ENERGY CONCESSIONS & REBATES

There are various state government concessions and rebates available to help low income earners pay their energy bills. Eligibility and application for these rebates, varies between states, please choose the state that is relevant to you.

NSW CONCESSION

NSW Government's Social Program for Energy - Concessions and Rebates

For a comprehensive overview of all rebates offered by the NSW Government, please see their website here.


The Family Energy Rebate provides:

  • A credit on an energy bill of up to $180 for the eligible energy account holders.

Eligibility:

To be eligible, the applicant must be:

  • A resident of NSW; and
  • The account holder of your electricity account with an electricity retailer or an on-supplied electricity account holder; and
  • The recipient for the Family Tax Benefit (FTB) during the previous financial year. Please note: your Family Tax Benefit (FTB) must have been finalised by the Service Australian (SA) before you submit an application for the Family Energy Rebate. To check this you can contact the Service Australian (SA) on 136 150.

Application:

Family Energy Rebate Online Application

Family Energy Rebate Paper Application

Email: rebates.fer@planning.nsw.gov.au

Post: Family Energy Rebate, PO Box 435, Parramatta NSW 2124

To view details in other languages, please visit here

The Low Income Household Rebate provides::

  • $285 a year to eligible customers who hold an electricity account.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for the Low Income Household Rebate a person must be:

  • A resident of NSW; and
  • The account holder of your electricity account with an electricity retailer; and
  • A card holder of one of the following:
    • Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) or Services Australia,
    • Health Care Card issued by Services Australia, or
    • DVA Gold Card marked with either 'War Widow' or 'War Widower Pension,' or 'Totally and Permanently Incapacitated' (TPI) or 'Disability Pension' (EDA).

Application:

  • To apply, customers should contact us by calling 1300 689 866 or complete the concession application form online.

  • To view details in other languages, please visit here

The Energy Accounts Payment Assistance Scheme provides:

  • Eligible customers with a $50 voucher will be sent electronically to us and credited into your energy account.

Criteria:

  • The EAPA vouchers are for people in financial hardship due to a crisis or emergency situation. This hardship may be caused by a range or combination of factors, such as: a loss of income, a very high electricity/gas bill, an illness in the family, a family crisis, unexpected expenses or bills.
  • The community welfare organisation will make an assessment based on government issued guidelines.

Application:

Participating EAPA providers:

  • Please refer to the EAPA providers for application
  • To apply, please click here.
  • To view details in other languages, please visit here.
Life support daily rates for eligible machines
Equipment Rebate Rate (per day)
Positive Airways Pressure (PAP) Device $0.36 for less than 24 hour usage
$0.71 for 24 hour usage
Enteral feeding pump $0.44
Phototherapy equipment $3.68
Home Dialysis $1.54
Ventilators $3.68
Oxygen Concentrators $1.85 for less than 24 hour usage
$3.11 for 24 hour usage
Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) pump $0.84
External Heart Pump $0.11
Power wheelchairs for quadriplegics $0.3

If you are unsure of the medical term used for your machine, please check with your doctor or call our customer services 1300 689 866.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for the Life Support Rebate a person must:

  • Be a resident in New South Wales; and
  • Submit a valid application form as provided by the Department of Planning and Environment (the Department), which will be made available to customers on the Department's website, duly signed by a registered medical practitioner (who is not the applicant) to verify that the use of the approved life support equipment is required at his or her principal place of residence.
  • Eligibility will be reviewed every 2 years.

Application:

The Medical Energy Rebate provides:

  • The eligible electricity account holders with the rebate as approximately $71.00 credit on each quarterly energy bill, up to a total of $285.00 per year. The amount is calculated daily from the day you apply.

