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Electricity Concessions

Post on June 12th, 2015

Do you qualify for an electricity concession?

The threat of rising electricity prices can have a large impact on households operating on low or fixed incomes. Budgeting to save money on electricity bills can be difficult for lower income earners. While families and single-income households might be able to pay their bill this time, the sad fact is that it can only take one missed paycheque, or a slight increase in electricity and gas usage to make their bill too high to pay. State Governments understand this, so they’ve put provisions in place for consumers who require help to pay their bills in the form of electricity concessions.

These electricity concessions are there to provide a measure of bill relief to those customers who need it most. It might be a percentage reduction on electricity bills to offset the increased energy use of vital life support equipment, or it could be simple, yet necessary, support for families struggling on a low income—but every state in Australia, with the support of residential electricity retailers, are putting measures in place to help those who truly need it.

So while electricity concessions and rebates are a way to save money on home electricity prices, they’re not there just as a way for consumers to pay less. These are necessary, important reductions in the bills of consumers who genuinely need it. If you’re eligible for a discount on your electricity bill, this could make a difference with your choice of energy retailer.

If you’re struggling to pay your electricity bill, it’s important to find out if you qualify for an electricity concession. To make it easier to understand the range of discounts, rebates, and savings on offer in different areas, we’ve pulled together a list of electricity concessions and rebates available in each state. Have a read, do some research, and find out if there are steps you can take to help reduce the cost of your electricity bill.

Victoria

Electricity rebates are available to Victorian residents with a:

• Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Gold Card
• Centrelink Healthcare Card

Energy concessions are available in Victoria for:

• Annual electricity concession: discounted electricity and gas between November and May.
• Winter Energy Concession: discounted gas and electricity between May and November.
• Medical Cooling Concession: for patients who have a medical condition that makes extremes in temperature difficult to cope with.
• Life support machines
• Controlled loads: a discount on the use of pool pumps, hot water, etc
• Off-peak concession
• Utility Relief Grant Scheme: relief for consumers experiencing short-term financial hardship.
• Group Homes Winter Energy
• Electricity transfer fee waiver: consumers aren’t required to pay the connection fee when moving into a new home
• Non-mains energy concession: bill relief for consumers who rely on non-mains energy for their heating and cooking
• Service to property charge concession: consumers with extremely low energy use can have their service to property charge reduced to the cost of their electricity use.

You can find more information about these available concessions here.

New South Wales

Electricity concessions and rebates are available to New South Wales residents who hold a valid:

• Centrelink Pensioner Card
• DVA Pensioner Concession Card, Pension for War Widows, Disability Pension – for either Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI) or Extreme Disablement Adjustment (EDA) rates
• Centrelink Healthcare Card.

Electricity concessions are available in New South Wales for:

• Low income households
• Consumers who require extra heating and cooling energy due to a medical condition that results in them being unable to self-regulate their body temperature
• Life support machines
• Single-income families raising children
• Consumers experiencing short-term financial crisis or setbacks and are unable to pay their electricity bills
• Customer who experience multiple long-term electricity blackouts due to network faults.

You can find more information about these available concessions here.

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Queensland

Queensland residents have a number of electricity concession options available to them. The basic requirements for each involves consumers holding one of the following:

• Centrelink Pensioner Card or Healthcare Card
• DVA Pensioner Concession Card, Pension for War Widows, or DVA Gold Card for all conditions
• Queensland Seniors Card.

The energy concessions available for Queensland residents are:

• Electricity and Reticulated Natural Gas Concession, which provides customers a rebate of $0.85 per day, available in installments
• Electricity Life Support Concession Scheme, which is available for residents who require the use of a home-based kidney dialysis machine or oxygen concentrator
• Exemption from the Community Ambulance Coverage levy charged on most electricity bills
• Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession Scheme, which helps to reduce the electricity costs of those suffering chronic illnesses that are worsened by changes in temperature
• Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme, aimed at helping customers experiencing financial crises still be able to pay their bills
• Rebate on new 4-star or higher energy efficient appliances (valid from January 2018)
• The Electricity asset ownership dividend, where the Queensland Government divides the dividends of Government-owned corporations between all Queensland households, in two $50 payments spanning two years.

You can find more information about these available concessions here.

