Energy Bill Relief Fund
The Energy Bill Relief Fund provides targetted, temporary electricity bill relief to eligible households and small businesses nationwide. This temporary relief will be provided in the 2023-24 financial year.
Eligibility criteria and the total amount of bill relief varies across the states and territories. This payment is in addition to existing government concessions, including the ACT Utilities Concession and the various NSW energy rebates.
For ACT households
The following ACT customers are eligible for financial relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund.
- Customers who are receiving or eligible for the ACT Utilities Concession.
- Plus, customers who aren't eligible for the ACT Utilities Concession but receive Family Tax Benefit, Carer Allowance, or have a DVA Gold Card, Health Care Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
Customers who meet the eligibility criteria must be named as an account holder on their electricity account to receive the bill relief. Bill relief is issued per household to the principal place of residence only.
Eligible households will receive $175. Delivery and application processes vary depending on the eligibility criteria you meet. Please see the table below for more information. The average bill in the ACT will also be $152 lower thanks to the ACT Government's Large-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme.
| Eligibility | How much will I receive and when? | How will I receive it? | How can I apply? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
ACT Services Access Card Low Income Health Care Card Pensioner Concession Card DVA Gold Cards marked with PoW, TPI or War Widow. |
$175 in four equal instalments of $43.75 17 July 2023 |
Electricity bill |
If you already receive the ACT Utilities Concession, bill relief credit will be automatically applied. You don't need to do anything. If you are eligible for the ACT Utilities Concession but don't receive it, you first need to apply for the rebate through ActewAGL. The bill relief credit will then be automatically applied. |
|
All other DVA Gold Cards Health Care Card Carer Allowance Commonwealth Seniors Health Card Family Tax Benefit |
$175 in four equal instalments of $43.75 15 September 2023 |
Electricity bill |
You will be contacted by Services Australia or the Department of Veteran's Affairs from September 2023 with information on what you need to do to receive bill relief. |
For NSW households
The following NSW customers are eligible for financial relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund.
- Customers who are receiving or eligible for a NSW energy rebate.
- Plus, customers who aren't eligible for a NSW energy rebate but receive Carer Allowance or have a Low Income Health Care Card or other DVA Gold Card.
Customers who meet the eligibility criteria must be named as an account holder on their electricity account to receive the bill relief. Bill relief is issued per household to the principal place of residence only.
Eligible households will receive $500. The delivery and application process varies depending on your specific eligibility. Please see the table below for more information.
| Eligibility | How much will I receive and when? | How will I receive it? | How can I apply? |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Health Care Card Pensioner Concession Card Recipients of Life Support Rebate DVA Gold Cards marked with War Widow, War Widower Pension, TPI, or EDA. |
$500 in four equal instalments of $125 31 July 2023 |
Electricity bill |
If you already receive a NSW energy rebate, the bill relief payment will be automatically applied. You don't need to do anything. If you are eligible for a NSW energy rebate but don't receive it, you first need to apply for the rebate through ActewAGL. The bill relief payment will then be automatically applied. |
|
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card |
$500 in one lump-sum payment from 31 July 2023 |
Bank account |
You can apply through the Service NSW website. |
| Family Tax Benefit |
$500 in one lump-sum payment from 31 July 2023 |
Electricity bill |
You can apply through the Service NSW website. |
|
All other DVA Gold Cards Carer Allowance Low Income Health Care Card |
$500 in one lump-sum payment from 4 September 2023 |
Electricity bill |
You will be contacted by Services Australia or the Department of Veteran's Affairs from September 2023 with information on what you need to do to receive bill relief. |
For small businesses
Businesses in the ACT and NSW that consume less than 100MWh annually will be eligible for financial relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund. Some exclusions apply.
In the ACT, eligible businesses will receive $325. The average ACT small business bill will also be $624 lower thanks to the ACT Government's Large-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme.
In NSW, eligible businesses will receive a total of $650 in bill relief.
| Eligibility | How much will I receive and when? | How will I receive it? | How can I apply? | Eligibility exclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ACT small businesses with annual electricity consumption under 100MWh |
A one-off credit of $325 from 17 July 2023 |
Electricity bill |
You don't need to do anything. ActewAGL will determine your eligibility and the bill credit will be automatically applied. |
Businesses using electricity from a residential home. |
|
NSW small businesses with annual electricity consumption under 100MWh |
$650 in four equal instalments of $162.50 31 July 2023 |
Electricity bill |
You don't need to do anything. ActewAGL will determine your eligibility and the bill credit will be automatically applied. |
Businesses using electricity from a residential home. |
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is the Energy Bill Relief Fund?
The Australian Government in partnership with the state and territory governments will provide targetted electricity bill relief to eligible households and small business through the Energy Bill Relief Fund.
-
I already receive a concession or rebate on my electricity bill. Do I need to do anything?
No. If you already receive a concession or rebate on your electricity bill, the energy bill relief credit will be automatically applied by ActewAGL.
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How much bill relief will I receive?
If you live in the ACT, you can receive $175 of bill relief for your eligible household. The average bill in the ACT will also be $152 lower thanks to the ACT Government's Large-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme.
If you live in NSW, you can receive $500 of bill relief for your eligible household.
For small businesses, the bill relief amounts are $325 in the ACT and $650 in NSW. The average ACT small business bill will also be $624 lower thanks to the ACT Government's Large-scale Feed-in Tariff Scheme.
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When will the bill relief start, and how often will payments be made?
This varies based on the eligibility criteria you meet. Please refer to the tables above.
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Who is eligible to receive the relief payment?
For households to be eligible for bill relief, you must be the primary electricity account holder or another named account holder on your electricity account. Additionally, you must hold an eligible concession card or receive an eligible government payment in the state or territory where you live. The bill relief credit is issued per household, even if there are multiple eligible individuals residing there. It is important to note that the relief applies only to your principal place of residence and not to any other properties you own or manage.
For small businesses to be eligible for bill relief, the business's total annual electricity consumption must be under 100MWh. Please note that businesses using electricity from a residential home are not eligible for bill relief.
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What are the eligible concession cards?
Eligibility varies by state and territory. Please refer to the tables above.
For small businesses to be eligible for bill relief, the business's total annual electricity consumption must be under 100MWh. Please note that businesses using electricity from a residential home are not eligible for bill relief.
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How can I request bill relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund?
If you already receive a concession or rebate on your electricity bill, you do not need to request bill relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund. It will be automatically applied to your bill by ActewAGL.
If you are newly eligible for financial relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund, you can advise ActewAGL. You will need to provide your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN) so ActewAGL can verify your eligibility.
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Is this relief payment in addition to the existing concession schemes?
Yes. Bill relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund is in addition to existing concessions and rebates available in the ACT and NSW. If you already receive a concession or rebate on your electricity bill, the energy bill relief credit will be automatically applied by ActewAGL.
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Will I see the payment on my bill?
Yes. In most cases, bill relief credit from the Energy Bill Relief Fund will appear on your electricity bill.
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Where can I find more information?
For more information about the Energy Bill Relief Fund, you can visit www.energy.gov.au/government-priorities/energy-programs/energy-bill-relief-fund.
