Energy Bill Relief Fund

The Commonwealth Government has partnered with states and territories to provide up to $3.5 billion of electricity bill relief to eligible households and small businesses to ease cost of living pressures.

Victorian households will receive up to $300 and eligible small businesses will receive up to $325 to help with the cost of their electricity bills. Households will receive their payments in quarterly instalments ($75 per quarter), with small businesses to receive a one-off payment ($325).

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: Australian households and eligible small businesses with electricity bills may receive up to $150 in energy bill rebates from 1 July 2025 to the end of 2025.

To access the energy bill relief rebate, households must:

• old an active electricity account with an energy retailer for their place of residence
• use their electricity account for domestic use only. Commercial properties are not eligible to receive the household bill relief.

To access the energy bill relief rebate, small businesses must have:

• an active ABN as listed on the Australian Business Register
• a separately metered business tariff
• an annual electricity consumption below 40 MWh.

Most households and small businesses will have their rebates applied automatically by their electricity retailer and will not be required to take any action.

Households

Victorian households will receive their payments in quarterly instalments of $75. The first instalments commenced in August 2024.

Small business

Eligible Victorian small businesses will receive a one-off payment of $325. Payments commenced in August 2024.

Most households and small businesses will have their rebates applied automatically by their electricity retailer and will not be required to take any action.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: eligible Victorian small businesses may receive an additional one-off payment of $150 from 1 July 2025.

The rebate should appear on your electricity bill in the 'Understand your bill' section or where your retailer provides an itemised breakdown of any payments or credits.

You should see a row with the 'Australian Government Energy Relief' description and the credited amount.

Yes. The Energy Bill Relief will provide a rebate of up to $300 for households, including concession card holders.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: eligible concession card holders may receive an additional $150 over two instalments from 1 July 2025.

No, the Energy Bill Relief payment only applies to electricity accounts.

Renting households and small businesses can access the Energy Bill Relief if they meet the eligibility requirements.

Changing retailer or moving house will not affect a household’s rebate if they still have an active electricity account on the relevant dates.

For example, if a household changes retailer after the first $75 rebate, they will receive the remaining $75 payments on subsequent bills under the next retailer.

No. The bill relief will be applied on an account basis. Customer accounts with multiple meters (multiple addresses connected) can only receive the rebate once.

If you receive multiple bills for the account, your retailer will determine which bill receives the rebate.

No. To receive energy bill relief, a customer must be separately metered and charged for their electricity supply/consumption.

No. The $325 rebate will be applied on an account basis (i.e. one rebate per small business customer account, regardless of how many sites/premises are connected to the account).

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: eligible Victorian small businesses may receive an additional payment of $150 from 1 July 2025.

If you are a sole trader that is operating a business from home and your consumption is separately metered (i.e. on a small business tariff), you will be eligible for the rebate.

If your consumption is on a residential tariff, you will not be eligible for the rebate.

Yes. The Energy Bill Relief will still be applied to the electricity account and any credit should be carried over to future bills or manage the credit in line with existing retailer policies.

No. The rebates are not taxable or relevant for GST purposes. The rebate should be applied after the GST-inclusive total has been calculated.

In Victoria, payments commenced in August 2024. The timing of the first credit may vary depending on your retailer and billing cycle. Please contact your electricity retailer if you have not received the first credit.

In Victoria, eligible small businesses will receive a one-off credit of $325. Payments commenced in August 2024, please contact your electricity retailer if you have not received your payment.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: eligible Victorian small businesses may receive an additional one-off payment of $150 from 1 July 2025.

Yes. Households in embedded networks (such as where you receive electricity from your strata or landlord in a caravan park, apartment building or retirement home or village) are eligible for the bill relief payment.

Households in embedded networks can apply for the bill relief payment on Victorian Energy Compare.

The Energy Bill Relief payment for embedded network households will be provided as a one-off payment of $300 and will be paid via bank cheque or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). In certain circumstances, it may be necessary for your payment to be made via bank cheque.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: As part of the energy bill relief extension, embedded network customers may receive an additional payment of $150. Further guidance will be provided on how to access the payment once details are known.

To reduce administrative burden and due to the complexity of embedded networks and system limitations, households in embedded networks will receive one-off payments of $300.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: As part of the energy bill relief extension, embedded network customers may receive an additional payment of $150 from 1 July 2025.  Further guidance will be provided on how to access the payment once details are known.

If you live in a retirement village, caravan park or some apartment buildings, it is likely that you receive your electricity through an embedded network. Use the following steps to determine whether your property is in an embedded network:

• check your electricity bill or invoice. If you can see a National Metering Identifier (NMI) on your bill, you are unlikely to live in an embedded network
• speak to the body corporation or property manager and ask if your property is part of an embedded network for your electricity supply
• you can visit the Essential Services Commission public register to check whether you are in an embedded network. Please note that some embedded networks are not included in the list.

No. Households in embedded networks can access the 2024-25 Energy Bill Relief payment via an application on Victorian Energy Compare.

Households will receive a one-off payment of $300 which will be paid directly to the customer via cheque payment or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: As part of the energy bill relief extension, embedded network customers may receive an additional payment of $150 from 1 July 2025. Further guidance will be provided on how to access the payment once details are known.

If you are an embedded network customer of Origin, WinConnect or Momentum you will automatically receive your Energy Bill Relief payment through your retailer.

Yes. Small businesses in embedded networks that have a separately metered business tariff and an annual electricity consumption below 40 MWh are eligible for the payment.

Small businesses in embedded networks can apply for the bill relief payment on Victorian Energy Compare.

The Energy Bill Relief payment for embedded network small businesses will be provided as a one-off payment of $325 and will be paid via bank cheque.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: eligible Victorian small businesses may receive an additional payment of $150 from 1 July 2025. Further guidance will be provided on how to access the payment once details are known.

To reduce administrative burden and due to the complexity of embedded networks and system limitations, small businesses in embedded networks will receive one-off payments of $325.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: eligible Victorian small businesses may receive an additional payment of $150 from 1 July 2025. Further guidance will be provided on how to access the payment once details are known.

No. Small businesses in embedded networks can access the 2024-25 Energy Bill Relief payment via an application on Victorian Energy Compare. Businesses will receive a one-off payment of $325 which will be paid directly to the customer.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension 2025-26: eligible Victorian small businesses may receive an additional payment of $150 from 1 July 2025. Further guidance will be provided on how to access the payment once details are known.

If you are an embedded network customer of Origin, WinConnect or Momentum you will automatically receive your Energy Bill Relief payment through your retailer.