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 are open now. The Family Energy Rebate closes on 15 June 2027 and the Seniors Energy Rebate on 30 June 2027. The federal $300 and $150 bill credits have ended. Amounts below checked October 2026.
NSW energy rebates at a glance (checked October 2026)
Amounts are for the 2026-27 financial year (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027) for retail customers, which means you get your bill straight from an energy retailer. Embedded network amounts are in the detailed table further down.
| Rebate | Amount | Who is eligible | How to get it | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Income Household Rebate | Up to $285 a year | Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or Veteran Gold Card holders | Ask your electricity retailer | Official page |
| Family Energy Rebate | Up to $180 $20 if you also get the Low Income rebate | Received Family Tax Benefit in 2025-26 and had it finalised | Apply online or by post by 15 June 2027 | Official page |
| Seniors Energy Rebate | $200 | Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders | Apply online or by post by 30 June 2027 | Official page |
| Medical Energy Rebate | Up to $285 | Concession card holders, or someone living with them, who cannot regulate their body temperature | Doctor’s form to your retailer | Official page |
| NSW Gas Rebate | Up to $110 | The same four concession cards, with a natural gas account or bottled LPG | Ask your gas retailer. Bottled LPG users apply online | Official page |
| Life Support Rebate | Up to $1,343.20 Set by equipment type | Someone at home needs approved life support equipment. No concession card needed | Doctor’s form to your retailer | Official page |
| EAPA | Up to $400 per application Up to $1,600 a year with electricity and gas | Short-term hardship, crisis or emergency, with the latest bill unpaid | Apply through Service NSW or an EAPA provider | Official page |
| Home Energy Saver loan | Up to $15,000 at 0% | Owners and landlords with a combined taxable household income up to $210,000 | Through a participating finance provider | Official page |
| Federal Energy Bill Relief Fund | Ended 31 December 2025 | Was paid to every household | Nothing to claim in 2026 | Official page |
The NSW rebates are not applied automatically. Someone has to ask, and the Family and Seniors rebates are claimed again each financial year. The NSW Government says Seniors and embedded network applications are currently taking 6 to 8 weeks to process.
Which upgrades can you get for less in NSW?
The bill rebates are not the only help. NSW homes can also get a scheme discount taken off the price of a new pool pump, heat pump hot water system or air conditioner, with no concession card needed. Pool pump upgrades are from $899 installed in most of NSW.
Is there an energy rebate in NSW for 2026?
Yes. The NSW Government’s household energy rebates are open for the 2026-27 financial year, at the same amounts as 2025-26. Concession card holders can get $285 off their electricity through the Low Income Household Rebate and $110 off gas through the NSW Gas Rebate. Self-funded retirees with a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card can claim $200 through the Seniors Energy Rebate. Families who received Family Tax Benefit in 2025-26 can claim up to $180 through the Family Energy Rebate.
What has ended is the federal Energy Bill Relief Fund. Its last payment was $150, in two $75 instalments from July to December 2025, and it finished on 31 December 2025. There is no automatic credit for every household in 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 online or by post, with your CRN and the Services Australia letter confirming FTB was finalised. Retail customers: credited to your bill. Embedded network: paid to your bank account. Closes 15 June 2027 |
| Seniors Energy Rebate | $200 | Self-funded retirees holding a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card. Not Pensioner Concession Card or Gold Card holders | Apply online or by post with a bill issued on or after 1 July 2026. Paid into your bank account. Closes 30 June 2027 |
| Medical Energy Rebate | $285 $313.50 embedded network | 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 | Send the form, with your doctor’s declaration, to your retailer. Embedded network customers apply online to the NSW Government |
| NSW Gas Rebate | $110 $121 embedded network | The same four concession cards, with a natural gas account or bottled LPG over 45 kg (88 litres). The Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is not on the list | Ask your gas retailer. Bottled LPG and embedded network customers apply online to the NSW Government, by 30 June 2027 |
| Life Support Rebate | Up to $1,343.20 Daily rate set by equipment type | Anyone whose doctor certifies approved life support equipment is needed at home. No concession card needed | Send the form, with your doctor’s declaration, to your retailer. Reapply every 4 years, or when the equipment or your home changes |
| Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) | Up to $400 electricity and $400 gas per application Up to 2 applications for each, $1,600 a financial year in total | Households in a short-term crisis or financial hardship who cannot pay their most recent bill | Apply through Service NSW online, or in person or by phone with 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 October 2026, including the embedded network amounts. The Family Energy Rebate closes on 15 June 2027, the Seniors Energy Rebate on 30 June 2027, and embedded network and bottled LPG applications for the other rebates on 30 June 2027. Retail customers can ask their retailer now. For help, call Service NSW on 13 77 88 or go to https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/.
The Australian Government’s Energy Bill Relief Fund paid up to $300 to every household in 2024-25, then $150 in two $75 instalments 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.
Is there a $500 or $300 electricity rebate in NSW?
