Around 1.6 million NSW households and 320,000 small businesses are eligible for a new National Energy Bill Relief payment in financial year 2023-24.
Eligible low-income households, pensioners, self-funded retirees, families and carers will receive a one-off $500 bill relief payment towards their electricity bills.
Eligible small businesses using less than 100 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year will receive a one-off $650 bill relief payment towards their electricity bill.
The National Energy Bill Relief Fund is a joint initiative between the Australian and NSW Governments. The National Energy Bill Relief payment is in addition to any existing NSW energy rebates you receive.
Household eligibility
National Energy Bill Relief is available to households already receiving the NSW:
- Low-Income Household (electricity) Rebate
- Seniors Energy Rebate
- Family Energy Rebate
- Medical Energy Rebate
- Life Support Rebate.
You may be eligible for the National Energy Bill Relief payment if you don’t receive a NSW energy rebate and you:
- hold a valid Low Income Health Care Card
- hold a valid Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) Gold Card
- receive the Carer Allowance.
Please note:
- You must be the energy account holder for your principal place of residence to receive the energy rebates and bill relief payment.
- You may be eligible for multiple energy rebates however only one bill relief payment is available for each household in financial year 2023-24.
- Most eligible customers will receive a quarterly payment from July 2023.
How to apply
If you receive a NSW energy rebate in financial year 2023-24, you will receive the National Energy Bill Relief payment automatically. You do not need to apply.
If you are eligible for a NSW energy rebate but don’t receive it, you will first need to apply for the rebate. You will then receive the bill relief payment automatically.
If you hold one of the valid cards or receive the Carer Allowance, you will be contacted by Services Australia or the Department of Veterans Affairs by September 2023 with information about how to apply.
Small business eligibility
To be eligible for the bill relief payment, your small business must be on a separately metered business tariff and consume less than 100 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year.
Please note:
- If you run your small business using electricity from your home, you are not eligible.
- One energy bill relief payment will be provided per small business in the financial year 2023-24.
- Other exclusions may apply.
How to apply
The application process is different depending on whether you are a retail or an on-supply (embedded network) customer.
- Retail customers get an energy bill directly from an energy retailer. If you are a retail customer, you do not need to do anything. Your energy retailer will automatically apply the energy bill relief to your electricity account if you are eligible from 1 July 2023 in quarterly instalments.
- On-supply (embedded network) customers get an energy bill or invoice from, or on behalf of, the owners or management company where your business is located. If you are an on-supply (embedded network) customer, you will be advised from October 2023 onwards how to apply.
If you’re not sure whether you are a retail or on-supply customer, please contact the provider named on your energy bill.
More information about how to apply will be available from this webpage in October 2023.