South Australia

Concessions in South Australia are regulated by the Department of Families and Communities. Energy concessions are available for residents with a:

• Centrelink Pensioner Card
• DVA Pensioner Concession Card, War Widow/er, TPI, EDA, or Gold Card
• Centrelink Healthcare Card
• SA State Concessions Card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card

Energy concessions are available in South Australian for:

• Households on low or fixed incomes, for electricity and other utilities
• Consumers on a fixed or low income who have a clinically verified medical condition that requires them to use frequent heating or cooling in their home, in order to stop their condition from getting any worse.

You can find more information about these available concessions here.

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Western Australia

Western Australia Energy Concessions are available to residents with a:

• Centrelink Pensioner Card
• DVA Pensioner Concession Card, War Widow, TPI, or EDA Gold Card
• Centrelink Health Care Card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
• Western Australian Office of Seniors Interests and Volunteering Concession Cards.

Electricity concessions are available in Western Australia for:

• Households on low or fixed incomes, to help pay for annual electricity, or who are setting up a new electricity account
• Households in acute financial stress who are running the risk of having their electricity disconnected
• Consumers in areas that experience high temperatures to help cover the cost of running an air conditioner
• Connection to underground electricity
• Subsidising the cost of electricity used to operate life support equipment at home
• Subsidising the cost of electricity required for people who have a clinically verified medical condition that requires them to use frequent heating or cooling in their home, in order to stop their condition from getting any worse.

While not strictly an electricity concession, public housing tenants can also receive a concession to help pay for heating appliance hire.

More information on electricity concessions available for Western Australian residents can be found here.

Tasmania

Tasmania electricity discounts and concessions are regulated by Aurora Energy on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services. Electricity concessions are available for residents with a:

• Centrelink Health Card or Pensioner Card
• DVA Pensioner Concession Card
• ImmiCard (Bridging Visa E).

Eligible Tasmanian residents can receive electricity concessions for:

• Annual electricity costs, calculated at $1.35 per day
• Heating allowance, up to $56 a year, made in two payments during May and September
• Operating essential life support equipment at home
• Discounts on costs associated with cooling or heating of the household, for people who have a clinically verified medical condition that requires them to use frequent heating or cooling in their home in order avoid making their condition worse.

More information for Tasmanian residents can be found here.

Australian Capital Territory

The ACT Department of Disability, Housing, and Community Services regulate the ACT Concessions Program. Energy Concessions may be available for residents with a:

• Centrelink Pensioner or Health Care Card
• DVA Pensioner Concession Card<, War Widow, TPI, or EDA Gold Card.

Residents of the ACT are able to apply for the following electricity rebates:

• Utilities concession: provides relief for the cost of electricity, water, sewage, and gas, calculated at $2.81 daily during 1 June to 31 October, and $0.77 daily between 1 November and 31 May
• Life Support Rebate: for people with a certified medical condition that requires the use of life support equipment, at a rate of $121.87 a year. It’s important to note that consumers don’t need to hold any Concession Cards in order to be eligible for this rebate.

More information on electricity concessions available in the ACT can be found here.

Northern Territory

Power and Water regulates Pensioner and Carer electricity concessions (to become the Northern Territory Concession Scheme on 1 July 2018) on behalf of the Department of Health and Families. Concessions of up to 50% on electricity bills, water rates, sewage, and other utilities may be available for residents with a valid Northern Territory Pensioner and Carer Concession Card.

Residents may also be eligible to apply for a subsidy for the installation of solar panels, replacement of old electrical appliances with new energy efficient ones, and installation of an electricity management device. More information on electricity concessions available in the Northern Territory can be found here.

Get a better deal on your electricity bills

If you don’t qualify for any electricity concessions, there are other avenues you can look into to find savings on your electricity bill. The most important one is undertaking an electricity supplier comparison, to see which companies are offering what deals, so you can find cheaper electricity rates. If that sounds like hard work, then don’t worry—that’s what we’re here for.

At Electricity Wizard, we do all the hard work for you. When you call us, we’ll compare your rates and plans against our preferred suppliers available in your area and help you select a great plan for you to cut down costs and meet any other criteria you may have. Best of all, our service is completely free, so what do you have to lose?

Try us today! Call Electricity Wizard now on 1300 359 779 or fill out your details below to have one of our comparison specialists help you get a better deal on your energy bills starting today!