New South Wales
NSW energy rebates 2026: what is still open and who qualifies
There are two completely different things called a NSW energy rebate. One is a credit on your electricity bill for households holding an eligible concession card or receiving Family Tax Benefit. The other is a discount on an upgrade such as hot water, lighting or a pool pump, delivered through the state energy schemes. This page covers both, because most people searching for one do not know the other exists.
Applications for the 2026-27 bill rebates opened on 10 August 2026. The federal $300 and $150 bill credits have ended. Amounts below checked 11 October 2026.
1. Rebates that come off your electricity bill
These are NSW Government concessions for households. They are not connected to any upgrade, product or installer. They are a credit on your energy account, or a payment made to you, if you meet the criteria. Most are not automatic, and the most common reason people miss out is simply never asking.
| Rebate | 2026-27 amount | Who it is for | How to claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low Income Household Rebate | $285 $313.50 embedded network | Holders of a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or DVA Veteran Gold Card, with the electricity account in their name | Retail customers: ask your electricity retailer, it is applied as a bill credit. Embedded network: apply through Service NSW, paid to your bank account |
| Family Energy Rebate | Up to $180 $198 embedded network. Partial rate $20 ($22) | Electricity account holders who received Family Tax Benefit in 2025-26, lodged their 2025-26 tax return and had the FTB finalised | Apply through Service NSW online or by post, with your CRN and the Services Australia letter confirming FTB was finalised. Credited to your bill |
| Seniors Energy Rebate | $200 | Self-funded retirees holding a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. Not Pensioner Concession Card or Gold Card holders | Apply through Service NSW with a bill issued on or after 1 July 2026. Paid into your bank account |
| Medical Energy Rebate | $285 | Concession card holders where someone in the home cannot regulate their body temperature, certified by a doctor who has treated them for at least 3 months | Form to your retailer, credited daily on each bill. Embedded network customers apply through Service NSW |
| NSW Gas Rebate | $110 $121 embedded network or bottled LPG | The same four concession cards, with a natural gas account or bottled LPG over 45 kg. Not Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders | Ask your gas retailer. Bottled LPG and embedded network customers apply through Service NSW |
| Life Support Rebate | Up to $1,343.20 | Anyone whose doctor certifies approved life support equipment is needed at home. No concession card needed | Form to your retailer, credited daily on each bill. Reapply every 4 years and when you change retailer |
| Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) | Up to $400 electricity and $400 gas per application Up to 2 applications, $1,600 in total | Households in a short-term crisis or financial hardship who cannot pay their current bill | Apply through Service NSW online or through an EAPA provider. Paid straight onto your energy account |
Amounts are the NSW Government figures for 2026-27 (financial year 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027), checked 11 October 2026. Applications opened 10 August 2026 and no closing date has been published. Embedded network amounts for the Low Income and Gas rebates are the rates commonly quoted, so confirm yours with Service NSW on 13 77 88 or at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/ before relying on them.
The Australian Government’s Energy Bill Relief Fund paid $300 to every household in 2024-25, then $150 from July to December 2025. It finished on 31 December 2025 and was not extended, so there is no federal bill credit in 2026-27. The $500 figure many people remember dates from 2023-24, when federal and state governments jointly funded targeted relief. If you are looking for a rebate on your bill now, the NSW rebates in the table above are what is still open.
The rules people get wrong
- You cannot hold both the Low Income Household Rebate and the Seniors Energy Rebate. It is one or the other, one per household each year.
- The Family Energy Rebate drops sharply if you also receive the Low Income Household Rebate. The partial rate is $20 ($22 embedded network) rather than the full $180.
- Last year’s amounts are still on a lot of websites. Seniors was $250 and Low Income $350 in 2024-25. Both were cut back from 1 July 2025 and stay at $200 and $285 for 2026-27.
- Embedded network customers apply differently. If you pay your strata, retirement village, caravan park or building manager for electricity instead of a retailer, you are an on-supply customer. The application goes through Service NSW rather than a retailer, and this group is the most likely to miss out entirely.
- Most of these are not automatic. Holding the card does not apply the rebate. Someone has to ask, and the Family and Seniors rebates are claimed again each financial year.
If you cannot pay a bill right now
- Call your retailer first and ask for the hardship team. Every NSW electricity and gas retailer must offer payment plans and a hardship program.
