Crystal Wealth Newsroom
Australian government energy bill rebate 2023
How much money can I get off my power bill?
Eligible homes will have up to $500 applied directly to their power bills in this financial year, offering much-needed relief for families dealing with winter or summer heating expenses. However, the maximum energy rebate will vary depending on your state or territory.
Qualifying customers in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Tasmania will receive up to $500 towards electricity or gas bills. But households in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory will only be eligible for rebates of up to $350.
Rebates began from July 1, 2023, and should be automatically applied to the power bills of eligible residents.
Am I eligible for the budget’s energy relief plan in NSW?
Around 1.6 million low-income households, pensioners, self-funded retirees and families are eligible for NSW energy rebates each year to help pay their electricity and gas bills.
The NSW Government offers a number of rebates to help you reduce your energy bill from 1 July 2023. Two types of customers are eligible:
- Retail, and
- On supply
To be eligible, you must:
• be a NSW resident
• be the account holder named on the energy bill
• provide evidence that you meet the eligibility criteria.
Customers may be eligible for more than one energy rebate.
The National Energy Bill Relief is available to households already receiving the NSW:
- Low-Income Household (electricity) Rebate
- Seniors Energy Rebate
- Family Energy Rebate
- Medical Energy Rebate
- Life Support Rebate.
You may be eligible for the National Energy Bill Relief payment if you don’t receive a NSW energy rebate and you:
- hold a valid Low Income Health Care Card
- hold a valid Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Gold Card
- receive the Carer Allowance.
There are several things to keep in mind:
- You must be the energy account holder for your principal place of residence to receive the energy rebates and bill relief payment.
- You may be eligible for multiple energy rebates however, only one bill relief payment is available for each household in financial year 2023-24.
- Most eligible customers will receive a quarterly payment from July 2023.
Am I eligible for the budget’s energy relief plan in Victoria?
Eligible households in Victoria are those where the primary electricity account holder, or another household member named on the account, is a recipient/holder of:
- Pensioner Concession Card including those issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)
- Health Care Card including Low Income Health Care Card
- DVA Gold Cards
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, including those issued by DVA
- Family Tax Benefit (FTB) A and B
- Carer Allowance
- Households eligible for the existing electricity bill concession schemes
- Households in embedded networks who receive their electricity via a private network (e.g. some apartment buildings, caravan parks or retirement villages) will also be eligible for the scheme.
How to apply
The application process is different depending on whether you are a retail or an on-supply (embedded network) customer.
- Retail customers get an energy bill directly from an energy retailer. If you are a retail customer, you do not need to do anything. Your energy retailer will automatically apply the energy bill relief to your electricity account if you are eligible from 1 July 2023 in quarterly instalments.
- On-supply (embedded network) customers get an energy bill or invoice from, or on behalf of, the owners or management company where your business is located. If you are an on-supply (embedded network) customer, you will be advised from October 2023 onwards how to apply.
If you’re not sure whether you are a retail or on-supply customer, please contact the provider named on your energy bill. More information can be found at NSW Government website here and VIC Government here.
Information on Energy Bill Relief in other states can be found here: ACT, SA, QLD, TAS, WA, NT.
As always, please do not hesitate to ask your Crystal Wealth adviser for guidance.