Energy Rebates Australia 2026 — The $300 Credit Is Gone. Here’s What You Can Still Claim.

The federal Energy Bill Relief Fund is over. It ended on 31 December 2025 — and it is the single biggest reason Australian electricity bills jumped 37 per cent in the year to February 2026, according to the ABS. The $75 quarterly credits that appeared automatically on millions of electricity accounts throughout 2024 and 2025 are gone, and there is no universal replacement locked in at the federal level.

But that does not mean all energy rebates in Australia have disappeared. Here is a clear breakdown of what ended, what is still available in 2026, and what you can do right now to reduce your energy costs.

What Just Ended — The Energy Bill Relief Fund Explained

The federal Energy Bill Relief Fund was a temporary program that provided automatic credits directly to electricity accounts. It was never designed to be permanent — it was crisis relief introduced as energy prices surged globally.

Over two years the program delivered:

• 2024-25 financial year: Up to $300 per eligible household — the equivalent of two years of federal investment totalling $3.5 billion
• 2025 extension (July to December 2025): Up to $150 per household in two $75 quarterly instalments — backed by an additional $1.8 billion

The credits appeared automatically on electricity bills labelled “Australian Government Energy Bill Relief.” Most households did not need to do anything to receive them.

When those credits stopped on 31 December 2025, bills jumped — not because electricity got more expensive overnight, but because the government subsidy that had been softening the cost was no longer there. The ABS confirmed this clearly: electricity prices rose 37 per cent out of pocket in the year to February 2026. Stripping out the rebate effect, the underlying electricity price rise was 4.9 per cent.

For the full breakdown of what happened to electricity prices and why, see our electricity prices guide.

What Is Still Available in 2026 — State Concession Rebates

The federal universal rebate is gone — but targeted state and territory rebates for concession card holders, pensioners, low-income households, and people with medical conditions are still active. Up to 41 per cent of eligible Australians are not claiming the concessions they are entitled to, according to research by the Consumer Policy Research Centre.

Here is what is still available by state as of April 2026:

New South Wales

• Low Income Household Rebate: $285 per year (or $313.50 for embedded network customers) for eligible Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, and DVA card holders. Apply directly with your electricity retailer or through the Service NSW portal.
• Gas Rebate: $110 per year retail / $121 embedded network for eligible concession card holders on gas accounts.
• Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA): Emergency energy hardship vouchers for households in crisis. Available through community organisations across NSW.
• Medical Energy Rebate: For those with a medical condition making it difficult to self-regulate body temperature, requiring additional energy use.

Victoria

• Annual Electricity Concession: Available to eligible concession card holders — applied as a percentage discount on electricity usage and supply charges.
• Medical Cooling Concession: For Victorians with a medical condition requiring additional cooling — additional discount applied to electricity bills.
• Winter Gas Concession: Gas discounts for eligible concession card holders during winter months.
• Life Support Concession: Rebates for households with energy-intensive life support equipment.
• Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU): Discounts on energy-efficient appliances and upgrades through accredited providers — available to all Victorian households, not just concession holders.

Queensland

• Electricity and Natural Gas Rebate: $386.34 per year (electricity) and $92.12 per year (gas) for eligible pensioners, seniors, and veterans holding a concession card.
• Medical Cooling and Heating Concession: For those medically unable to regulate body temperature.
• Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme: One-off concession for households experiencing acute financial difficulty with energy bills.

South Australia

• Energy Bill Concession: Annual electricity concession for eligible concession card holders, reducing usage and supply charges.
• Medical Heating and Cooling Concession: For those with a diagnosed medical condition requiring additional temperature regulation.

Western Australia

• Hardship Utility Grant Scheme (HUGS): Emergency grants for households in genuine financial hardship.
• Life Support Rebate: For households with medically necessary life support equipment.
• Note: WA electricity is not deregulated in the same way as eastern states — Synergy is the dominant retailer and has its own hardship and concession programs.

ACT

• Life Support rebate: For eligible customers requiring electrically operated life support equipment.
• ACT Home Energy Support Program (HESP): Up to 50 per cent off solar panel installation costs, capped at $2,500, for eligible concession card holders.