- Apply for EAPA through Service NSW or an EAPA provider. It is paid straight onto the account.
- Book a free Savings Finder appointment with Service NSW on 13 77 88 to check every rebate you can get.
- If a dispute with your retailer is not resolved, the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW is free and independent: 1800 246 545 or https://www.ewon.com.au/.
They are NSW Government concessions. Apply through Service NSW on 13 77 88, at https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/, or by contacting your energy retailer directly. This page is here so you know what exists.
2. Rebates that come off the price of an upgrade
The second kind is entirely different. Instead of crediting your bill, NSW and the federal government subsidise replacing inefficient equipment with efficient equipment: hot water systems, air conditioning, pool pumps, batteries and solar. The discount is applied to the job by an accredited provider, so you see it as a lower price rather than a payment.
There is no concession card requirement for most of these. Eligibility depends on your postcode, the equipment you are replacing and current scheme rules. That is the part this site checks.
Home Energy Saver: a $15,000 zero-interest loan
The NSW Government’s Home Energy Saver loan has been open since 17 June 2026. It lends up to $15,000 at 0% interest, repaid over up to ten years, to owner occupiers and landlords with a combined taxable household income up to $210,000. It is arranged through an approved finance provider, and the seller has to take every ESS, PDRS and STC discount off first, so the loan only covers what is left.
- Covered: rooftop solar, home batteries, heat pump and electric-boosted solar water heaters, reverse cycle air conditioning, ceiling insulation, double glazing, induction cooktops replacing gas, Level 2 EV chargers, draught proofing, ceiling fans, switchboard upgrades and NatHERS assessments.
- Not covered: pool pumps and LED lighting.
- Solar, batteries and EV chargers must be bought from a New Energy Tech Consumer Code Approved Seller.
- The separate discount of up to $4,000 for households earning up to $80,000 or holding a concession card, including renters with the landlord’s consent, has been announced but is not open yet.
Details: https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/home-energy-saver
What changed for upgrade discounts in 2026
- Heat pump hot water: still open, with the NSW incentive and federal STCs both taken off the price. The STC part drops by about 20% for systems installed from 1 January 2027, and the higher Safeguard Acceleration incentives offered through some installers run until June 2027. Installed prices are on the NSW hot water rebate page.
- Air conditioning: from 1 July 2026 the minimum co-payment is $500 for systems under 10 kW, and multi-split systems are now eligible.
- Pool pumps: still open with a $200 ex GST minimum co-payment. The peak demand part is worth very little in 2026-27 because the scheme target was cut. See the NSW pool pump rebate page.
- Batteries: the NSW upfront battery rebate was suspended from 1 July 2025. What remains is a variable incentive for joining a virtual power plant, which no longer needs solar from 1 July 2026. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount is 6.8 STCs per usable kWh until 31 December 2026 and drops to 5.7 from 1 January 2027. See the NSW battery rebate page.
- Gas appliances: scheme discounts for installing new gas water heaters, gas space heaters and gas boilers ended on 30 June 2026.
Programs
Upgrade schemes that may apply
NSW Energy Savings Scheme (ESS)
Discounts on energy-saving upgrades such as hot water, lighting and appliances for homes and businesses, delivered through accredited certificate providers.
NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS)
Incentives that reduce peak demand, including a connection incentive for batteries joined to an approved Virtual Power Plant (VPP). Runs 2022 to 2050. See the NSW solar battery rebate page for the 2026 amounts.
Federal solar incentive (STCs)
Upfront discount on eligible rooftop solar and on heat pump and solar water heaters, available to NSW homes and businesses. It drops by about 20% for systems installed from 1 January 2027.
Cheaper Home Batteries Program
Around 30% off an eligible battery, which can be combined with the NSW VPP incentive. The rate steps down on 1 January 2027 and every six months after. See the federal battery rebate page.
Programs and amounts change regularly and depend on your circumstances. Details are indicative and should be verified against current scheme rules.
Upgrades
Upgrades commonly supported in NSW
Not every upgrade is supported in every area. The checker shows what may apply at your postcode.
For business
Business energy upgrades in NSW
NSW businesses upgrade through the Energy Savings Scheme (ESS), with a few 2026 changes worth knowing.
