Save money with ACT energy rebates 

ACT residents – did you know your government offers financial assistance to people in the community that have difficulty paying their bills? There is a range of rebates and concessions available. They include the Combined Utilities Concession, Home Haemodialysis Rebate and Life Support Rebate.

The government has also introduced the Economic Survival Packages for households and businesses to assist people during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no need to apply for these programs. The rebates will be automatically applied to your electricity bill by your retailer.

To find out more about any of these ACT rebates, check the details below.

ACT energy rebates and concessions

Combined Utilities Concession

This rebate appears on your electricity bill but helps with your electricity, gas and water bills.

Rebate value:

$700 excluding GST or $770 including GST per year (or it can be calculated at a day rate of 89.15c excluding GST or 98.10c including GST during summer and $3.34 excluding GST or $3.64 including GST during winter.)

Eligibility:

Concession cards including: Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Department of Veterans Affairs Card.

How to apply:

It will be automatically applied when your valid concession card is registered with your retailer.

Home Haemodialysis Rebate

Rebate value:

$1,200 excluding GST or $1,320 including GST per year, or $3.29 excluding GST or $3.62 including GST per day.

Eligibility:

People using a home dialysis machine (or their parents or guardian).

Note: If you’re eligible for this rebate, you’ll also be eligible for the Life Support Rebate (see below).

How to apply:

Contact your energy retailer.

To find out more, visit the ACT Community Assistance website.

Life Support Rebate

Rebate value:

$128.00 excluding GST or $140.80 including GST per year, or 35.068c excluding GST or 38.60c including GST per day.

Eligibility:

People using approved life support equipment such as: long-stay life support, respirator, dialysis machine, oxygen concentrator, CPAP regulator, nebuliser, LS reference, TPN device.

How to apply:

Contact your energy retailer.

To find out more, visit the ACT Community Assistance website.

Economic Survival Package for families and households

Rebate value:

$200 applied to your electricity bill in June or July 2020.

Eligibility:

Valid concession cards, including: Pensioner Concession Card (PCC), Health Care Card (HCC), Department of Veterans Affairs Card (DVA).

How to apply:

You don’t need to apply for this rebate. It will be automatically applied to your electricity bill by your retailer.

Economic Survival Package for local businesses

Rebate value:

$750 applied to your electricity bill in June or July 2020.

Eligibility:

Small business owners with electricity usage below 100 megawatts per year.

How to apply:

You don’t need to apply for this rebate. It will be automatically applied to your electricity bill by your retailer.

Want to save more on your energy?

If you’ve been on the same energy plan for a long time, there might be newer plans available that offer much better rates. The rates will vary depending on where you live and the retailer you choose.

See how much you could save. Compare electricity retailers ACT.

Solar rebates for ACT residents

Going solar can be expensive, so it’s good to know the ACT government still offers a couple of rebates for installing solar systems. They are the Solar for Low Income Program and the Household Battery Storage program.

With the Solar for Low Income Program, Pension Concession Card holders can receive up to $2,500 towards installing a solar system. While with the Household Battery Storage program, a standard household with a 5kW system could be eligible for around $4,000 in support.

To check if you’re eligible for either offer, see the details below. Or, visit the Act Smart website.

Solar for Low Income Program

Value:

• Up to 50% of the total cost (capped at $2,500) for the supply and installation of a roof top solar system.

 Eligibility:

• Hold an Australian Government Pensioner Concession Card.
• Be a homeowner in the Australian Capital Territory.
• Do not already have a roof top solar PV system installed.

How to apply:

Contact Access Canberra on 13 22 81 or email at Actsmart@act.gov.au to register your interest and confirm your eligibility.

A solar contractor will contact you to confirm if your household is suitable for rooftop solar, design a system based on your household requirements and complete a cost benefit analysis to determine your repayment.

An obligation free quote/contract will be provided for your consideration.

Once you sign the contract your system will be installed and any payment plans (if applicable) will commence.

Find out more at the Act Smart website.

Household Battery Storage

Value:

• $825 per kilowatt (kW) up to a maximum of 30 kW.
• A standard household with a 5kW system would typically be eligible for around $4,000 in support.

Eligibility:

• A new system that has not already been supported by the program.
• Be connected to the electricity grid.
• Be coupled with solar panels.
• Include a new or existing inverter that meets the Next Gen requirements.

How to apply:

Start by contacting one of the following battery storage providers: Evergen, Solahart and SolarHub. To find out more, visit the Act Smart website.

Earning solar feed-in tariffs

If you have a solar system that’s connected to the electricity grid, you could be eligible to receive a feed-in tariff.

It works like this: any surplus solar power that your solar system produces that you don’t use, you can feed back into the grid. Then for every kilowatt hour of electricity you export, you’ll receive a credit on your electricity bill. This is called a feed-in tariff and it will vary depending on your location and retailer.

How much can you earn with feed-in tariffs?

Over 10 years ago, you might have been able to earn up to 60 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity exported to the grid. These days you are more likely to receive in the vicinity of 10-12 cents per kilowatt hour.

Some retailers may offer higher feed-in tariff rates. However, when considering a high feed-in tariff, you’ll also need to consider your electricity usage, the usage rates, the supply rates, any discounts and the length of the contract.

To learn more, see Using solar feed-in tariffs to save.

For more information on going solar, see A little guide to solar.