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Eligibility

Victorian businesses can receive discounts when upgrading or installing walk in cold rooms.

Incentives are available for cold rooms:

  • where goods are stored at temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius
  • operating below 0 degrees Celsius (freezers).

There are 3 possible scenarios that are eligible for cold room incentives:

  1. installing an electronic expansion valve and compatible superheat controller
  2. installing an efficient refrigeration system that includes at a minimum 3 of the specified parts
  3. installing a high efficiency refrigeration system that includes at a minimum all 5 of the specified parts.

Victoria’s largest energy users are not eligible unless they opt in to participate. For further information, visit Victorian Energy Upgrades for businesses.

To receive a discount for your cool room upgrade, you must:

  • install or upgrade an old cool room with a new cool room
  • install a cold room with a minimum internal floor area of 4 m2
  • ensure it operates below 0 degrees Celsius (freezers) OR stores goods below 7 degrees Celsius.

How much discount to expect

The level of incentive for the cold room activity is based on the internal floor area of the cold room being installed. The sizes and their corresponding size factor are explained in the table below:

Cold room sizes Size Factor

For cold rooms less than 4 m2 internal floor area

 0 (no incentive offered)

For small cold rooms equal to or greater than 4 m2 and less than or equal to 9 m2 internal floor area

 0.5

For medium cold rooms greater than 9 m2 and less than 24 m2 internal floor area

 1.0

For large cold rooms equal to or greater than 24 m2 internal floor area

 2

Indicative discounts for cold rooms upgrades (businesses only)

For removal of inefficient cool room refrigeration systems see below.

Replacement upgrade Indicative discount*

A small energy-efficient cool room with 2 parts:

  • an EEV (Electronic Expansion Valve)
  • a compatible superheat controller.
 $420

A medium energy-efficient cool room with 3 parts:

  • an efficient digital scroll compressor
  • a speed controller
  • an ECM (Electronically Commutated Motor) evaporator and condenser fan.
 $1,540

A large energy efficient cool room with 5 parts:

  • an EEV
  • a compatible superheat controller
  • an efficient digital scroll compressor
  • variable refrigeration condenser and ambient temperature technology.
  • an ECM with a condenser and evaporator fan and speed control.
 $4,620

* Discounts are based on a cold room that is operating at or above 0°C. These discounts are indicative only.

The price of upgrading and installing cold rooms can vary substantially. Under the VEU program, cold rooms products cannot be free and must meet a minimum customer contribution of $500 (incl. GST) that must be met by all businesses.

Your final installation cost, including your discount, is determined by your accredited provider. This cost depends on your:

  • size of your cold room
  • temperature at which your cold room operates
  • certificate price (which fluctuates)
  • choice of product and/ or upgrade
  • location
  • installation costs
  • accredited provider’s administrative costs.

For more information on certificate prices under the VEU program, please visit Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs).

Find an accredited provider in your area

* Participating accredited providers are published on the Essential Services Commission (ESC) Register of Accredited Persons webpage. For the most up to date list of Accredited Persons working in the cold room activity, please visit the ESC Registry and search Cold Room.

Accredited providers often work with installers who are not listed on the registry.

Please note that as VEU is a market-based program:

  • not all accredited providers listed above will necessarily be offering cold room upgrades at present
  • accredited providers can choose when and where they undertake upgrades.

Page last updated: 30/01/25