Save your customers money and energy with the Victorian Energy Upgrades program

With the VEU program, you can:

  • increase your customer base by offering discounted energy efficient products and services
  • reduce greenhouse gases.

The VEU is a voluntary Victorian government initiative that incentivises Victorians to make energy efficient improvements to their homes and businesses. VEU helps cut power bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Opportunities for tradespeople

You can offer your customers energy saving products. Offering higher quality and more efficient products at a similar or reduced price will give your business an energy efficient edge.

Through VEU, you can collect a rebate for installing these energy-efficient products. This rebate can be used to lower costs for consumers, making energy efficient products the number one choice. The rebate amount depends on how much energy is saved from the installed product. The more energy saved through a product installed, the bigger the rebate.

Note: depending on your current skill set and the activity, you might not need further training to install energy efficient products – you could be installing accredited products already.

How VEECs are created

See below description of image.

Your business installs a registered energy efficient product and collects evidence. By doing so, your business can either:

  • earn VEECs itself as an accredited provider, or
  • partner with an accredited provider who can generate VEECs for your installation activities.

The VEECs are sold at their market rate (i.e. to energy retailers), and the revenue generated represents the rebate you earn for installing the registered product.

The result of the process is that:

  • the rebate your business earns reduces the cost of installing the efficient products (giving your business a competitive edge)
  • your customer receives discounted efficient products when the cost savings are passed on, plus lowers their energy bills
  • Victorian households and businesses use less energy, which translates to less greenhouse gas emissions.

Context

  • The Essential Services Commission awards Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs) for installing registered VEU products (e.g. efficient reverse cycle air conditioners).
  • Different activities (e.g. which type of appliance is installed) earns a different amount of VEECs, depending on how much energy is saved from installing the more efficient product.
  • 1 VEEC = 1 tonne of greenhouse gas removed/avoided.
  • VEECs are sold at their market price to energy retailers who are required to surrender VEECs to the government.
  • Revenue earned from selling VEECs represents a rebate for installing the more efficient product.

Responsibilities when creating VEECs

 Accredited providerThird party/installerConsumer
Undertakes upgradeYesYes 
Collects evidenceYesYes 
Submits evidenceYes  
Manages complianceYes  
Creates VEECsYes  
Commissions upgrade  Yes

How do I get involved?

There are 2 steps to participating:

Step 1

First, you need to investigate the opportunities you would like to deliver.

If you are a licensed electrical contractor, you can do the following activities:

  • energy efficient ducted reverse cycle air-conditioner (air to air heat pump)
  • energy efficient reverse cycle air-conditioner (air to air heat pump).

To learn more, see activities offered under the VEU program.

If you are a licenced plumber, you can do the following activities:

  • energy efficient ducted gas heater
  • energy efficient gas room heater
  • energy efficient flexible or rigid ductwork
  • electric boosted solar water heater
  • heat pump water heater
  • energy efficient gas boosted solar water heater.

To learn more, see activities offered under the VEU program.

Step 2

To offer discounted/rebated upgrades to your consumers, you must either:

  • work with an accredited provider
  • become an accredited provider.

When you work with an accredited provider, it means you:

  • can work within the program immediately
  • are not responsible for the paperwork associated with doing upgrades
  • are not responsible for any program administration that comes with the program.

To connect with an accredited provider, go to the VEU Registry of Accredited Persons and:

  • select the 'VEEC activity' drop-down menu for the activity you are interested in. This will give you a list of accredited providers working with you.

Note: We recommend you speak to more than one to find the best opportunity for your business.

To become an accredited provider, visit how to become an accredited person. The Essential Services Commission regulates this process.

Being accredited allows you to participate directly with your customers. You do not need to work with third parties to offer a discount.

VEU Code of Conduct

The VEU program has a Code of Conduct setting out minimum standards of behaviour to protect consumers. This applies to everyone involved in delivering or marketing upgrades. VEU Code of Conduct.

Page last updated: 30/05/23