Rebates/Concessions across Australia
NSW
The Life Support Energy Rebate
The Life Support Energy Rebate helps eligible NSW households cover the costs of their energy bills.
The rebate is for NSW customers who need, or have someone living with them who needs to use approved energy-intensive medical equipment at home. The equipment must be essential for supporting life, such as home dialysis, ventilators and oxygen concentrators.
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-for-the-life-support-energy-rebate-retailcustomers
Medical Energy Rebate
The Medical Energy Rebate helps eligible NSW households cover the costs of their energy bills.
The rebate is for NSW customers who have an inability to self-regulate body temperature when exposed to extreme hot or cold environmental temperatures.
To be eligible for the rebate, you’ll need to have a diagnosis that you’re unable to self-regulate your body temperature.
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-for-the-medical-energy-rebate-retail-customers
NT
Medical support allowance
If you exceed the concession cap and have a medical condition (or a dependent that has a medical condition) that directly affects your electricity consumption, you can get a $154 allowance.
This amount will be applied once the cap is exceeded.
QLD
Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession Scheme
The Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession Scheme helps with electricity costs for people who have a chronic medical condition, such as multiple sclerosis, autonomic system dysfunction, significant burns or a severe inflammatory skin condition, which is aggravated by changes in temperature. It currently provides $372.21 (including GST) per year to eligible applicants (eligibility is reviewed every two years).
Electricity life support
The Queensland Government provides an electricity life support concession for eligible people who are seriously ill and use a home-based oxygen concentrator or kidney dialysis machine.
This concession is to contribute to the electricity cost of running these machines.
WA
The thermoregulatory dysfunction energy subsidy
The thermoregulatory dysfunction energy subsidy assists financially disadvantaged persons, or their dependents, who experience thermoregulatory dysfunction to off set the energy costs associated with controlling the temperature in their home under medical advice.
The subsidy of $752 is paid annually in advance directly into a bank account nominated by the applicant.
Life Support Equipment Energy Subsidy
The life support equipment energy subsidy is provided to assist financially disadvantaged persons, or their dependents, to meet the energy costs associated with operating life support equipment in their homes under specialist medical advice.
https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/subsidies-life-support-fs
WA Air Conditioning Rebate (ACR)
The ACR is an annual payment to subsidise the cost of operating an air conditioner in areas of high heat discomfort. This applies to eligible households located north of the 26th parallel of south latitude and/or north of the 50-day Relative Strain Index line.
https://www.wa.gov.au/service/community-services/grants-and-subsidies/apply-energy-concession
VIC
The Medical cooling concession
The Medical cooling concession for pre-approved conditions and if your medical condition causes an inability to self-regulate body temperature. The concession applies to mains domestic electricity usage and service costs between 1 November and 30 April.
https://services.dff h.vic.gov.au/medical-cooling-concession
Life support concession
Life support concession
Approved machines eligible for the concession are those that use at least 1,880 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Machines already approved are:
- intermittent peritoneal dialysis machines (electricity)
- oxygen concentrators (electricity)
- haemodialysis
https://services.dff h.vic.gov.au/life-support-concessionhttps://services.dff h.vic.gov.au/life-support-concession
SA
Medical heating and cooling concession
People with a medical condition who require heating or cooling at home may be eligible for:
Medical heating and cooling concession: $241.63 per year
Home Dialysis Electricity Concession
An electricity concession for patients with kidney disease that receive dialysis treatment at home.
Patients will receive $165 annually to contribute to the running cost of dialysis equipment at home.
TAS
Medical cooling or heating concession
The medical cooling or heating concession provides a daily discount to people who have, or live with a person who has, a medical condition that requires the cooling or heating of the persons principal place of residence in order to manage that condition.
https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/electricity-concessions/medical-cooling-or-heating-concession
Life support concession
The life support concession provides a daily discount to eligible customers who use an approved life support system, or who live with someone who uses such a system.
https://www.sro.tas.gov.au/electricity-concessions/life-support-concession
ACT
Life Support Rebate
The Life Support Rebate alleviates the financial stress of individuals with a life-threatening condition. The ACT Government engages with key energy and water providers in the Territory to ensure the scheme applies to a wide variety of life-supporting equipment.
The rebate is available on electrically-operated life support equipment (as prescribed by an ACT medical practitioner) necessary in the treatment of a life-threatening condition.
https://www.revenue.act.gov.au/community-assistance/life-support-rebate
Home Haemodialysis Rebate
The Home Haemodialysis Rebate assists eligible patients accessing home haemodialysis with their water costs, up to $1,200 per annum or $3.29 per day.
The rebate is intended to provide financial support to eligible home dialysis patients with a rebate of water costs. Given that a dialysis machine is classified as life-supporting equipment, a home dialysis patient who receives the Home Haemodialysis Rebate is also eligible for the Life Support
Rebate.
Are there any other types of concessions or payments that can assist me?
The Essential Medical Equipment Payment is an annual payment provided by Centrelink for Australians with higher than average energy costs because they rely on essential medical equipment in their home.
This additional support is available to concession card holders (and their carers) who use essential medical equipment or who medically require heating/cooling at home to manage a disability or medical condition.
For more information and to apply, visit the Essential Medical Equipment Payment webpage https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/essential-medical-equipment-payment
There is also a concession for water service charges incurred in respect of kidney disease patients who are undergoing home haemodialysis treatment.
You may be able to apply for a concession for water charges for home Haemodialysis Patients, you will need to enquire with your local council.
*Thermoregulatory
dysfunction is defined as a significant loss of a person’s capacity to control
body temperature and is associated with medical conditions that result in the
person’s health and bodily function being seriously affected when exposed to
extremes of environmental temperatures.
