Help paying your bills

To be eligible for the Energy Bill Relief Fund, a customer must hold one of the following concession cards or receive one of the following payments:

• Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) issued by Services Australia or Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card (GCH) For All Conditions
• Health Care Card (HCC) issued by Services Australia
• Carer Allowance
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (SHC) issued by Services Australia or Department of Veterans’ Affairs
• Family Tax Benefit A & B.

Embedded network customers

For more information about embedded network customers, including how embedded network customers can access the Commonwealth's Energy Bill Relief payment, visit Energy Bill Relief Program for Embedded Network Households.

Existing concessions recipients

First instalment

If you already receive a concession, your energy retailer will automatically apply the first instalment of $125 to your account in August 2023; you do not need to provide any further information. You should receive this payment on your electricity bill from September 2023 onwards.

Second instalment

A second and final instalment of $125 will be applied to your account in February 2024. You should receive this payment on your electricity bill from March 2024 onwards.

Commonwealth Seniors health care card, a DVA Gold Card (Dependent), or receive the Carer Allowance or Family Tax Benefit A or B

If you hold:

• a Commonwealth Seniors health care card
• a DVA Gold Card (Dependent)
• or receive the Carer Allowance or Family Tax Benefit A or B

You will be contacted by Services Australia in September and asked to lodge your consent through an online form.

Once your consent has been lodged, your retailer will start to apply the single payment of $250 from November 2023 onwards.*

*Depending when in the month you lodge your consent, you may not see the payment on your next bill as you may have missed the retailer’s billing cycle. You may need to wait for the following bill. This is because after receiving your consent, your electricity retailer will first need to verify your eligibility.

Customers who live in an embedded network will not automatically receive a rebate.

If you do not currently receive energy rebates, are a DVA Gold Card (Dependant) holder and are your household’s electricity account holder, please contact your electricity provider from now up until 30 June 2024 to apply.

They will ask you for your Unique Identification Number (UIN) or Veteran File Number and consent for them as the provider to check your eligibility for the Energy Bill Relief payment.

An eligible household can only receive a single $250 rebate for 2023-24, even if more than one eligible person lives in the household.

To be eligible for the Energy Bill Relief payment, a small business must:

• be registered on a separately metered business tariff
• not exceed a total annual electricity consumption of 40MWh.

If a small business is run from home, the small business is not eligible for the small business bill relief unless the business’ energy consumption is separately metered (on a small business tariff). Other exclusions may also apply.

Small businesses in embedded networks are ineligible to receive a $325 Energy Bill Relief payment.

More information about advice and support for small businesses.

Energy retailers will start automatically applying payments to the accounts of eligible small businesses from August 2023; you do not need to provide any further information.

There is no action required by small businesses.

Assistance through the bill relief package will look slightly different from state to state.

In Victoria, households will receive a total of $500 - $250, which will be applied directly to electricity bills.

The bill relief assistance is only applied in the 2023-24 financial year.

If you are not currently eligible to receive a concession but are eligible to receive bill relief, for example:

• you hold a Commonwealth Seniors health care card
• a DVA Gold Card (Dependent)
• or receive the Carer Allowance or Family Tax Benefit A or B)

Services Australia will contact you in September and will ask you to lodge your consent through an online form.

Payments to this group will not start before November 2023. Depending on when in the month you lodge your consent, you may not see the payment on your next bill as you may have missed the retailer’s most recent billing cycle. You may need to wait for the following bill. This is because after receiving your consent, your electricity retailer will first need to verify your eligibility.

Yes. If you are eligible to receive the Energy Bill Relief payment, the funds will be applied to your account, even if your bill is already in credit.

No. The bill relief payment only applies to electricity accounts.

If you already receive concessions on your bill, your retailer will automatically apply your payment - you do not need to provide any further information.  

If your retirement village is an embedded network, please visit compare.energy.vic.gov.au/embedded-networks for more information.

If you pay your bill to your Owners Corporation, please visit compare.energy.vic.gov.au/embedded-networks for more information.

