Government Rebates
We’ve listed additional rebates available to 2515 residents, which include some rebates available Australia-wide and also some specifically for NSW residents. In addition to the Government rebates listed below, note that:
There are other rebates available across Australia for help with energy bills (eg. for seniors, family benefit recipients, medical support, vulnerable households). Find more federal and state rebates at energy.gov.au→
Many local councils offer their own rebates and support programs for electrification. Contact your local council to find out more.
Participants in the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot can access additional subsidies to help install efficient, electric appliances. Check out our pilot page to find out more and apply.
Solar rebates
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Who is eligible?
Australian residents & businessesWho funds it?
Large energy companiesHow do I get it?
You don't need to do anything; your solar installer will include this subsidy in their quote.Details:
'STC' certificates are awarded for installations in eligible households and can reduce costs by about one third.
The STC scheme can reduce the upfront cost of a 6.6kW system installed in Wollongong by around $3,000
Installers will likely claim the STC on your behalf lowering the price of the installation.
Savings:
Roughly $400 per kW STC subsidy - eg. $4000 off a 10kW system. (Note this is usually already included in all solar quotes.)
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Who is eligible?
Residents and small businesses in Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and Wollongong council areas.Who funds it?
The Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO), made up of Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and Wollongong councils.How do I get it?
Register your interest and attend a local meeting to participate.Details:
Solar and battery bulk buy program creating a local renewable energy network, and connecting to a Virtual Power Plant (VPP)
Allows you to access cheaper solar and battery system but you must join the Powow VPP to participate
Program delivered by ShineHub
This program includes the Federal Battery Rebate (up to 30% off batteries) and NSW BESS 2 VPP rebate.
Savings:
Depends on the number of participants involved.
Battery rebates
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Who is eligible?
Australian households, strata, businesses and community organisations.Who funds it?
Federal governmentHow do I get it?
Your battery installer will include this rebate in their quote. You should check your installer is registered for the scheme.Details:
Available from 1 July 2025.
The discount will be based on the solar battery’s usable capacity and will gradually decrease until 2030.
The installation incentive is usually provided as an upfront discount by the approved installer. There are many battery models and sizes on the market so make sure you do your research and get several quotes.
If you choose to connect your battery to a virtual power plant (VPP), you may be eligible for an additional $1500 discount from the NSW Government.
Savings:
Around a 30% discount on the upfront cost of installing a small-scale solar battery
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Who is eligible?
NSW homes and small businesses with rooftop solarWho funds it?
NSW GovernmentHow do I get it?
Your battery installer will include this rebate in their quote. You should check your installer is registered for the scheme.Details:
Available from 1 July 2025.
The increased Virtual Power Plant incentive will replace the NSW home battery installation incentive which has been doubled by the Commonwealth program.
The installation incentive is usually provided as an upfront discount by the approved supplier. Different suppliers will offer different VPPs, so make sure you read the fine print and shop around.
Wholesale electricity provider, Amber, is included as a VPP under the program.
Savings:
Up to $1,500 to install a battery and connect to a Virtual Power Plant. The incentive varies by the size of the battery.
Electric vehicle (EV) rebates
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Who is eligible?
Australian businesses & employeesWho funds it?
Federal GovernmentHow do I get it?
Via your employer, who will need to arrange for salary packaging a vehicle.Details:
For employees who can purchase a car through their employer through a novated lease, no Fringe Benefit Tax will be applied for EVs under $85,000.
A 'Novated Lease' is where the car payments and costs of running your new EV (such as tyres, servicing, insurance and registration) are bundled together and deducted from your pay before tax by your employer, saving you money that you would have paid in tax.
You also don’t have to pay GST, saving another 10% on vehicle costs.
Savings:
Compared with a traditional 5 year novated car lease, you could save up to $20,000 for an EV novated lease.
The amount you save depends significantly on your income and tax rate. People on higher incomes benefit more from this exemption because they avoid more tax.
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Who is eligible?
