Help to pay your electricity bill is available for eligible households, and small businesses. The Energy Bill Relief rebate applies in addition to the South Australian energy concession.
If you currently receive the energy concession, you’re already eligible for the rebate, and it will automatically be applied to your bills. You don’t need to do anything.
If you don’t receive the energy concession, check if you’re eligible for that first.
Energy concession - who can apply
Some people will be eligible for the rebate, but not concessions. They will need to provide information to Services Australia or to their energy retailer to receive the bill relief.
Who is eligible for the additional rebate
Households
The person whose name appears on the electricity bill must have one of these:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Health Care Card (including Low Income Health Care Card)
- DVA Gold Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- Family Tax Benefit (FTB) A or B
- Carer Allowance
Or, you must be eligible for the South Australian energy concession.
A household can only receive a single rebate even if there is more than one eligible person living there.
Eligibility is checked each quarter. You only need to be eligible on one day in a quarter to receive the energy bill relief for that quarter.
Small businesses
You can get the bill relief for your small business if it:
- if based in South Australia
- is on a separately metered business tariff with your electricity retailer
- consumes less than 160MWh of electricity per year.
New businesses established this financial year that meet the above criteria will be eligible for the energy bill relief. They will be backdated for any missing relief for which they were eligible.
You are not eligible for the small business relief if:
- you run your small business using electricity from your home
- your annual electricity consumption is above the small business threshold of 160MWh.
Rebate amount
The total rates for the 2023-24 financial year are:
- households - up to $500 a year, paid as:
- a quarterly credit of $125 for people receiving electricity bills
- a one-off bank account payment for people living in embedded networks
- small businesses - up to $650 a year (paid as a quarterly credit of $162.50)
What happens next
Already receiving an energy concession
You’ll receive the bill relief as a quarterly credit on your electricity bills over the 2023-24 financial year. It’s normal if you have not seen the rebate yet, but it should appear on the next electricity bill you receive.
The bill relief will be a separate credit to your energy concession and will have a description like AUS SA Gov Energy Relief on your bill.
Your eligibility will be assessed on what are called ‘anchor dates’. These are 31 July 2023, 31 October 2023, 31 January 2024, and 30 April 2024. You’ll continue to receive the bill relief quarterly if you remain eligible on these dates.
If you’re billed monthly, you’ll see the quarterly credit applied approximately every 3 bills.
If you live in an embedded network or you generate your own energy, see the information about Embedded network households on this page.
Recently applied for an energy concession
If you’re approved for the existing energy concession this financial year, you’ll also receive the energy bill relief. The credit should appear on the first electricity bill you receive after you’re approved.
The bill relief will be a separate credit to your energy concession and will have a description like AUS SA Gov Energy Relief on your bill.
Eligibility for the bill relief is assessed on what are called ‘anchor dates’. These are 31 July 2023, 31 October 2023, 31 January 2024, 30 April 2024. You’ll continue to receive the bill relief quarterly if you remain eligible on these dates.
You'll be backdated for any missing relief if you apply after any of these dates.
If you’re billed monthly, you’ll see the quarterly credit applied approximately every 3 bills.
Read the information about Embedded network households on this page if you generate your own energy or live in an embedded network.
Don’t receive an energy concession
You should check:
- if you hold one of the eligible cards or payments
- If you do, apply for household concessions
- your electricity account is in your name. You can ask your retailer to change this if needed.
You could still be eligible for the rebate if you don't have one of these cards or payments.
Eligible Services Australia cards and payments
If you had one of these on 31 July 2023:
- Carer Allowance
- Family Tax Benefit
- Health Care Card
Services Australia should have contacted you recently to tell you what you need to do
If you have one of these, your energy bill relief will start being applied from September 2023 and will continue to be applied quarterly if you remain eligible.
Eligible DVA cards and payments
If you have:
- All other DVA Gold cards
Contact your electricity retailer from now until June 2024 and provide them your UIN or Veteran File Number and consent. They will check your eligibility for the bill relief.
If you’re eligible, your energy bill relief will start being applied from September 2023 and will continue to be applied quarterly if you remain eligible.
Your eligibility will be assessed on what are called ‘anchor dates’. These are 29 September 2023, 29 December 2023, 29 March 2024, and 28 June 2024.
If you miss any of these dates, you’ll be backdated for any missing relief for which you were eligible.
Embedded network households
This information is for people living in an embedded network or who generate their own energy.
Typically, you live in an embedded network if you get your electricity from your strata or landlord in a caravan park, apartment building, or retirement home or village.
You may not live in an embedded network if your household receives energy bills but you don’t have a direct relationship with the retailer – for example you’re a subletter in a sharehouse.
If you are receiving the existing energy concession or were recently approved
Your eligibility for the energy bill relief will be assessed on 30 September 2023, or as you are approved if you’re a new applicant. You don’t need to do anything.
If eligible, you’ll receive a one-off payment of $500 directly into your bank account, in addition to the energy concession.
Check your bank statement for a payment description starting with DHS AP, followed by a series of numbers – for example, DHS AP 012345678.
If you don’t receive and are not eligible for the existing energy concession
Check if you need to apply for the energy bill relief.
You only need to apply if you were directed to do so by Services Australia, ConcessionsSA, or your energy retailer. Most people will receive the relief automatically.
Small businesses
Eligible small businesses will automatically receive the rebate from July 2023 through their electricity retailer.
Changing retailers
When you receive your first electricity bill from them, update your details using the household concessions form or phone the ConcessionsSA Hotline on 1800 307 758.
On your bill, your name must:
- be listed as an account holder
- match your Centrelink or DVA card.
Energy retailers in South Australia cannot transfer your concession, you must contact ConcessionsSA.
