Energy Concessions - EnergyInfoHub

Step 1: Claim your concessions

This information is for Victorian households. If you live in another state, energy concessions will be different.

Your concession card could unlock hundreds in savings.

Making sure you’re getting all your concession entitlements is the first step to more affordable energy bills.

Claim what’s yours.

Energy concessions can:

Reduce the cost of every electricity bill

Help with higher winter gas costs

Provide extra support if you have medical or health needs that increase your energy use

Watch the video to find out how your concession card can lower your bills:

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Prefer help with this? You don’t have to work it out on your own. You’ll find details about the Energy Assistance Program on this page, which offers free, independent help.

See which concessions could lower your bills

Take a moment to answer the questions below to see which concessions apply to you and how to claim them.

1. Do you have Health Care Card, Pensioner Concessions Card or Veterans' Affairs Gold Card?

Yes
No

If you have a concession card, you could be eligible for several Victorian energy concessions.

» Answer the questions below to see which ones apply to you.

You need a concession card to claim energy concessions. However, you may still be eligible for the Utility Relief Grant Scheme (URGS) if you owe money on your energy bills.

» Skip down to the final question: ‘Do you owe money on your electricity or gas bills?’

2. Do you receive an electricity bill for your home?

Yes
No

Get 17.5% off every electricity bill with the Annual Electricity Concession.

» To claim it, call your electricity company and tell them you have a valid concession card. They’ll add the concession to your account.

You can say: “I have a valid concession card and I want to check which energy concessions I’m eligible for and make sure they’re applied to my account.”

You could save even more with the other energy concessions below – check which ones apply to you

If your electricity is included in your rent or you do not receive your own bill, this concession does not apply.

However, you may still be eligible for a gas concession – check the question below.

3. Do you receive a gas bill for your home?

Yes
No

Get 17.5% off your gas bills from May to October with the Winter Gas Concession.

» To claim it, call your gas company and tell them you have a valid concession card. They’ll add the concession to your account.

You can say: “I have a valid concession card and I want to check which energy concessions I’m eligible for and make sure they’re applied to my account.”

Check the other questions below – you could save even more with additional concessions.

If you don’t receive your own gas bill, the Winter Gas Concession does not apply.

However, you may still be eligible for other electricity concessions – check the questions below.

4. Does someone in your household have a medical condition that makes cooling essential?

Yes
No

The Medical Cooling Concession will save you an additional 17.5% off your summer electricity bills.

» To claim it, call your energy company and ask for the Medical Cooling Concession form.

You can say: “I need a copy of the Medical Cooling Concession form so I can apply.”

Take the form to your doctor to sign, then return it to your energy company so they can apply the concession.

Check below to see if you are eligible for any other energy concessions.

5. Do you use life support equipment in your home?

Yes
No

Get support with the costs of running life support equipment, such as a dialysis machine or oxygen concentrator, through the Life Support Concession.

» To claim it, call your energy company and ask for the Life Support Concession form.

You can say: “I need a copy of the Life Support Concession form so I can apply.”

Take the form to your doctor to sign, then return it to your energy company so they can apply the concession.

You may also be eligible for other concessions – check the questions below.

If you have friends or family members who use life support in their homes, let them know that they can access the Life Support Concession.

6. Do you use bottled gas or firewood to heat your home?

Yes
No

You may be eligible for the Non-Mains Energy Concession, which provides a rebate for households that use bottled gas, firewood or other non-mains fuels.

» To claim it, complete an application each year (through your myGov account or by getting a form from DFFH Concessions) and attach your receipts or invoices from the past 12 months.

Check to see if you are eligible for any other energy concessions to save money on your energy bills.

7. Do you owe money on your electricity or gas bills?

Yes
No

If you’re struggling with energy debt, the Utility Relief Grant Scheme (URGS) can help.

You can get up to $650 for electricity and $650 for gas every two years (or $1,300 if you only have electricity) to help pay debts.

URGS is for concession card holders and people on low incomes who owe money on their energy bills and have experienced one of the following:

Unexpected expenses
A drop in income
High housing costs (such as rent or mortgage payments)

It’s also available to anyone who has experienced family violence.

» To claim the grant, call your energy company and tell them you want to apply for the Utility Relief Grant. They’ll help you complete the application over the phone.

You can say: “I want to apply for the Utility Relief Grant for my energy debt.”

If you don’t owe money but are struggling to keep up, call your energy company and ask them about what help they have.

If you’re having trouble paying your energy bills, find out about the support that is available on our Payment Difficulties page

Energy bill missing concessions

Keep your concessions up to date

Energy concessions are there to make your bills more affordable – but you only receive them if they’re correctly applied to your account.

Sometimes concessions can fall off your account, such as when you’re issued a new card.

Start here:

» Check every energy bill for the word ‘Concession’ – usually found in the credits section of your bill

✓If it’s printed on your bill, you are receiving your concession

✕If it’s not there, you are missing out on money you’re entitled to

If your concession is missing

Call your energy company and ask them to add your concession card to your account

Ask for your concessions to be backdated for up to 12 months, if you were eligible but didn’t receive them. Any missed concession amounts will be added as credits on your next bill.

Keep your details up to date

Tell your energy company whenever you get a new card or move home

Check if a form is needed. Some concessions require an application form – your energy company can tell you if that’s the case.

Energy concessions are there to make energy more affordable and life a little easier. Don’t miss out – call your energy company today.

Claim what’s yours.

The Energy Assistance Program

Concessions

The free and independent Energy Assistance Program can help you check what you’re eligible for. Claim what’s yours.

📞 Call the Energy Assistance Program: 1800 161 215

Or learn more about the Energy Assistance Program

i
Live in an embedded network? The information on this page may not apply to you. Visit our embedded network page.

Once your concessions are sorted and you’ve claimed what’s yours, it’s worth checking whether your current plan is still the cheapest option. Explore how to do this on the next page.

🔍 Looking for more info?

Next step: ➝Find a cheaper energy plan

1 Energy Concessions