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Concessions
As a customer, you may qualify for various concessions administered by EnergyAustralia on behalf of the VIC Government. Eligibility conditions vary and are subject to change from time to time. These concessions may be applied partially or to a whole bill based on your eligibility during a billing period. Please read the information provided for each concession below to see if you are eligible.
For more information in relation to the below concessions, please visit the VIC Government’s website.
If you need an interpreter, please call us on 1300 622 718.
The Annual Electricity Concession is currently calculated at the rate of 17.5% off energy usage and supply costs after deducting any retailer ongoing discounts or solar credits and a deduction of $0.09053 (GST inclusive) per day.
This concession is available all year round on electricity bills up to a cap of $704.99 (GST inclusive). If you exceed this cap, you may apply for an additional concession called the Excess Electricity Concession. If you are close to exceeding the cap or have exceeded the cap, EnergyAustralia will send you the required application form.
To be eligible you must hold one of the following concession cards:
- Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
- Services Australia Health Care Card
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card
The concession can be claimed if:
- The electricity account is in the name of the concession cardholder,
- The supply address is the domestic primary residence of the cardholder and
- The electricity account is billed on a domestic tariff.
To find out more about eligibility for this concession call DFFH on 1800 658 521, view our FAQs or visit the VIC Government’s website.
The Annual Electricity Concession has a yearly cap of $673.75 (incl. GST). Once you are about to reach the limit, or have exceeded the limit, we will automatically send you an application form to complete for the Excess Electricity Concession with your electricity bill. This application form is required to be sent to the VIC Government for approval. Once the VIC Government has provided approval, you’ll be eligible to receive the Excess Electricity Concession.
This concession is simply an extension of the Annual Electricity Concession. The concession is calculated the same way as the Annual Electricity Concession and has the same eligibility criteria.
If you’re already receiving the Life Support Concession or the Medical Cooling Concession, you’ll be automatically eligible to receive the Excess Electricity Concession. You won’t need to complete an application form.
To find out more about eligibility for this concession call DFFH on 1800 658 521, view our FAQs or visit the VIC Government’s website.
The Winter Gas Concession is currently calculated at the rate of 17.5% off energy usage and supply costs after deducting any retailer ongoing discounts and a deduction of $0.06523 (incl. GST) per day.
This concession is available from 1 May to 31 October each year, up to a cap of $425.35 (incl. GST). If you exceed this cap, you may apply for an additional concession called the Excess Gas Concession. If you’re close to exceeding the cap or have exceeded the cap, we’ll send you the required application form.
To be eligible you must hold one of the following concession cards:
- Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
- Services Australia Health Care Card
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card
The concession can be claimed if:
- The gas account is in the name of the concession cardholder,
- The supply address is the domestic primary residence of the cardholder and
- The gas account is billed on a domestic tariff.
To find out more about eligibility for this concession call DFFH on 1800 658 521, view our FAQs or visit the VIC Government’s website.
The Winter Gas Concession has a yearly cap of $425.35 (incl. GST). Once you’re about to reach the limit, or have exceeded the limit, we’ll automatically send you an application form to complete for the Excess Gas Concession with your gas bill. This application form is required to be sent to the VIC Government for approval. Once the VIC Government has approved, you’ll be eligible to receive the Excess Gas Concession.
This concession is simply an extension of the Winter Gas Concession. The concession is calculated the same way as the Winter Gas Concession and has the same eligibility criteria.
If you’re already receiving the Life Support Concession or the Medical Cooling Concession, you’ll be automatically eligible to receive the Excess Gas Concession. You won’t need to complete an application form.
To find out more about eligibility for this concession call DFFH on 1800 658 521, view our FAQs or visit the VIC Government’s website.
The Life Support Concession provides additional financial support to accounts where the account holder or a permanent member of the family uses a qualifying life support machine. The Life Support Concession is equal to the cost of 1,880 kilowatt hours of electricity used per annum.
This concession is available all year round and can also be received in addition to the Annual Electricity Concession.