Commercial LED lighting
Office and retail fluorescent lighting is upgraded to LED through the small-business HEER route ($33 co-payment). The large-scale ESS Commercial Lighting method closed to new work on 31 March 2026.
Commercial lighting →Commercial refrigeration
ESS certificate support now focuses on remote refrigerated cabinets with a customer co-payment (not free); plug-in display fridges sit largely outside the scheme.
Commercial refrigeration →Commercial hot water
The ESS supports commercial heat-pump hot water for business sites, delivered as an upfront discount on the install.
Commercial hot water →What affects eligibility
- Your location and postcode
- Property type (residential or commercial)
- Your existing equipment and what you are replacing
- Current scheme rules, targets and funding
- Installer and provider availability in your area
- Final assessment by an approved provider or scheme participant
FAQ
Questions
No. The $300 was the federal Energy Bill Relief Fund credit for 2024-25, followed by $150 from July to December 2025. It ended on 31 December 2025 and was not extended. The NSW bill rebates are still open for 2026-27: $285 for the Low Income Household Rebate, $200 for the Seniors Energy Rebate and up to $180 for the Family Energy Rebate.
It depends which rebate. The Low Income Household Rebate is for holders of a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or DVA Veteran Gold Card. The Family Energy Rebate is for households that received Family Tax Benefit in 2025-26 and have had it finalised. The Seniors Energy Rebate is for self-funded retirees with a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. The Life Support Rebate needs no concession card. Separately, the NSW upgrade schemes have no concession card requirement and depend on your postcode and the equipment being replaced.
For 2026-27 the NSW Government amounts are $285 for the Low Income Household Rebate, up to $180 for the Family Energy Rebate, $200 for the Seniors Energy Rebate, $285 for the Medical Energy Rebate, $110 for the Gas Rebate and up to $1,343.20 for the Life Support Rebate. EAPA pays up to $400 for electricity and $400 for gas per application, up to $1,600 in total. Embedded network customers receive slightly higher amounts.
Applications for 2026-27 opened on 10 August 2026. No closing date has been published. The Family and Seniors rebates are claimed through Service NSW each financial year, and for the Seniors rebate you need a bill issued on or after 1 July 2026.
No. It is $200 for 2026-27, the same as 2025-26, and is still only for Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders. It was $250 in 2024-25, which is the figure many websites still show. Pensioner Concession Card and Veteran Gold Card holders get the Low Income Household Rebate instead.
Retail customers ask their electricity or gas retailer for the Low Income Household, Medical, Gas and Life Support rebates. The Family and Seniors rebates are claimed through Service NSW online or by post. Embedded network and bottled LPG customers apply through Service NSW rather than a retailer. Service NSW is on 13 77 88.
NSW energy rebates are not automatic. Holding an eligible concession card does not apply the rebate to your account by itself, and the Family and Seniors rebates must be claimed again each financial year. The federal bill credits that were applied automatically ended on 31 December 2025.
Pensioner Concession Card holders are generally eligible for the $285 Low Income Household Rebate, and may also be eligible for the Gas Rebate and the Medical Energy Rebate. They are not eligible for the Seniors Energy Rebate, which is for self-funded retirees holding a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card.
Some can be combined and some cannot. A household cannot hold both the Low Income Household Rebate and the Seniors Energy Rebate. The Family Energy Rebate can be combined with the Low Income Household Rebate, but only at the partial rate of $20. The Gas Rebate applies to a separate gas account and can generally be held alongside an electricity rebate.
Yes. The Home Energy Saver loan has been open since 17 June 2026: up to $15,000 at 0% interest for owner occupiers and landlords with a combined taxable household income up to $210,000. It covers upgrades such as heat pump hot water, reverse cycle air conditioning, solar, batteries and insulation, but not pool pumps or LED lighting. A separate discount of up to $4,000 for lower income households has been announced but is not open yet.
The NSW upfront battery rebate was suspended from 1 July 2025. The current NSW incentive is a variable payment for connecting an eligible battery to a virtual power plant, which can be combined with the federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount. The federal rate drops on 1 January 2027.
The ESS is a NSW government scheme that creates incentives (Energy Savings Certificates) for cutting electricity use. Accredited providers pass on discounts for eligible upgrades to homes and businesses.
Eligibility depends on your property, existing equipment and current scheme rules. Enter your NSW postcode in the checker and submit an enquiry for a review.
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