Eligibility:

You can apply for the Medical Energy Rebate if you or someone living at the address of the eligible customer. To be eligible a person:

  • Is a NSW resident
  • Is an account holder named on the bill of an energy retailer
  • Has an inability to self-regulate body temperature
  • Has been assessed by a registered medical practitioner (who is not the applicant) who has been treating them for at least 3 months
  • Meets at least one Primary Qualifying Condition and at least one Secondary Qualifying Condition
  • holds one of the following concession cards:
    • Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) or Services Australia
    • Health Care Card issued by Services Australia, or
    • DVA Gold Card.
  • If you're an on supply household and receive your energy bill from a strata manager or community/village operator please visit here.

Application:

The Gas Rebate provides:

  • $110 each financial year to eligible customers who hold a natural gas account with a gas retailer of their choice;

    • Note: Commonwealth Senior Heath Card holders are not eligible for this rebate.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for the NSW Gas Rebate, you need to:

  • Be a resident in New South Wales; and
  • Be the account holder of a natural gas account with a retailer; and
  • $121 each financial year to eligible customers with on-supplied LPG or natural gas and living in residential communities, retirement villages and strata schemes; and
  • A valid card holder of one of the following:
    • Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) or Services Australia
    • Health Care Card issued by Services Australia, or
    • DVA Gold Card marked with either 'War Widow' or 'War Widower Pension,' or 'Totally and Permanently Incapacitated' (TPI) or 'Disability Pension' (EDA).

Application:

  • To apply, customers can contact us by calling 1300 689 866 or complete the concession application form online.
  • To view details in other languages, please visit here.

The Seniors Energy Rebate provides:

  • $200 a year to eligible customers who hold an electricity account.

Eligibility:

  • A resident of NSW; and
  • the account holder of your electricity account for supply to your principal place of residence; and
  • hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card issued by Services Australia / Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).

Application:

  • To apply, customers should complete the application form online.
  • If you're unable to apply online, visit a service centre or call Service NSW on 13 77 88.
  • To view details in other languages, please visit here.

VIC CONCESSION

VIC CONCESSION

For a comprehensive overview of all rebates offered by the Victoria Government, please see their website here.

You may also find the brief introduction below on the Victoria concessions and rebates useful. The concessions and rebates below are eligible for the holder of one these cards.


Concession Care Type

The Annual Electricity Concession provides:

  • 17.5% of electricity usage and service costs.
  • The concession is calculated after retailer discounts and solar credits have been deducted.
  • The concession does not apply to the first $171.60 of the annual bill. This is calculated as a daily rate on each bill.
  • Households with very high electricity bills (over $3,563.00 in the year, starting 1 December 2022) need to apply for the Excess Energy Concession to continue to receive a concession on their bill.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for the Annual Electricity Concession, you need to:

  • A resident of VIC ; and
  • the account holder of your electricity account for supply to your principal place of residence; and
  • hold a Pensioner Care Card or Health Care Card issued by Services Australia / Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).

Application:

  • To apply, customers should complete the Online CovaU Concession Form.
  • For more information about the Annual Electricity Concession, Click Here.

    • The Excess Electricity Concession provides:

    • Domestic mains electricity usage and service costs above $3,563.00 (exceed Annual Electricity Concession trigger point of $536.75 excl. GST) in the period from 1 December to 20 November.
    • 17.5% of electricity usage and service costs.
    • The concession is calculated after retailer discounts and solar credits have been deducted.

    Eligibility:

    To be eligible for the Excess Electricity Concession, you need to:

    • A resident of VIC ; and
    • the account holder of your electricity account for supply to your principal place of residence; and
    • hold a Pensioner Care Card or Health Care Card issued by Services Australia / Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).

    Application:

    • We will notify you with the application form send to you.
    • For more information about the Excess Electricity Concession, Click Here.

    The Excess Gas Concession provides:

    • Domestic mains gas usage and service costs above $2,067.00 (exceed Winter Gas Concession trigger level of $318 excl. GST) in the period from 1 May to 31 October.
    • To continue to receiving Winter Gas Concession will need to apply for the Excess Gas Concession of 17.5% concession on gas consumed.