How to Check What You Are Entitled To

The fastest way to find out what concessions apply to your situation is:

Step 1: Check the energy.gov.au rebates page — the official federal government directory of all current state and territory energy rebate programs. Filter by your state and your household type.

Step 2: Contact your electricity or gas retailer directly and ask whether any concessions are currently applied to your account. Many eligible households are not receiving concessions simply because the retailer does not have their concession card details on file.

Step 3: If you hold a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, or DVA card, confirm your details are linked to your energy account. Automatic application only works if the retailer has current concession card information.

Compare Your Plan — You May Be Paying More Than You Need To

Beyond concession rebates, the ACCC warned in December 2025 that households who have been on the same electricity plan for more than a year are very likely paying more than they need to. Retailers offer their best rates to new customers — loyalty is financially penalised in Australia’s energy market.

The official government comparison tools are free, independent, and easy to use:

• EnergyMadeEasy.gov.au — covers NSW, Queensland, SA, ACT, and Tasmania
• Victorian Energy Compare — covers Victoria specifically

Enter your recent bill details, your postcode, and your usage to see all available plans ranked by annual cost. Switching retailer does not interrupt supply. It takes a few weeks to process and can save hundreds of dollars per year.

Federal Incentives Still Running — Solar and Battery Programs

While the universal bill credits are over, the federal government’s longer-term energy incentive programs remain active in 2026 and deliver significantly more value than the $150 rebate they replace.

Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs) — solar panels: The federal solar rebate provides $2,000 to $3,000 off the installed cost of a typical 6.6kW solar system. Applied automatically by your installer as a point-of-sale discount. The scheme runs until 31 December 2030 but shrinks each year — installing in 2026 locks in a higher rebate than waiting.

Cheaper Home Batteries Program: Provides approximately 30 per cent off eligible battery systems — around $3,720 off a standard 10kWh battery. Runs until 2030. Applied by your installer at point of sale.

Community Solar Banks Program: For households in apartments or multi-unit dwellings who cannot install rooftop solar, this federal program supports shared solar installations in NSW, WA, VIC, ACT, NT, and SA.

For the full picture of how solar savings work in 2026, see our solar power savings guide.

State Solar and Battery Incentives Still Active in 2026

Several states still offer additional solar and battery incentives on top of the federal STC rebate:

What If You Are Struggling to Pay Your Bill Right Now?

If rising electricity costs have pushed your bills into genuine hardship territory, there are options beyond rebate programs:

Payment plans: All Australian energy retailers are required by law to offer payment plans to customers in financial difficulty. Call your retailer before your bill is overdue — once an account goes to debt collection, options narrow.

Hardship programs: Major retailers including AGL, Origin, EnergyAustralia, and Red Energy all have dedicated hardship teams and programs that can include payment deferrals, debt waiver for eligible customers, and connection to government assistance.

EAPA vouchers (NSW): The Energy Accounts Payment Assistance scheme provides emergency vouchers to eligible NSW households experiencing energy hardship — available through community welfare organisations.

Financial counselling: The National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007) provides free financial counselling and can help you navigate energy hardship, concession applications, and retailer negotiations.

Key Takeaways — Energy Rebates Australia 2026

The federal Energy Bill Relief Fund ended 31 December 2025. There is no universal replacement. But targeted state concession rebates remain active for eligible pensioners, concession card holders, and low-income households in every state. Up to 41 per cent of eligible Australians are not claiming the concessions they are entitled to — check your eligibility now through energy.gov.au/rebates. The federal solar STC rebate and Cheaper Home Batteries Program remain the strongest financial support available for households willing to invest in long-term energy independence.

The best near-term action for most households is to compare energy plans using EnergyMadeEasy.gov.au, confirm concession card details are on file with your retailer, and explore solar if your roof and finances are suitable. For the full picture of what is driving energy costs and how solar changes the maths, see our solar power savings guide and our electricity prices guide.

This article is for general informational purposes only and reflects the author’s own research and understanding of publicly available information. Rebate programs, eligibility criteria, and payment amounts change regularly. Always verify current availability directly with your state government, energy retailer, or at energy.gov.au before making decisions.