Australian residentsWho funds it?
Federal GovernmentDetails:
The Luxury Car Tax threshold is higher for efficient vehicles, including EVs.
For ‘fuel-efficient vehicles’ (any model with less than 7.0L/100km combined fuel consumption, including EVs), LCT will apply on models priced over $91,387 (in 2024-5).
Savings:
Buyers of certain standard vehicles which are priced above the old and new LCT thresholds will pay up to $1520 less in tax, while buyers of fuel-efficient vehicles could save up to $1324.
Hot water rebates
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Who is eligible?
NSW residentsWho funds it?
NSW GovernmentHow do I get it?
You need to get a quote from a participating installer. The quote will include the subsidy amount. Not all hot water installers offer the rebate - check with your installer they can offer it.Details:
Via the Energy Saving Scheme eligible households to replace their old water heaters with more energy-efficient models.
Choice of approved models and installers.
You need to pay a minimum $30 but may get up to $2000 off the price of a heat pump hot water system.
To be processed by the installer (not all installers are registered with the ESS scheme so check first)
Savings:
This NSW scheme is a subsidy of about $500 when replacing gas hot water system, or $1000 when replacing electric hot water system. (We think it should be the other way around and there should be higher subsidies for replacing gas!)
Note that this subsidy is in addition to the Federal STC discount, which also reduces the cost of a heat pump hot water upgrade by about $800.
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Who is eligible?
Australian residents & businessesWho funds it?
Large energy companiesHow do I get it?
You don't need to do anything; your solar installer will include this subsidy in their quote.Details:
'STC' certificates are awarded for heat pump hot water installations in eligible households.
The STC scheme can reduce the upfront cost of a 300L heat pump system installed in Wollongong by around $800
Installers will likely claim the STC on your behalf lowering the price of the installation.
Savings:
Roughly $800 for a 300L heat pump hot water tank. (Note this is usually already included in quotes.)
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Who is eligible?
Australian low income residentsWho funds it?
Federal Government (administered by Good Shepherd)Details:
Good Shepherd is a government-funded charity supporting women and families. The No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) offers individuals and families on low incomes access to safe, fair and affordable loans for purchasing appliances and some other essential household expenses.
The NILS scheme offers loans of up to $1500 for essential goods and services for people that have a health care card/pension card or earn less than $45,000 a year after tax, $60,000 after tax for joint applicants or people with children
Heating rebates
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Who is eligible?
NSW residentsWho funds it?
NSW GovernmentHow do I get it?
It will be included in your quote. You should check if your installer is registered and offers the rebate.Details:
Via the Energy Saving Scheme eligible households to install energy-efficient air conditioners that can cool and heat your home.
To be processed by the installer (not all installers are registered with the ESS scheme so check first)
Savings:
Incentives can range between:
$340 and $560 if you install a new 6kWh air conditioner system in Sydney
$440 and $730 if you replace an old air conditioner with a 6kw split system in Sydney.
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Who is eligible?
Australian low income residents
Who funds it?
Federal Government (administered by Good Shepherd)
Details:
Good Shepherd is a government-funded charity supporting women and families. The No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) offers individuals and families on low incomes access to safe, fair and affordable loans for purchasing appliances and some other essential household expenses.
The NILS scheme offers loans of up to $1500 for essential goods and services for people that have a health care card/pension card or earn less than $45,000 a year after tax, $60,000 after tax for joint applicants or people with children.
Cooking rebates
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Who is eligible?
Australian low income residentsWho funds it?
Federal Government (administered by Good Shepherd)Details:
Good Shepherd is a government-funded charity supporting women and families. The No Interest Loans Scheme (NILS) offers individuals and families on low incomes access to safe, fair and affordable loans for purchasing appliances and some other essential household expenses.
The NILS scheme offers loans of up to $1500 for essential goods and services for people that have a health care card/pension card or earn less than $45,000 a year after tax, $60,000 after tax for joint applicants or people with children.