    Eligibility:

    To be eligible for the Excess Gas Concession, you need to:

    • A resident of VIC ; and
    • the account holder of your electricity account for supply to your principal place of residence; and
    • hold a Pensioner Care Card or Health Care Card issued by Services Australia / Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).

    Application:

    • We will notify you with the application form send to you.
    • For more information about the Excess Gas Concession, Click Here.

    The Life Support Concession provides:

    • The electricity discount is the cost of 1,880 kilowatt hours (470 kilowatt hours per quarter) of electricity each year, calculated using the general domestic tariff of your retailer.

    Eligibility:

    Customer can apply for the life support energy rebate if:

    • A resident of VIC ; and
    • Holds an eligible concession card (PCC, HCC, Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card); and
    • Uses an eligible life support machine; or
    • Has a household member who uses an eligible life support machine.
    • The concession card is eligible for the following life support machine:
      • Oxygen concentrators
      • Haemodialysis machines
      • Intermittent peritoneal dialysis
    • Application for other machines not listed above must be approved by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
    • Most continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) machines do not meet the 1.880 Kilowatt hour annual threshold.

    Application:

    • To apply, customers should complete the application form and send the form to CovaU support@covau.com.au or mail it to: Suite 05, Level 29, 225 George Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000.
    • For more information about life support concession
    • For more information about the Life Support Concession, Click Here.

    The Medical Cooling Concession provides:

    • 17.5% of electricity usage and service costs between 1 November and 30 April. During this period the Medical cooling concession is given in addition to the Annual electricity concession.

    Eligibility:

    • A resident of VIC ; and
    • Holds an eligible concession card (PCC, HCC, Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card); and
    • Has a medical condition that affects their body’s ability to self-regulate temperature; or
    • Has a household member with such a medical condition.
    • The medical conditions to be eligible for the medical cooling concession that has been pre-approved by the Department are:
      • Multiple Sclerosis
      • Lymphedema
      • Parkinson’s Disease
      • Fibromyalgia
      • Post-Polio Syndrome/Poliomyelitis
      • Motor Neurone Disease

    Application:

    • To apply, customers should complete the application form and send the form to CovaU support@covau.com.au or mail it to: Suite 05, Level 29, 225 George Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000.
    • For more information about life support concession
    • For more information about the Medical Cooling Concession, Click Here.

    The Winter Gas Concession provides:

    • 17.5% of electricity usage and service costs.
    • The concession is calculated after retailer discounts and solar credits have been deducted.
    • The concession does not apply to the first $171.60 of the annual bill. This is calculated as a daily rate on each bill.
    • Households with very high electricity bills (over $3,563.00 in the year, starting 1 December 2022) need to apply for the Excess Energy Concession to continue to receive a concession on their bill.

    Eligibility:

    To be eligible for the Winter Gas Concession, you need to:

    • A resident of VIC ; and
    • the account holder of your electricity account for supply to your principal place of residence; and
    • hold a Pensioner Care Card or Health Care Card issued by Services Australia / Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).

    Application:

    The Utility Relief Grant Scheme provides:

    • The amount of the grant is based on the amount you owe at the time of application. It is also based on the reasons you have given for applying in your application form.
    • You can receive a maximum of $650 on each utility type in a two-year period or $1,300 for households with a single source of energy (for example, electricity only).

    Eligibility:

    To be eligible for the Utility Relief Grant Scheme, you need to:

    • A resident of VIC ; and
    • the account holder of your electricity account for supply to your principal place of residence; and
    • hold a Pensioner Care Card or Health Care Card issued by Services Australia / Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA).

    Application:

    QLD CONCESSION

    QLD CONCESSION

    For a comprehensive overview of all rebates offered by the QLD Government, please see their website here.


    Electricity Rebate provides:

    • A daily amount of $0.9270 per day (excl GST) for a total of $372.20 per year (incl GST) to the eligible customers. This rebate is applied to the electricity bill directly.

