Government Electricity Bill Relief
Government Bill Relief
Government relief on the rising cost of electricity bills (bill relief package)
What is it?
Electricity bills have been increasing, so the Commonwealth Government is partnering with states and territories to provide funding for electricity bill relief to eligible households and small businesses. Each state and territory will administer the relief in their own way.
For the most part the payments will automatically be applied to your energy bill.
Below is what we know so far. These details are based on the best information we have so far, so are a guide only and subject to change as we learn more.
How much is it, and when is it paid?
Residential (one rebate per household)
| Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid | Description Shown On Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250 Account Credit | $250 via the Power Saving Bonus Payment (available from 24 March 2023 to 31 August 2023) | $250 |
Paid $125 (2 instalments) for Current Eligible Customers
A single payment of $250 for Newly Eligible Customers will be paid
|
VIC-AUS Gov Bill Relief |
(Payments including GST)
Small Biz (one rebate for all eligible business accounts, not for multiple sites)
| Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid | Description Shown On Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $325 Account Credit | $325 |
A single payment of $325 will be paid
|
VIC-AUS Gov Bill Relief |
(Payments including GST)
Eligible electricity concession card holders (see list below), people who receive the family tax benefit (A&B) and commonwealth seniors card holders, and some small businesses.
You can get bill relief if you are the primary electricity account holder, or another household member named on the electricity bill.
Your household can only get one bill relief credit, even if there is more than one eligible person living there. You can only get bill relief for your principal place of residence.
If you are eligible and aren’t named on the bill and you pay for electricity, contact your electricity provider to change this to get the bill relief (this is not necessary if you live in Western Australia).
Services Australia will directly contact households that are not already eligible to receive concessions but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme and collect their consent for retailers to verify their details.
We require to verify customers eligibility via Services Australia (Centrelink Confirmation) prior to initiating a payment to a customer.
| Residential Eligibilty | |
|---|---|
| Current Eligible Customer for existing rebates | Expanded cohort – Newly Eligible Customers |
|
|
| If you hold one of these cards in this section, you are already eligible for the exiting scheme | If you hold one of these card in this section, DVA or Services Australia will directly contact households that are not already eligible but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme |
What do I need to do to get it?
If you already receive an eligible electricity concession (see tables above) on your bill, then sit back and relax. The payments will automatically be applied to your energy bill. If you have a valid concession and want to add it to your GloBird energy account, you can do that in seconds via the My Account page.
If you hold or receive any cards or payments that are not already eligible but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme, you will be contacted by DVA in July 2023 or Services Australia in September 2023 to tell you what you need to do.
Ineligible concession cards:
The following Commonwealth and State Government issued cards are not eligible for the bill relief:
- Victorian Seniors Card
- “FO” (Foster Care) Health Care Card
- Veterans Affairs White Card for Specific Conditions
- Veterans Affairs Gold Card Dependent.
Small Business
Eligible small businesses
Eligible small businesses that meet the definition of electricity ‘small customer’ according to the thresholds in each jurisdiction will receive bill relief automatically from 1 July 2023. These thresholds are already in use in most jurisdiction to govern business support and consumer protection arrangements for small business electricity consumers. Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief.
The thresholds for each jurisdiction are:
| Annual electricity consumption threshold – must be less than: |
|---|
| 40 MWh |
Ineligble small businesses
Businesses are ineligible to receive the bill relief if any of the following apply:
- Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief
- If you run your small business using electricity from your home, you are generally not eligible for the small business bill relief
- The business is a government agency, bank, telco
- Accounts with unmetered supply (i.e. park lights, barbeques, car park lighting, etc.).
- Small businesses on an embedded network.
- For the ACT and Victoria, small businesses in embedded networks will not be eligible for the small business bill relief
More info
Power Saving Bonus – https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/
DFFH concessions and benefits – https://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/concessions-and-benefits
ACT Revenue Office – Energy Bill Relief Fund | ACT Revenue Office – Website
Energy Bill Relief Fund – https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/eligible-cards-and-payments-energy-bill-relief-fund-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-fund-small-businesses
Residential (one rebate per household)
| Who is eligible? | Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid | Description Shown On Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250 Account Credit | $250 Account Credit | $500 |
Paid $125 quarterly: Current Eligible Customers
Newly Eligible Customers applied as a single payment of $500 after validation of energy relief eligibility. |
NSW-AUS Gov Bill Relief | |
| Family Tax Benefit | $250 Account Credit | $250 Account Credit | $500 | Paid after eligibility is confirmed for Family Energy Rebate | NSW-AUS Gov Bill Relief |
| Commonwealth Seniors Health Card only | $250 Account Credit | $250 Account Credit | $500 – paid directly into your bank account | Paid after eligibility is confirmed by OECC | NSW-AUS Gov Bill Relief |
(Payments including GST)
Small Biz (one rebate for all eligible business accounts, not for multiple sites)
| Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid | Description Shown On Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $325 Account Credit | $325 Account Credit | $650 |
Paid $162.5 quarterly:
|
NSW-AUS Gov Bill Relief |
(Payments including GST)
Eligible electricity concession card holders (see list below), people who receive the family tax benefit (A&B) and commonwealth seniors card holders, and some small businesses.
