessment: All HUGS grant applications are made through your utility provider, so the first step to beginning the process is to contact your energy or water provider as soon as you are experiencing financial difficulties. Once you have started the application, your utility provider will work with you in order to assess whether you are eligible for the energy assistance payment through HUGS.
They will:
- Assess whether you are experiencing payment difficulties or in a state of financial hardship
- Sign you up for the Utility hardship program if applicable
- Set up a 180-day payment plan arrangement
Following the 180-day payment plan, and having avoided a disconnection or restriction notice, you can then request your energy assistance payment plan through your energy provider who will then begin the HUGS grant application on your behalf.
HUGS Service Centre Assessment: After your utility provider assesses your circumstances and you’ve met all the compliance and eligibility requirements, your application will be sent to the HUGS Service Centre. The Service Centre will comprehensively assess your situation and provide additional support and advice as to whether you will be recommended for a HUGS energy assistance payment.
Final HUGS Approval: The HUGS Service Centre will submit a recommendation on your HUGS application to the Department of Communities which will do a final assessment and review of the application and either approve or reject your energy assistance payment. If your application is approved it will be sent directly to your provider.
Can I apply for HUGS if my energy is disconnected?
Under certain circumstances, you might still be eligible for the HUGS grant so contact your utility provider to discuss your options and eligibility. If you are eligible, you will also need to be sure you pay the minimum amount required to reconnect your property (usually 50% of the outstanding debt) and enter into a future payment arrangement of at least 180 days.
What if my HUGS application is denied?
If your HUGS application is denied, you will be notified directly. You can request a review of the decision within four weeks of the date of the notification it was denied. Requests to review must be made in writing and either sent by post to:
Manager Concessions
Department of Communities
Locked Bag 3
Perth BC 6849
Or by email to: [email protected]
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
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
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 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
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.
There are two types of emergency assistance payment programs available in Western Australia depending on your circumstances and the help you need.
- Energy Assistance Payment (EAP)
- Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS)
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