How does the government’s $300 energy rebate work?
Everything you need to know about the rebate, plus some extra tips to keep your bills down.
Last updated: 15 May 2024
The results of a CHOICE national survey published in July last year made one thing perfectly clear – Australians were and are very concerned about rising energy costs.
In fact, we recorded the highest level of worry about electricity costs over the previous eight years in our quarterly check on how consumers are travelling.
The federal government is not blind to the issue, as evidenced by its inclusion of a $300 energy rebate for all households in the federal budget.
But how exactly does this rebate work? It’s pretty straightforward, actually, although unfortunately it won’t mean we’ll be rolling in clover. But with inflation continuing to siphon off our bank accounts, every little bit helps.
One key point is that you won’t actually see a cent of the government rebate money in your bank account.
Here’s the three things you need to know
1. Every household in Australia is eligible for the rebate, but not every Australian. In other words, the rebate will be applied to a single power bill for each household, not to every person in that household.
2. Your power company is in charge of applying the $300 rebate, so you won’t be receiving any government deposits in your account.
3. The rebate will be applied quarterly at $75 per quarter.
4. The rebate will be automatically applied as a credit on your energy bills, so you don’t have to take any action to redeem it.
CHOICE tips: How to save on energy costs
Paying $75 less per quarterly energy bill for a year is certainly a welcome development, but there are a number of other steps you can take to decrease your energy costs, such as:
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Andy Kollmorgen is the Investigations editor at CHOICE. He reports on a wide range of issues in the consumer marketplace, with a focus on financial harm to vulnerable people at the hands of corporations and businesses.
Prior to CHOICE, Andy worked at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and at the Australian Financial Review. Andy is a former member of the NSW Fair Trading Advisory Council.
Andy has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University.
Find Andy on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Andy Kollmorgen is the Investigations editor at CHOICE. He reports on a wide range of issues in the consumer marketplace, with a focus on financial harm to vulnerable people at the hands of corporations and businesses.
Prior to CHOICE, Andy worked at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and at the Australian Financial Review. Andy is a former member of the NSW Fair Trading Advisory Council.
Andy has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New York University.
Find Andy on Twitter and LinkedIn.