You can get bill relief if you are the primary electricity account holder, or another household member named on the electricity bill.
Your household can only get one bill relief credit, even if there is more than one eligible person living there. You can only get bill relief for your principal place of residence.
If you are eligible and aren’t named on the bill and you pay for electricity, contact your electricity provider to change this to get the bill relief (this is not necessary if you live in Western Australia).
Services Australia will directly contact households that are not already eligible to receive concessions but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme and collect their consent for retailers to verify their details.
We require to verify customers eligibility via Services Australia (Centrelink Confirmation) prior to initiating a payment to a customer.
| Residential Eligibilty | |
|---|---|
| Current Eligible Customer for existing rebates | Expanded cohort – Newly Eligible Customers |
|
|
| If you hold one of these cards in this section, you are already eligible for the exiting scheme | If you hold one of these card in this section, DVA or Services Australia will directly contact households that are not already eligible but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme |
What do I need to do to get it?
If you already receive an eligible electricity concession (see tables above) on your bill, then sit back and relax. The payments will automatically be applied to your energy bill. If you have a valid concession and want to add it to your GloBird energy account, you can do that in seconds via the My Account page.
If you hold or receive any cards or payments that are not already eligible but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme, you will be contacted by DVA in July 2023 or Services Australia in September 2023 to tell you what you need to do.
Ineligible concession cards:
The following Commonwealth and State Government issued cards are not eligible for the bill relief:
- Victorian Seniors Card
- “FO” (Foster Care) Health Care Card
- Veterans Affairs White Card for Specific Conditions
- Veterans Affairs Gold Card Dependent.
Small Business
Eligible small businesses
Eligible small businesses that meet the definition of electricity ‘small customer’ according to the thresholds in each jurisdiction will receive bill relief automatically from 1 July 2023. These thresholds are already in use in most jurisdiction to govern business support and consumer protection arrangements for small business electricity consumers. Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief.
The thresholds for each jurisdiction are:
| Annual electricity consumption threshold – must be less than: |
|---|
| 100 MWh |
Ineligble small businesses
Businesses are ineligible to receive the bill relief if any of the following apply:
- Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief
- If you run your small business using electricity from your home, you are generally not eligible for the small business bill relief
- The business is a government agency, bank, telco
- Accounts with unmetered supply (i.e. park lights, barbeques, car park lighting, etc.).
- Small businesses on an embedded network.
- For the ACT and Victoria, small businesses in embedded networks will not be eligible for the small business bill relief
More info
Power Saving Bonus – https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/
DFFH concessions and benefits – https://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/concessions-and-benefits
ACT Revenue Office – Energy Bill Relief Fund | ACT Revenue Office – Website
Energy Bill Relief Fund – https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/eligible-cards-and-payments-energy-bill-relief-fund-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-fund-small-businesses
Residential (one rebate per household) All residential households will automatically receive a rebate
| Who is eligible? | Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid | Description Shown On Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Existing Queensland Electricity Rebate recipients who are already benefitting from the Queensland Government’s annual $372.20 Electricity Rebate) | the CoLR will still be partly funded by the Australian Government | $700 Account Credit | $700 |
Paid $175 quarterly:
|
Queensland Govt Cost of Living Rebate |
| (CoLR for all others) | the CoLR will still be partly funded by the Australian Government | $550 Account Credit | $550 |
Paid $137.50 quarterly:
|
Queensland Govt Cost of Living Rebate |
(Payments including GST)
Small Biz (one rebate for all eligible business accounts, not for multiple sites)
| Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid | Description Shown On Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $325 Account Credit | $325 Account Credit | $650 |
Paid $162.5 quarterly:
|
QLD AUS Govt Energy Price Relief Plan Rebate |
(Payments including GST)
You can get bill relief if you are the primary electricity account holder, or another household member named on the electricity bill.
Your household can only get one bill relief credit, even if there is more than one eligible person living there. You can only get bill relief for your principal place of residence.
