Sustainability grants and rebates

Overview

Rebates can help you to reduce the upfront expense of installing energy and water saving measures in your home. Reducing energy and water consumption can also reduce the future running costs of your home or business.

Governments across Australia offer a range of rebates and other assistance to help you to live greener.

Australian Government initiatives

  • The Australian Government’s Your Energy Savings website offers homeowners, renters and landlords the ability to search for rebates and assistance according to their location or type of rebate.
  • The Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme is available to households that install eligible small-scale renewable energy installations from a range of products and options. The rebate is determined by the number of Small-scale Technology Certificates an installation attracts.

Victorian Government rebate programs

  • The Energy Saver Incentive offers householders discounts from participating businesses for various home appliances that have reduced energy consumption. The discounts are determined by the level of energy efficiency of a product.
  • Solar Hot Water government incentives are available to all regional Victorians who wish to upgrade or replace their current gas and electric water heating systems with a solar hot water system. The installation of a solar or heat pump water heater can generate certificates, and the value of these certificates can be provided as a discount on the cost of installation. 
  • The Solar Homes program provides rebates and loans for installation of household solar panels, subject to certain conditions. More information about the program and eligibility criteria can be found at Solar Victoria. The next release of solar panel rebates was on Wednesday 16 October.

Other programs

MASH (More Australian Solar Homes)

MASH is a Central Victorian community solar bulk-buy program that offers high quality systems and consolidates the collective buying power of residents to negotiate heavily discounted prices. It has been rolled out across the City of Greater Bendigo, Mount Alexander, Hepburn and Macedon Ranges shires. It is organised by the Hub Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation in Castlemaine.

In 2018, MASH received the Community Environment Award from Environment Victoria in recognition of the program facilitating solar panel installations for over 1000 homes in central Victoria.    

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