Not in 2026-27. These figures come from earlier bill relief that has finished. This is what each one was, and what you can get now.
| The figure | What it was | What exists now |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | 2023-24 bill relief for eligible NSW concession card holders, self-funded retirees and Family Tax Benefit families: up to $500, made up of a $250 Commonwealth rebate plus state funding | The NSW rebates: $285 Low Income, $200 Seniors, up to $180 Family and $110 Gas |
| $300 | The federal Energy Bill Relief Fund for every household in 2024-25, mostly paid as quarterly credits | Ended. There is no federal bill credit in 2026 |
| $150 | The federal extension: two $75 credits from July to December 2025 | Ended on 31 December 2025 |
| $350 | The 2024-25 rate of the Low Income Household and Medical Energy rebates | $285 for 2026-27 |
| $250 | The 2024-25 rate of the Seniors and Family Energy rebates | $200 Seniors and up to $180 Family for 2026-27 |
| $200 | The Seniors Energy Rebate | Still open: $200 for 2026-27, claim by 30 June 2027 |
A pensioner with both an electricity and a gas account can get the $285 Low Income Household Rebate plus the $110 Gas Rebate, which is up to $395 a year.
How to apply for NSW energy rebates
- Check whether you are a retail or embedded network customer. Retail customers get their bill straight from a retailer such as AGL, EnergyAustralia, Origin Energy or Red Energy. Embedded network customers pay a building owner, strata manager or community operator, which is common in apartment buildings, retirement villages and residential parks.
- Have your details ready. Your concession card, your electricity or gas account details and a recent bill. For the Family Energy Rebate you also need your Services Australia Customer Reference Number (CRN) and the letter confirming your 2025-26 Family Tax Benefit was finalised.
- Low Income, Medical, Gas and Life Support rebates: retail customers contact their retailer and ask for the rebate. The Medical and Life Support rebates need a form with your doctor’s declaration, which you send to your retailer.
- Family and Seniors rebates: apply online. Start from the rebate page on service.nsw.gov.au or energy.nsw.gov.au and select Apply online. If you cannot apply online, download the paper form and post it, with all pages of a recent bill, to NSW Energy Rebates, PO Box 435, Parramatta NSW 2124.
- Embedded network and bottled LPG customers: apply online to the NSW Government rather than a retailer. An approved rebate is paid into your bank account.
- Check it has been applied. Retail customers should confirm with their retailer that the rebate is on the account. If you need help, call Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW centre.
Family Energy Rebate 2026
The Family Energy Rebate for 2026-27 is up to $180 for retail customers and up to $198 for embedded network customers. If you also get the Low Income Household Rebate, you receive a partial payment of $20 ($22 for embedded network customers). Applications close on 15 June 2027.
To be eligible you must be named on the electricity account, have received Family Tax Benefit in 2025-26, have lodged your 2025-26 tax return, and have had your Family Tax Benefit finalised with Centrelink. You need your CRN and the Services Australia letter confirming it was finalised. Retail customers get the rebate as a credit on their electricity bill and embedded network customers are paid into their bank account. A household can receive one Family Energy Rebate each financial year. Details: https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/family-energy-rebate
Seniors Energy Rebate 2026
The Seniors Energy Rebate is $200 for 2026-27. It is for self-funded retirees who hold a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and are named on the electricity account. Pensioner Concession Card and Veteran Gold Card holders cannot get it, and can apply for the $285 Low Income Household Rebate instead. A household cannot receive both.
Apply online or by post with your most recent electricity bill issued on or after 1 July 2026. The rebate is paid into your bank account and does not apply to gas accounts. Applications close on 30 June 2027, and the NSW Government says processing is currently taking 6 to 8 weeks. Details: https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/seniors-energy-rebate
NSW Gas Rebate 2026
The NSW Gas Rebate is up to $110 a year for retail customers and $121 for embedded network customers. It is for holders of a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or Veteran Gold Card who are named on a natural gas account, or who use more than 45 kg (88 litres) of bottled LPG for basic household needs. Retail customers ask their gas retailer to apply it to the account. Embedded network and bottled LPG customers apply online by 30 June 2027 and are paid into their bank account. Details: https://www.energy.nsw.gov.au/households/grants-rebates/nsw-gas-rebate
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.
- Old amounts are still on a lot of websites. In 2024-25 the Seniors and Family rebates were $250 and the Low Income rebate was $350. From 1 July 2025 they went back to $200, up to $180 and $285, and they are the same 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. All NSW energy providers have programs for customers in financial hardship, such as payment extensions or payment plans.
- Apply for EAPA through Service NSW or an EAPA provider, and tell your energy provider. By law your provider cannot disconnect you while it knows you have an EAPA assessment booked. It is paid straight onto the account.
- Book a free 45-minute Savings Finder appointment with Service NSW, in person or by phone, to check every rebate you can get: https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/cost-living-appointment-service
- 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 ten years, to owner occupiers and landlords with a combined taxable household income up to $210,000. It is arranged through a participating finance provider, and the approved supplier has to apply the scheme discounts first (ESS and PDRS, and STCs where they apply), so the loan only covers what is left.