If you are eligible and aren’t named on the bill and you pay for electricity, contact your electricity provider to change this to get the bill relief (this is not necessary if you live in Western Australia).
We require to verify customers eligibility via Services Australia (Centrelink Confirmation) prior to initiating a payment to a customer.
| Residential Eligibilty | |
|---|---|
| Customers eligible for $700 rebate | Customers eligible for $550 rebate |
|
All other residential households in Queensland |
| If you hold one of these cards in this section, you are already eligible for the exiting scheme | Payments are automated, no action required |
What do I need to do to get it?
The payments will automatically be applied to your energy bill. If you have a valid concession for $700 cost of living rebate and want to add it to your GloBird energy account, you can do that in seconds via the My Account page.
Small Business
Eligible small businesses
Eligible small businesses that meet the definition of electricity ‘small customer’ according to the thresholds in each jurisdiction will receive bill relief automatically from 1 July 2023. These thresholds are already in use in most jurisdiction to govern business support and consumer protection arrangements for small business electricity consumers. Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief.
The thresholds for each jurisdiction are:
| Annual electricity consumption threshold – must be less than: |
|---|
| 100 MWh |
Ineligble small businesses
Businesses are ineligible to receive the bill relief if any of the following apply:
- Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief
- If you run your small business using electricity from your home, you are generally not eligible for the small business bill relief
- The business is a government agency, bank, telco
- Accounts with unmetered supply (i.e. park lights, barbeques, car park lighting, etc.).
- Small businesses on an embedded network.
- For the ACT and Victoria, small businesses in embedded networks will not be eligible for the small business bill relief
More info
Power Saving Bonus – https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/
DFFH concessions and benefits – https://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/concessions-and-benefits
ACT Revenue Office – Energy Bill Relief Fund | ACT Revenue Office – Website
Energy Bill Relief Fund – https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/eligible-cards-and-payments-energy-bill-relief-fund-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-fund-small-businesses
Residential (one rebate per household)
| Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid | Description Shown On Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250 Account Credit | $250 Account Credit | $500 |
Paid $125 quarterly: Current Eligible Customers
Newly Eligible Customers
|
AUS SA Gov Energy Relief |
(Payments including GST)
Small Biz (one rebate for all eligible business accounts, not for multiple sites)
| Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid | Description Shown On Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $325 Account Credit | $325 Account Credit | $650 |
Paid $162.5 quarterly:
|
AUS SA Gov Energy Relief |
(Payments including GST)
Eligible electricity concession card holders (see list below), people who receive the family tax benefit (A&B) and commonwealth seniors card holders, and some small businesses.
You can get bill relief if you are the primary electricity account holder, or another household member named on the electricity bill.
Your household can only get one bill relief credit, even if there is more than one eligible person living there. You can only get bill relief for your principal place of residence.
If you are eligible and aren’t named on the bill and you pay for electricity, contact your electricity provider to change this to get the bill relief (this is not necessary if you live in Western Australia).
Services Australia will directly contact households that are not already eligible to receive concessions but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme and collect their consent for retailers to verify their details.
We require to verify customers eligibility via Services Australia (Centrelink Confirmation) prior to initiating a payment to a customer.
| Residential Eligibilty | |
|---|---|
| Current Eligible Customer for existing rebates | Expanded cohort – Newly Eligible Customers |
|
|
| If you hold one of these cards in this section, you are already eligible for the exiting scheme | If you hold one of these card in this section, DVA or Services Australia will directly contact households that are not already eligible but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme |
What do I need to do to get it?
If you already receive an eligible electricity concession (see tables above) on your bill, then sit back and relax. The payments will automatically be applied to your energy bill. If you have a valid concession and want to add it to your GloBird energy account, you can do that in seconds via the My Account page.
If you hold or receive any cards or payments that are not already eligible but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme, you will be contacted by DVA in July 2023 or Services Australia in September 2023 to tell you what you need to do.
Ineligible concession cards:
The following Commonwealth and State Government issued cards are not eligible for the bill relief:
- Victorian Seniors Card
- “FO” (Foster Care) Health Care Card
- Veterans Affairs White Card for Specific Conditions
- Veterans Affairs Gold Card Dependent.
Small Business
Eligible small businesses
Eligible small businesses that meet the definition of electricity ‘small customer’ according to the thresholds in each jurisdiction will receive bill relief automatically from 1 July 2023. These thresholds are already in use in most jurisdiction to govern business support and consumer protection arrangements for small business electricity consumers. Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief.
