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Energy rebates

Last updated: 21 April 2011

The NSW Government has commenced work on implementing new assistance measures to help households with their energy costs.

From 1 July 2011, the new $200 Low Income Household Rebate will be implemented, rising to $235 by 2014.

The Low Income Household Rebate replaces the Energy Rebate.

For people that currently receive the Energy Rebate, they will not have to do anything, and will automatically receive the more generous Low Income Household Rebate from 1 July 2011.

The Government also intends to implement a Family Energy Rebate from 1 July 2012.

I receive the Energy Rebate, am I eligible for the Low Income Household Rebate?

The Low Income Household Rebate replaces the Energy Rebate.

For people that currently receive the Energy Rebate, they will not have to do anything, and will automatically receive the more generous Low Income Household Rebate from 1 July 2011.

Recipients of the Energy Rebate are electricity account holders who hold either a:

Pensioner Concession Card issued by either Centrelink or the DVA;
Gold Card issued by the DVA marked with either:
- War Widow or War Widower Pension
- Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI)
- Disability Pension;
Health Care Card issued by Centrelink as a result of receiving one of a number of income support payments from the Commonwealth.

If you hold an eligible card and have not yet registered for the Rebate you should contact your retailer.

When will the Low Income Household Rebate commence?

The Low Income Household Rebate will commence from 1 July 2011, providing eligible customers with a rebate of $200 a year on their energy bills.

Who is eligible for the Low Income Household Rebate?

Eligibility for the Low Income Household Rebate is the same as the former Energy Rebate. These are electricity account holders who hold either a:

Pensioner Concession Card issued by either Centrelink or the DVA;
Gold Card issued by the DVA marked with either:
- War Widow or War Widower Pension
- Totally and Permanently Incapacitated (TPI)
- Disability Pension;
Health Care Card issued by Centrelink as a result of receiving one of a number of income support payments from the Commonwealth.

How will I receive the Low Income Household Rebate?

For people that currently receive the Energy Rebate, they will not have to do anything, and will automatically receive the more generous Low Income Household Rebate from 1 July 2011.

New customers that hold an eligible card but do not currently receive a rebate, should contact their retailer to apply.

How will the Low Income Household Rebate be paid?

Payments will be made as instalments on each electricity bill.

The exact amount of the Rebate paid on each bill will depend on the number of days in each billing period. For 2011/12 the total rebate amount will be paid over the full year by applying the rebate at the rate of $200/365 per day.

Can I apply for a rebate for my gas bill?

The Low Income Household Rebate, like the former Energy Rebate, is intended to assist eligible customers with all their household energy costs - electricity and gas. The Rebate is distributed to eligible customers through their electricity bills.

What other assistance is available from the NSW Government?

All customers, regardless of whether they receive the Low Income Household Rebate or not, may be eligible for the Life Support Rebate, Medical Energy Rebate or support under the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) Scheme. More information about these and other assistance programs can be obtained from your energy retailer or further down this page.

Will I still receive the Low Income Household Rebate if I change electricity supplier?

All electricity retailers are required to deliver the new Low Income Household Rebate to eligible customers. However, if you change electricity supplier, you will need to re-apply to your new retailer.

Is the Low Income Household Rebate available to long-term residents of caravan parks?

Yes. The Low Income Household Rebate is available to long-term residents of caravan parks.

To apply for the Rebate residents should contact their standard retailer (even if the residential park owner is supplied by another retailer). To find out your standard retailer see the attached map (PDF) or call the Energy Information Line on 1300 136 888.

In addition, long-term residents of caravan parks must provide their standard retailer with a written statement from the caravan park owner which certifies that the customer is a long term resident at the address of the residential park.

Life Support Rebates

If you require certain medical equipment in your home that is necessary to sustain your life, such as a kidney dialysis machine or respirator/ventilator, you may be entitled to a rebate on your electricity bill. You will need to apply for the rebate from your electricity retailer and provide a certificate from your doctor confirming that you require the equipment. The Life Support Rebate is additional to any other energy rebate to which you may be entitled.

The list of equipment eligible includes the following:

PAP devices
enteral feeding pump
phototherapy equipment
home dialysis
respirator
oxygen concentrator
total parenteral nutrition machine (new as at 1 October 2009)
external heart pump machine (new as at 1 October 2009)

For further comprehensive information, see Life Support Rebates - questions & answers.

Medical Energy Rebate

The Rebate is for eligible customers who have a medically diagnosed inability to self-regulate body temperature when exposed to extremes (hot or cold) of environmental temperatures. It may be associated with certain medical conditions such as Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. The Rebate provides $145 a year for eligible customers rising to $200 a year from 1 July 2011.

Eligibility for the Medical Energy Rebate is based on the following criteria:

Either the account holder or anyone residing at the residence must have an inability to self-regulate body temperature. This requires the completion of a signed form by a medical practitioner who has been treating you for at least three months.

AND

The account holder must have one of the following concession cards:
- Pensioner Concession Card issued by either Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA);
- Gold Card issued by the DVA;
- Health Care Card issued by Centrelink as a result of receiving one of a number of income support payments from the Commonwealth.

To apply for the Rebate, eligible customers should submit an application form to their retailer.

The Medical Energy Rebate can be received in addition to other assistance such as the Low Income Household Rebate, the Life Support Rebate and the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) scheme. The Medical Energy Rebate is also available to long-term residents of caravan parks.

For further comprehensive information see Medical Energy Rebate - questions and answers.

Download the application form (35 kb, PDF)
Download the guide to applying (48 kb, PDF)

You can also call the Energy Information Line on 1300 136 888.

Energy blackouts rebates

Electricity customers in metropolitan areas can receive $80 in compensation from their energy supplier if they suffer more than four 4-hour outages in a year or any outage of longer than 12 hours.

Non-metropolitan customers can receive $80 from their energy supplier if they suffer more than four 5-hour outages in a year or any outage of longer than 18 hours. The rebates are capped at $320 a year.

An outage resulting from the following causes does not qualify:

a shortfall of generation, a failure on the high voltage transmission network or following a request or direction from an emergency services organisation;
a planned interruption (eg for maintenance work);
an outage caused by a natural disaster, or severe thunderstorm or weather (defined standards are used); or
an outage caused by third parties, such as a vehicle accident or vandalism.

Full details of the compensation arrangements can be found at: www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/electricity/documents/DesignReliabilityandPerformanceLicenceConditionsforDNSPs-23November2007.PDF

How do I obtain the rebate?

If you think you are eligible for the rebate or would like to ask some more questions, contact your electricity supplier or your local electricity distributor. Contact phone numbers can be found on your electricity bill.