Victorian Energy Upgrades for homes

Learn more about the Victorian Energy Upgrades program for homes, including rebates, eligibility and guidance to support households switching from gas to efficient electric appliances.

As Ben approached retirement, he and his wife Joan wanted to cut energy costs without giving up comfort. Using Victorian Energy Upgrades discounts for heating and cooling and hot water they reduced monthly energy bills from about $150–$180 to $40–$60.

Why they upgraded

'This was just before retirement when we needed to look for ways to bring our costs down, but didn’t want to sacrifice our lifestyle,' Ben said.

Before the upgrades, they had gas ducted heating and an evaporative cooling system. Their bills were nearing $200 a month in their Melton home, and they felt gas was getting too expensive. When they heard about discounts offered through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, they saw it as a good opportunity to make the switch.

The upgrades

  • Installed 3 split-system air conditioners: 1 in the living room and 1 in each of 3 bedrooms.
  • Installed a heat pump hot water system using a Solar Victoria rebate and a Victorian Energy Upgrades hot water discount.
  • Upgraded to a 10.32 kW rooftop solar system (replacing an ageing smaller system) with a Solar Victoria rebate.
Residential house with solar panels installed on a tiled roof, showcasing renewable energy use. The house features a brown brick exterior, a white electrical box mounted on the wall, potted plants on a ledge, and a metal railing in front.

The impact

Upgrading their heating and cooling means Ben and Joan can control the temperature in their home without worrying about higher bills. 'We’re using it pretty much the same as before. In the summer we keep the aircon running all day. If our bills weren’t so low we wouldn’t be doing that,” Ben said. “It’s dramatically affected our energy bills,' he added.

The process

Ben and Joan found the process easy and straightforward, with contractors handling the paperwork. 'We only paid $3,000 for 3 of our systems, which basically covered labour,' Ben said. 'They’re quite big systems,' Joan added. 'But the discounts covered most of the cost.'

Advice to other households

Ben and Joan recommend other households look into discounts available through the program, because of the impact it made on their bills. They’re continuing to find ways to reduce their energy costs and have recently installed a solar battery.

Page last updated: 30/03/26