Victoria

Eligibility: Concession cardholder household with annual electricity bills in excess of $2890.45 (approximately double the average household amount) will need to apply for the excess electricity concession to continue to receive the 17.5% concession on energy consumed above this amount (see below).

Benefit: The annual electricity concession provides a 17.5% rebate off eligible customers’ annual electricity bill (includes usage and supply costs). The concession applies after any Powershop discounts or solar feed-in credits, but does not apply to the first $188.76 of the annual bill.

To check your eligibility or apply for the annual electricity concession, please contact us on 1800 462 668.

For more information on the annual electricity concession, please visit the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) website.

Eligibility: If you are a concession cardholder and electricity bills are reaching the annual threshold (in excess of $2890.45), we will send you an email advising you of this and the relevant form to complete.

Complete and sign the form and return it to:
Concessions Unit – Excess Energy Concession
Department of Health and Human Services
PO BOX 38
Laverton Vic 3028

Once you have submitted your application form the DHHS will determine your eligibility for the concession.

Benefit: The excess electricity concession provides a 17.5% rebate off eligible customers’ annual electricity bill if it is in excess of $2890.45.

For more information on the excess electricity concession, please visit the DHHS website.

Eligibility: If you are a concession cardholder and your gas bills are approaching the threshold for the winter period, we will send you an email advising you of this and the relevant form to complete.

Complete and sign the form and return it.

By post
Concessions Unit – Excess Energy Concession
Department of Health and Human Services
PO BOX 38
Laverton Vic 3028

By email
eec@dhhs.vic.gov.au

Once you have submitted your application form the DHHS will determine your eligibility for the excess gas concession.

Benefit: The excess gas concession provides a 17.5% rebate off eligible customers’ gas usage and supply costs (after Powershop’s discounts have been applied) above $1587.82 over the winter period (1 May to 31 October).

For more information on the excess gas concession, please visit the DHHS website.

Eligibility: Victorian households where a member of the family has a medical condition that affects the body’s ability to regulate temperature. The family member does not have to be named on the account. The concession is available 1 November to 30 April each year and applies in addition to the annual electricity concession.

Qualifying conditions include multiple sclerosis, lymphoedema, Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, post-polio syndrome/poliomyelitis, and motor neurone disease. If you have another condition which causes you to be unable to self-regulate your body temperature, you may apply to the DHHS to be considered for the concession.

Benefit: 17.5% discount on summer electricity bills

To apply for the medical cooling concession, please download and complete the Medical Cooling Concession Application form, and return it to us by email, fax or post (see our contact details page).

For more information on the medical cooling concession, please visit the DHHS website.

The service to property charge concession is available for customers who have very low electricity usage.

Eligibility: To qualify for this concession the cost of your electricity usage must be less than the cost of your service to property charge (ie the daily supply charge). Powershop’s discounts and solar feed-in credits will not be taken into account.

Benefit: The concession reduces the daily supply charge to the cost of the total electricity usage cost for the billing period.

Once you register your eligible concession card details with us, the concession will automatically be applied to your monthly bill when your daily supply charge is greater than the cost of your electricity usage.

For more information on the service to property charge concession, please visit the DHHS website.

Eligibility: The controlled load electricity concession is available for customers who incur controlled load charges. Controlled load charges apply to separately metered electric hot water and/ or slab heating measured on eligible dual element meters. The concession only applies to the controlled load component of the bill.

Benefit: The concession provides eligible customers with a 13% discount off the controlled load charges of your bill (Powershop’s discounts will not be taken into account) and is available on all monthly bills issued throughout the year. You may receive other concessions in addition to the controlled load electricity concession.

For more information on the controlled load electricity concession, please visit the DHHS website.

Eligibility: The life support concession is available for account holders who hold a valid concession card and require, or someone else at the property requires, the use of an approved life support machine. Approved machines are those that use at least 1880 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, including intermittent peritoneal dialysis machines, oxygen concentrators, and haemodialysis machines.

Applications for other types of machines must be approved by the DHHS. Most continuous positive airways pressure machines do not meet this threshold.

Benefit: The concession is equal to the cost of 1880 kilowatt hours of electricity used per annum.

To receive your life support concession please download the Life Support Concession and Machine Notification form and complete all sections, including obtaining authorisation from a registered medical practitioner, and return it to us by email, fax or post (see our contact details page).

Please note, irrespective of your eligibility for the life support concession, you still need to register your property as requiring the use of life support equipment to ensure the ongoing supply of electricity and your safety. Please refer to our life support equipment page for more information.

For more information on the life support concession, please visit the DHHS website.

Eligibility: The utility relief grant is available to customers who are unable to pay for their electricity, gas or water usage due to a short-term financial crisis. To be eligible for the grant, you must have no way of paying your account without assistance and satisfy at least one of three criteria set by the DHHS.

Benefit: The grant amount will be based on your outstanding account balance at the time you apply for the grant and the reasons you provide in your application. You can receive a maximum of $650 on each utility type (ie electricity, gas and water) in a two-year period or $1,300 for households with a single source of energy (eg electricity only). If you receive less than the maximum, you are eligible to apply for another grant without waiting for two years. The utility relief grant does not need to be paid back.

Call us on 1800 462 668 to discuss whether the grant is available to you.

For more information on the utility relief grant, please visit the DHHS website.

Eligibility and benefit: The electricity transfer fee waiver provides a full waiver of the fee that is normally payable to the electricity retailer when you move into a new property. The waiver does not include new connection fees or fees associated with switching electricity retailers (eg contract exit fees or special meter read fees).

For more information on the electricity transfer fee waiver, please visit the DHHS website.