    Eligibility:

    • To be eligible, the electricity account holder must hold one of the following concession cards:
      • Pensioner Concession Card - issued by Centrelink or Department of Veterans' Affairs
      • Commonwealth Health Care Card
      • Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card (and receive the War Widow/er Pension or special rate TPI Pension)
      • Queensland Seniors Card
      • Asylum seeker status (residents will need to provide their ImmiCard details)
    • Cardholders are eligible to claim the rebate for their principal place of residence where they live alone or share the home with any of the below:
      • Their spouse
      • Other people who hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Queensland Seniors Card
      • Other people wholly dependent on them
      • Other people who receive an income support payment from Centrelink, the Family Assistance Office, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and who do not pay rent
      • Other people who live with the cardholder to provide care and assistance, and who do not pay rent

    Application:

    Gas Rebate provides:

    • A daily amount of $0.2161 per day (excl GST) for a total of $86.75 per year (incl GST) to the eligible customers. This rebate is applied to the gas bill directly.

    Eligibility:

    • To be eligible, the gas account holder must hold one of the following concession cards:
      • Pensioner Concession Card - issued by Centrelink or Department of Veterans' Affairs
      • Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card (and receive the War Widow/er Pension or special rate TPI Pension)
      • Queensland Seniors Card
    • Cardholders are eligible to claim the rebate for their principal place of residence where they live alone or share the home with any of the below:
      • Their spouse
      • Other people who hold a Pensioner Concession Card or Queensland Seniors Card
      • Other people wholly dependent on them
      • Other people who receive an income support payment from Centrelink, the Family Assistance Office, or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and who do not pay rent
      • Other people who live with the cardholder to provide care and assistance, and who do not pay rent.

    Application:

    Home Energy Emergency Assistance (HEEA) Scheme provides:

    • A one-off emergency payment of up to $720 once every two years for eligible customers.
    • This rebate aims at helping the low income Queensland households experiencing problems paying their electricity or gas bills as a result of an unforeseen emergency or a short-term financial crisis.

    Eligibility:

    • To be eligible, the applicant must be part of CovaU’s hardship program or payment plan; and
    • A concession card holder; or
    • A non-concession cardholder who has 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.

    Application:

    Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession provides:

    • $340.85 (including GST) per year to eligible applicants.
    • Eligibility is reviewed every two years.
    • This concession rebate is available to help with electricity costs for people with a chronic medical condition that makes it difficult to self-regulate their body temperature when exposed to extreme heat or cold.
    • The concession amount will be paid directly by the Queensland Government in quarterly installments by direct payment to an eligible applicant's bank account.

    Eligibility:

    • To be eligible, the customer must:
      • be a Queensland resident; and
      • have (or be a parent/guardian of a child with) a qualifying medical condition and need cooling or heating to stop your symptoms becoming significantly worse. Qualifying medical conditions include:
        • Multiple sclerosis
        • Autonomic system dysfunction
        • Loss of skin integrity or sweating capacity
        • Severe compromise of functioning such as mobility at extremes of environmental temperature
        • Hypersensitivity to extremes of environmental temperature leading to increased pain or other discomfort or an increased risk of complications; and
        • live at your principal place of residence, which has an air-conditioning or heating unit.
      • The applicant and/or legal guardian of a minor with a qualifying medical condition must:
        • Hold a current Pensioner Concession Card or a current Health Care Card; and
        • Be financially responsible for paying the electricity bill.

    Application:

    The Electricity Life Support Concession provides rebates to electricity bills for eligible people who are seriously ill and use a home-based oxygen concentrator or kidney dialysis machine. The Queensland Government manages and pays this concession directly. The eligible applicant will receive a payment of $694.18 per year for each oxygen concentrator, or $464.88 per year for each kidney dialysis machine you use.

    Register your life support equipment:

    If you have either a life support machine that is eligible for concession or any other types of machine prescribed by a doctor for life support purposes, please let us know. We will register your property as using life support equipment and notify your distributor. Once registered, you will be protected and notified of any planned power outages.