- Covered: rooftop solar, home batteries (installed with solar), heat pump water heaters, electric-boosted solar water heaters, reverse cycle air conditioning, ceiling insulation, double glazing, induction cooktops, Level 2 EV chargers, draught proofing, ceiling fans, switchboard upgrades and home energy ratings.
- 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. In October 2026 the NSW Government still lists it as coming soon.
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 or until the funding runs out. Installed prices are on the NSW hot water rebate page.
Get my hot water price - Air conditioning: from 1 July 2026 the minimum customer payment is $500 for a system that is not multi-split or ducted, and from $1,000 for multi-split and ducted systems. Multi-split systems are now eligible.
Air conditioner rebates - Pool pumps: still open, with a $200 minimum customer payment. A pool pump upgrade through this site is from $899 installed in most of NSW, because the scheme incentives come off before you pay. See the NSW pool pump rebate page.
Get my pool pump price - LED lighting: residential LED upgrades are still supported under the ESS. Installed prices for downlights are on the NSW LED downlight rebate page.
See downlight prices - Batteries: the NSW battery installation discount is no longer available to households; it changed from 1 July 2025. What remains is a variable incentive for connecting a battery to a virtual power plant, open to batteries up to 50 kWh from 1 July 2026. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries discount is 6.8 STCs per usable kWh until 31 December 2026, at the full rate for the first 14 kWh, and drops to 5.7 from 1 January 2027. See the NSW battery rebate page.
Check my battery rebates - 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
Yes. The NSW household energy rebates are open for 2026-27 at the same amounts as 2025-26: $285 for the Low Income Household Rebate, $200 for the Seniors Energy Rebate, up to $180 for the Family Energy Rebate, $285 for the Medical Energy Rebate and $110 for the NSW Gas Rebate. The federal Energy Bill Relief Fund ended on 31 December 2025, so there is no automatic credit for every household.
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.
There is no $500 energy rebate in NSW for 2026-27. Up to $500 was paid in 2023-24 to eligible concession card holders, self-funded retirees and Family Tax Benefit families, made up of a $250 Commonwealth rebate plus state funding. What you can claim now is the $285 Low Income Household Rebate from your retailer, or the $200 Seniors or up to $180 Family Energy Rebate online. A pensioner with an electricity and a gas account can get $285 plus $110, which is up to $395 a year.
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, depending on the equipment. EAPA pays up to $400 per application, up to $1,600 in a financial year for electricity and gas together. Embedded network customers receive slightly higher amounts.
For energy bills: the Low Income Household Rebate, Family Energy Rebate, Seniors Energy Rebate, Medical Energy Rebate, Life Support Rebate, NSW Gas Rebate and Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) for people in short-term hardship. For upgrades: Energy Savings Scheme and Peak Demand Reduction Scheme discounts on items such as heat pump hot water, air conditioning and pool pumps, a virtual power plant incentive for batteries, and the Home Energy Saver zero-interest loan of up to $15,000.
Applications for 2026-27 are open now. The Family Energy Rebate closes on 15 June 2027 and the Seniors Energy Rebate on 30 June 2027. Embedded network and bottled LPG applications for the other rebates also close on 30 June 2027. Retail customers can ask their retailer for the Low Income, Medical, Gas and Life Support rebates now, and no closing date is listed for those. For the Seniors rebate you need a bill issued on or after 1 July 2026.
The $200 is the NSW Seniors Energy Rebate. You need a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and an electricity account in your name. Apply online or by post with a bill issued on or after 1 July 2026, by 30 June 2027. It is paid into your bank account. Pensioner Concession Card holders get the $285 Low Income Household Rebate instead.
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.
The 2026-27 Seniors Energy Rebate of $200 can be claimed until 30 June 2027. The NSW Government has not published an amount for 2027-28 yet. The rebate has to be claimed again each financial year.
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 online, from the Service NSW or NSW Climate and Energy Action rebate page, or by post. Embedded network and bottled LPG customers apply online to the NSW Government 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.
Not in 2026-27. Pensioner Concession Card holders can get the $285 Low Income Household Rebate on electricity and the $110 NSW Gas Rebate. The $250 figure was the 2024-25 rate of the Seniors and Family rebates, which are now $200 and up to $180. In 2023-24, $250 was also the Commonwealth share of the $500 bill relief paid to eligible NSW households.
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.
Retail customers ask their gas retailer, who applies the rebate to the gas account. Embedded network and bottled LPG customers apply online, and an approved rebate is paid into their bank account. The NSW Government says embedded network applications are currently taking 6 to 8 weeks to process.
Apply online through Service NSW, or in person or by phone with an approved EAPA provider. Have your current bill ready, then tell your energy provider you have applied. By law your provider cannot disconnect you while it knows you have an EAPA assessment booked. If you are eligible, EAPA is paid straight onto your account, up to $400 per application.
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 battery installation discount is no longer available to households; it changed from 1 July 2025. The current NSW incentive is a 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.
South Australia has its own energy concessions and upgrade incentives, which are separate from the NSW rebates on this page. See our South Australia energy rebates page for what is open there.
See what's available where you are
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