Qualifying life support machine types:
- Oxygen concentrators
- Intermittent peritoneal dialysis machines
- Haemodialysis machines
Other life support machines can qualify for the Life Support Concession if the machine is approved by the supervising officer at the department.
Customers who have a life support machine that is eligible for the concession or any other type of machine prescribed by a doctor for life support purposes, should contact us to ensure their life support details are added to the EnergyAustralia Life Support Register.
Eligibility is based on the following criteria:
- The electricity account holder or a permanent member of the family must use a qualifying life support machine
- An approved Life Support Concession and Machine Notification application form has been signed by a doctor and returned to us
- The electricity account holder has one of the following concession cards:
- Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
- Services Australia Health Care Card
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card
- The electricity account is in the name of the concession cardholder
- The supply address is the domestic primary residence of the cardholder and
- The electricity account is billed on a domestic tariff
Application form
A copy of the Life Support Concession and Machine Notification application form can be downloaded from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
For applicants with a qualifying life support machine, please send your completed form to:
Post:
EnergyAustralia
Life Support Administrator
Locked Bag 14060
MELBOURNE VIC 8001
Email:
LifeSupport@energyaustralia.com.au
To find out more about eligibility for this concession call DFFH on 1800 658 521, view our FAQs or visit the VIC Government’s website.
The Medical Cooling Concession provides a 17.5% discount off electricity costs over a six month period from 1 November to 30 April each year for accounts where a permanent member of the family has a medical condition that affects the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
Accounts that are eligible for the Medical Cooling Concession will also receive the Annual Electricity Concession.
Qualifying medical conditions include:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Lymphedema
- Parkinson’s disease
- Fibromyalgia
- Post-polio syndrome/poliomyelitis
- Motor neurone disease
All other conditions must be approved by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH).
Eligibility is based on the following criteria:
- The electricity account holder or a permanent member of the family must have a qualifying medical condition that affects the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
- An approved Medical Cooling Concession application form has been signed by a doctor and returned to EnergyAustralia
- The electricity account has an account holder who holds one of the following concession cards:
- Services Australia or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
- Services Australia Health Care Card
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card
- The electricity account is in the name of the concession cardholder,
- The supply address is the domestic primary residence of the cardholder and
- The electricity account is billed on a domestic tariff
Application form
A copy of the latest approved Medical Cooling Concession application form from the DFFH can be downloaded here:
For applicants with a qualifying medical condition, please send your completed form to:
Post:
EnergyAustralia
Life Support Administrator
Locked Bag 14060
MELBOURNE VIC 8001
Email:
LifeSupport@energyaustralia.com.au
For applicants with a non-qualifying medical condition, please send completed form to:
Department of Health and Human Services
Concessions Unit
GPO Box 4057
Melbourne VIC 3001
To find out more about eligibility for this concession call DFFH on 1800 658 521, view our FAQs or visit the VIC Government’s website.
The Utility Relief Grant Scheme provides help to pay an electricity or gas bill that is overdue due to a temporary financial crisis. The relief is available to both renters and homeowners.
You can apply for the Utility Relief Grant Scheme if:
- you live in Victoria
- the account holder has one of the following eligible concession cards:
- Services Australia or Department of Veterans’ Affairs Pensioner Concession Card
- Services Australia Health Care Card
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card
If you don’t have one of these cards but are part of a low-income household, you may also be able to apply. You must also show that you have no way of paying the account without assistance and are at risk of disconnection, and you must meet one of the following criteria:
- You or someone in your house has experienced family violence
- You have had a recent decrease in income, for example, lost your job
- You have had high unexpected costs for essential items
- The cost of shelter is more than 30% of your household income
The amount of the grant is based on the amount you owe at the time of application. It is also based on the reasons you have given for applying in your application form.
You can apply for separate grants for your electricity and gas accounts.
If you wish to apply for this grant, phone EnergyAustralia on 133 466 to request an application form. EnergyAustralia will ask you some questions to check if you are eligible before issuing you an application form.
To find out more about eligibility for this concession call Department of Families, Fairness and Housing on 1800 658 521, view our FAQs or visit the VIC Government’s website.
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