Existing concessions recipients

If you already receive a concession, your energy retailer will automatically apply the first instalment of $125 to your account in August 2023. You do not need to provide any further information. You should receive your payment on your electricity bill from September 2023 onwards.

A second and final instalment of $125 will be applied to your account in February 2024. You should receive your payment on your electricity bill from March 2024 onwards.

Commonwealth Seniors health care card, a DVA Gold Card (Dependent), or receive the Carer Allowance or Family Tax Benefit A or B holders

If you hold a Commonwealth Seniors health care card, a DVA Gold Card (Dependent), or receive the Carer Allowance or Family Tax Benefit A or B, you will be contacted by Services Australia in September and asked to lodge your consent through an online form.

Once your consent has been lodged, your retailer will start applying the single payment of $250 from November 2023 onwards.

Depending on when in the month you lodge your consent, you may not see the payment on your next bill as you may have missed the retailer’s most recent billing cycle. You may need to wait for the following bill. This is because after receiving your consent, your electricity retailer will first need to verify your eligibility.

Small business customers

Energy retailers will start automatically applying payments to the accounts of eligible small businesses from August. You do not need to provide any further information.

A note on bill cycles

A payment being applied to an account differs from a payment appearing on a bill. If a payment is applied in August, the amount will likely appear on the bill from September 2023 onwards.

The amount won’t appear for quarterly billing cycles until after October 2023, depending on when you last received your electricity bill.

No. The Commonwealth Government announced that this payment would be applied directly to electricity bills to avoid further pressure on inflation.

No. An eligible household can only receive one $250 rebate for 2023-24, even if more than one eligible person lives in the household.

The eligible person must be the electricity account holder for their principal place of residence to receive the bill relief. If you are eligible and are not named on the bill for your household but you pay for electricity, contact your electricity provider to add your name to the account.

Why is the Victorian Government not matching the Commonwealth Government’s $325 bill credit to small business?

The $325 credit to small businesses is just one part of a broader package of assistance the Victorian Government is providing and will continue to provide such as:

• The Victorian Energy Upgrades program.
• Victorian small businesses can also get assistance through the Commonwealth Government to deduct an additional 20% of the cost of eligible depreciating assets that support electrification and more efficient use of energy.

An eligible small business is entitled to one payment of $325.

If a business entity has more one or more sites, and together those sites exceed 40MWh total annual electricity, then the business entity is ineligible. If one or more sites together do not exceed the 40MWh total annual electricity threshold, then the small business entity is still only eligible for a single $325 payment.

As your energy retailer is responsible for determining eligibility, we recommend you seek advice specific to your circumstances with your energy retailer.

If you need help to apply, the following support options may be able to help

• Friends and family members: If someone you know has a computer with the internet, ask if you can visit them and use it to access Victorian Energy Compare.
• Community based support: Your local member’s electorate office may be able to help you submit an application for Energy Bill Relief program for Embedded Networks households. Support may also be available through libraries, council support services or local community groups.
• Phone support: You can call 1800 000 VEC (832) to receive advice on how to apply for the Energy Bill Relief program for Embedded Network households.
• Email: You can email our support team and they can help you navigate the online application process. They can be contacted at info.vec@delwp.vic.gov.au

Check your electricity bill in the Understand your bill section or where your retailer provides an itemised breakdown of any payments or credits.

What to look for

If your retailer has applied the bill relief payment to your current electricity bill, you will see a row with the VIC AUS Gov Bill Relief description and the credited amount.

If you are an eligible concession customer but have not received your first $125 instalment, you should check if you are still receiving your concessions. If you are not receiving concessions this may also have impacted your $125 instalment. You should contact your energy retailer to have your concessions applied.

You should also check how often you get your electricity bill. If you are on a quarterly billing cycle, the $125 may still appear on your next electricity bill.

As your energy retailer is responsible for administering the instalments, you should seek advice specific to your circumstances with your energy retailer.