The thresholds for each jurisdiction are:
| Annual electricity consumption threshold – must be less than: |
|---|
| 160 MWh |
Ineligble small businesses
Businesses are ineligible to receive the bill relief if any of the following apply:
- Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief
- If you run your small business using electricity from your home, you are generally not eligible for the small business bill relief
- The business is a government agency, bank, telco
- Accounts with unmetered supply (i.e. park lights, barbeques, car park lighting, etc.).
- Small businesses on an embedded network.
- For the ACT and Victoria, small businesses in embedded networks will not be eligible for the small business bill relief
More info
Power Saving Bonus – https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/
DFFH concessions and benefits – https://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/concessions-and-benefits
ACT Revenue Office – Energy Bill Relief Fund | ACT Revenue Office – Website
Energy Bill Relief Fund – https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/eligible-cards-and-payments-energy-bill-relief-fund-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-fund-small-businesses
Residential (one rebate per household)
| Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| $175 Account Credit | Lower electricity tariffs from relief provided through the ACT’s Large-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme. A household with average electricity consumption is estimated to receive a benefit of $152 per annum. | $175 |
Paid $43.75 quarterly: Current Eligible Customers
Newly Eligible Customers
|
(Payments including GST)
Small Biz (one rebate for all eligible business accounts, not for multiple sites)
| Commonwealth Contribution | State Contribution | Applied as a credit on your electricity bill | When its paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| $325 Account Credit | business will benefit from lower electricity charges flowing from the ACT’s Large-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme. If your business has average electricity use it will receive a reduction in electricity charges of $624 | $325 |
A single payment of $325 will be paid
|
(Payments including GST)
Eligible electricity concession card holders (see list below), people who receive the family tax benefit (A&B) and commonwealth seniors card holders, and some small businesses.
You can get bill relief if you are the primary electricity account holder, or another household member named on the electricity bill.
Your household can only get one bill relief credit, even if there is more than one eligible person living there. You can only get bill relief for your principal place of residence.
If you are eligible and aren’t named on the bill and you pay for electricity, contact your electricity provider to change this to get the bill relief (this is not necessary if you live in Western Australia).
Services Australia will directly contact households that are not already eligible to receive concessions but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme and collect their consent for retailers to verify their details.
We require to verify customers eligibility via Services Australia (Centrelink Confirmation) prior to initiating a payment to a customer.
| Residential Eligibilty | |
|---|---|
| Current Eligible Customer for existing rebates | Expanded cohort – Newly Eligible Customers |
|
|
| If you hold one of these cards in this section, you are already eligible for the exiting scheme | If you hold one of these card in this section, DVA or Services Australia will directly contact households that are not already eligible but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme |
What do I need to do to get it?
If you already receive an eligible electricity concession (see tables above) on your bill, then sit back and relax. The payments will automatically be applied to your energy bill. If you have a valid concession and want to add it to your GloBird energy account, you can do that in seconds via the My Account page.
If you hold or receive any cards or payments that are not already eligible but are eligible to receive bill relief under this scheme, you will be contacted by DVA in July 2023 or Services Australia in September 2023 to tell you what you need to do.
Ineligible concession cards:
The following Commonwealth and State Government issued cards are not eligible for the bill relief:
- Victorian Seniors Card
- “FO” (Foster Care) Health Care Card
- Veterans Affairs White Card for Specific Conditions
- Veterans Affairs Gold Card Dependent.
Small Business
Eligible small businesses
Eligible small businesses that meet the definition of electricity ‘small customer’ according to the thresholds in each jurisdiction will receive bill relief automatically from 1 July 2023. These thresholds are already in use in most jurisdiction to govern business support and consumer protection arrangements for small business electricity consumers. Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief.
The thresholds for each jurisdiction are:
| Annual electricity consumption threshold – must be less than: |
|---|
| 100 MWh |
Ineligble small businesses
Businesses are ineligible to receive the bill relief if any of the following apply:
- Small businesses whose consumption is above the threshold in their jurisdiction will not be eligible for bill relief
- If you run your small business using electricity from your home, you are generally not eligible for the small business bill relief
- The business is a government agency, bank, telco
- Accounts with unmetered supply (i.e. park lights, barbeques, car park lighting, etc.).
- Small businesses on an embedded network.
- For the ACT and Victoria, small businesses in embedded networks will not be eligible for the small business bill relief
More info
Power Saving Bonus – https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/
DFFH concessions and benefits – https://services.dffh.vic.gov.au/concessions-and-benefits
ACT Revenue Office – Energy Bill Relief Fund | ACT Revenue Office – Website
Energy Bill Relief Fund – https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/eligible-cards-and-payments-energy-bill-relief-fund-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-households
- https://www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund/energy-bill-relief-fund-small-businesses