    Eligibility:

    Oxygen Concentrators

    • To be eligible, you must:
      1. receive your oxygen concentrator free of charge through the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS); and
      2. have been medically assessed in accordance with the eligibility criteria determined by MASS; and
      3. hold one of the following concession cards:
        • Pensioner Concession Card
        • Health Care Card
        • Health Care Interim Voucher
        • Child Disability Allowance
        • Queensland Seniors Card

    Kidney Dialysis Machines

    • To be eligible, you must receive your home-based kidney dialysis machine free of charge through a Queensland Health hospital.

    Application:

    Oxygen Concentrator

    To apply, complete the Electricity Life Support Concession application form. The form will be sent by the relevant department to you within 14 working days of receiving your machine. If you do not receive an application form, contact the Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme to request a new one.

    Kidney Dialysis

    To apply, complete the Electricity Life Support Concession application form that will be provided to you from the Renal Unit at Queensland Health hospitals.

    For information about this concession, visit the Queensland Government website at https://www.qld.gov.au/community/cost-of-living-support/concessions/medical-concessions/electricity-life-support-How-to-apply

    SA CONCESSION

    SA CONCESSION

    A concession of $263.15 per year / $0.719 per day (excl GST) to eligible customers. This concession is applied to the electricity bill directly.

    Eligibility:

    To be eligible, you must be a South Australia’s resident who:

    • Live at the property;
    • Must be listed as an account holder on your energy bill;
    • Hold an eligible concession card* or receive an eligible Centrelink payment;
    • Is not 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)
      • Are your spouse, domestic partner or dependent.

    * Eligible cards include:

    • Pensioner Concession Card
    • DVA Gold Card
      • Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI)
      • Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA)
      • War Widow
      • Issued to a person with 80 or more overall impairment points under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004
    • Low Income Health Care Card
    • Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

    Application:

    Due to South Australian regulations, you cannot register your concession card details with us. If you’re eligible for a South Australian energy concession, you’ll need to register via the Department of Human Services. You can apply:

    New to CovaU Energy?

    If you recently switched to CovaU Energy, you need to contact the Department of Human Services to update your details in order to continue receiving your SA Government energy concession:

    1. Contact the Department of Human Services Concessions Hotline on 1800 307 758 or email concessions@sa.gov.au, once you have received your first electricity bill from us.
    2. Provide them with the new account number and billing period.

    This concession assists South Australians on a fixed or low income, who have a clinically verified medical condition, to pay for the extra energy costs associated with frequently using heating or cooling in the home to prevent the worsening of their symptoms.

    The concession amount is currently $263.15 for the 2023-2024 financial year. It is indexed each financial year and is available in addition to the current energy concession. It is paid directly to eligible applicants by EFT.

    Applicants must meet income and living arrangement criteria to be eligible. Parents or legal guardians of a child with a qualifying medical condition can also apply for this concession.

    Find more information or download an application form on the SA.Gov website.

    You may be able to get an Emergency Electricity Payment Scheme (EEPS) payment if you’re at risk of your electricity being disconnected. EEPS is only accessible through financial counsellors, who will assess your financial situation before lodging an application. You can only receive an EEPS payment once every three years.

    Please visit the A Government Financial Aid website for more information.

    ACT CONCESSION

    ACT CONCESSION

    Utilities Concession provides concession rebate that cover electricity, gas, and water supplied to your primary residence. It’ll be applied to the electricity account of the eligible customer.

    The annual concession amount for 2023-2024 is $750 – the daily rate in summer (from 1 November to 31 May) is approximately 95.071 cents, while the daily rate in winter (from 1 June to 31 October) is approximately 357.843 cents.

    Eligibility:

    Eligible applicants must be the primary holder of one of the following concession cards:

    • Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card (PCC)
    • Centrelink Low Income Health Care Card (HCC)
    • Veteran’s Affairs Pensioner Concession Card or Gold Card Holders (Prisoner of War, War Widow, or Totally Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) Embossed)
    • ACT Service Access Card (eligible asylum seekers who hold an ACT Service Access Card from 1 July 2020)

    Only the primary card holder can apply for the Utilities Concession. The primary card holder’s name and address must be the same as the name and address appearing on the electricity account.

