Rebates & concessions for electricity, gas and water accounts

Written by Mark Shalovsky, Link Wentworth resident

In the last issue in October 2022, I set out details of how tenants might find the small microfinance loans that are offered by Good Shepherd helpful. The purpose of this article is to set out details of the range of government rebates and concessions that are available to help tenants with their electricity, gas and water accounts.

Many tenants may, particularly, be facing high electricity and gas accounts now after over two years of the coronavirus pandemic and an unusually cold and wet winter.

As a first step, always speak directly with your utility provider. It should have a hardship program. This is now a legal requirement in New South Wales for electricity and gas providers. Joining the hardship program will also protect you from the risk of disconnection and the further costs of getting reconnected.

There are 12 rebates and concessions that are currently available. Most are provided by the NSW Government and some are provided by the federal government. The 9 rebates and concessions that will be helpful for most Link Wentworth tenants are:

Entitlement rebates for very low income earners

Low Income Household Rebate
This is a rebate of $285 per year ($71.25 per quarter) to assist with payment of electricity accounts. It is paid quarterly. To be eligible, you must be on a very low income and this is defined as being entitled to some type of social security benefits.

NSW Gas Rebate
This is similar to the Low Income Household Rebate. It is a rebate of $110 per year ($27.50 per quarter) to assist with payment of gas accounts. It is paid quarterly. Again, you must be on a very low income and be entitled to social security benefits.

NSW Family Energy Rebate
This is a rebate to assist families with both electricity and gas accounts. The rebate is $180 per year (or a partial rebate of $20 per year for families who have already claimed the Low Income Household Rebate). It is to assist families who are on a very low income and who are already receiving the Family Tax Benefit from Centrelink. You need to reapply for this rebate each year.

Utilities Allowance
This is a rebate that is offered by the federal government. It is paid through Centrelink. It is to assist children and young adults who are disabled with payment of electricity, gas and water accounts. The rebate is $708.40 per year ($177.10 per quarter). It is paid quarterly. To be eligible, you must be under 21, single, have no dependents and be receiving the Disability Support Pension.

Entitlement rebates for medical conditions

Medical Energy Rebate
This is a medical rebate to assist people who have a medical condition that prevents them from regulating their body temperature. The rebate is for up to $285 per year. It is paid quarterly. Medical evidence is required.

Life Support Rebate
Like the Medical Energy Rebate, this is a medical rebate to assist people who need to use energy intensive life support equipment. Examples include home dialysis, ventilators and oxygen concentrators. The rebate varies from $40.15 to $1,343.20 per year depending on the type of equipment that is required and the number of hours that it is used each day. Medical evidence is required. You need to reapply for this rebate every two years.

Essential Medical Equipment Payment (EMEP)
This is a medical rebate that is offered by the federal government. It is to assist both people who have a medical condition that prevents them from regulating their body temperature and people who have a medical condition that requires life support equipment or some other eligible medical equipment. It is similar to the Medical Energy Rebate and the Life Support Rebate that are offered by the NSW government but it covers a wider range of medical conditions.

For example, it includes insulin pumps, airbed vibrators and electric wheelchairs. The rebate is $164 per year for heating and cooling plus $164 per year for each item of essential medical equipment. Medical evidence may be required.

Other concessions for both very low and low income earners

For both of these concessions, you are not automatically entitled to them and you will need to go through an assessment.

Energy Accounts Payment Assistance Scheme (EAPA) Vouchers
The purpose of this concession is to assist with electricity and gas accounts. You can apply for one-off vouchers of $50 up to a maximum of $400 through Service NSW or an approved EAPA provider such as Mission Australia, The Salvation Army or the St Vincent de Paul Society. Tenants who work but receive only a low income, such as affordable housing tenants, might also be eligible.

Water Payment Assistance Scheme (PAS) Credits
The purpose of this concession is to assist with water accounts. You can apply for credits of up to $150. Again, it is a one-off payment.

Further information about these rebates and concessions is available on the website of the NSW Energy & Water Ombudsman (EWON). You can also complete this online Service NSW form to receive a list of rebates and concessions that you may be eligible for. In my own case, I have applied for Energy Accounts Payment Assistance Scheme Vouchers for assistance with electricity accounts twice now and it has been a great help to me. Perhaps these rebates and concessions can help you too.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are my personal opinions. They do not represent the opinions of Link Wentworth. The information in this article is provided for the benefit of tenants as information only. Details are accurate as at 30 October 2022. Interested tenants should confirm that the concession or rebate that they are interested in is still available.

This article originally appeared in the December 2022 edition of Link Wentworth’s resident newsletter