    Application:

    To apply for the concession, please fill out the online application form or contact us directly.

    Utilities Concessions are provided by the ACT government. For further details, please click here.

    Life Support Rebate is available on electrically-operated life support equipment (as prescribed by an ACT medical practitioner) necessary in the treatment of a life-threatening condition. The annual rebate amount for 2023-2024 is $128. This will be applied to the eligible applicant’s electricity bill as a daily rate of approximately 35.068 cents per day.

    Only one Life Support Rebate can be claimed per household. Eligibility will be reviewed every 12 months.

    Eligibility:

    The applicant residing in ACT at the premises for which one of the following electrically-operated life-support equipment is used:

    • dialysis machine
    • oxygen concentrator
    • ventilators (formerly known as 'respirator')
    • CPAP regulator
    • longstay life support
    • nebuliser
    • LS reference
    • TPN device
    • other apparatus prescribed by an ACT medical practitioner as necessary for the treatment of a life-threatening condition

    Application:

    To apply for the life support rebate, please contact our friendly customer service team and you will be required to fill out a Life Support Medical Confirmation Form which requires a signature from your medical practitioner.

    Life Support Rebate is provided by the ACT government. For further details, please click here.

    TAS CONCESSION

    TAS CONCESSION

    A daily discount to eligible customers at a rate of 156.758 cents per day.

    Eligibility:

    • To be eligible for the Annual Electricity Concession you must be:
    • A resident of Tasmania; and
    • The account holder of your electricity account with CovaU; and
    • The electricity account is your principal place of residence; and
    • A card holder of one of the following:
    • Pensioner Concession Card – issued by Centrelink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs
    • Health Care Card – issued by Centrelink
    • ImmiCard (Bridging Visa E) – issued by Department of Immigration and Border Security
    • Tasmanian Concession Card – issued by Department of Premier and Cabinet

    Application:

    A daily discount to eligible customers who use an approved life support system, or who live with someone who uses such a system. The current approved life support systems and their daily discounts are:

    LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM DISCOUNT AMOUNT (CENTS PER DAY)
    Oxygen Concentrator 116.187 cents
    Peritoneal dialysis machine 86.205 cents
    Haemo-dialysis machine 86.205 cents
    Chronic positive pressure and airways regulator 41.227 cents
    Continuous positive pressure and airways regulator 41.227 cents
    Respirator (iron lung) 153.666 cents
    Combination oxygen concentrator and chronic positive pressure and airways regulator 157.415 cents
    Phototherapy machine 218.950 cents
    Left ventricular assist device 41.227 cents

    Eligibility:

    • To be eligible for the Life Support Concession a person must be:
      • A resident of Tasmania; and
      • The electricity account holder must require, or live with a person who requires, an approved life support system in their principal place of residence.

    Application:

    The Medical Cooling or Heating Concession provides:

    • A daily discount of 46.953 cents per day to eligible customers who have, or live with a person who has, a medical condition that requires the cooling or heating of the customer's principal place of residence in order to manage that condition.

    Eligibility:

    • To be eligible for the Medical Cooling or Heating Concession you must be:
      • A resident of Tasmania; and
      • The electricity account holder who has, or lives with a person who has, a qualifying medical condition that requires cooling or heating in order to manage their medical condition in their principal place of residence.
      • Has certification from a medical specialist or general practitioner that the medical condition is significantly worsened by extremes in cold or hot temperatures – for qualifying medical conditions see - Medical Cooling or Heating Concession
      • A card holder of one of the following:
        • Pensioner Concession Card – issued by Centrelink or Department of Veterans’ Affairs
        • Health Care Card – issued by Centrelink

    Application:

    • Complete the Medical Cooling or Heating Concession Application
    • Have the form signed by a medical practitioner
    • Send the form to CovaU support@covau.com.au or mail it to: Suite 05, Level 29, 225 George Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000

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