Key Takeaways of Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses
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What Is the Energy Bill Relief Fund for Small Businesses?
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Eligible small businesses can get help paying their energy bills from 1 July 2023 through the Energy Bill Relief Fund for Small Businesses.
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List of Eligibility Requirements
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The bill relief is administered by state and territory governments; eligibility requirements may vary. Check our guide for each state or territory.
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Final Note
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For detailed information on how to access the energy bill relief fund in specific regions, we encourage you to visit your respective state or territory’s official website.
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Launched on 1 July 2023, the Australian Government’s Energy Bill Relief Fund offers financial aid to small businesses dealing with high electricity costs. Administered by state and territory governments, this bill relief’s eligibility requirements may vary. Find out how this energy bill relief for a small business works in your state or territory through our quick guide below.
Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses in ACT
If your business operates in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), you may be eligible for a one-off relief of $325 to help manage your energy bills. Additionally, businesses stand to benefit from reduced electricity charges, thanks to the large-scale feed-in tariff scheme in ACT, potentially saving an average of $624 in electricity charges.
To tap into this relief, your business must:
- Be based in the ACT
- Be on a separately metered business tariff
- Have an annual energy consumption below 100 MWh
Note that eligibility is determined as of 1 July 2023, and applications close on 30 September 2024. Eligible businesses will automatically receive the one-off relief applied to their electricity accounts from 1 July 2023.
Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses in NT
From 1 July 2023, eligible small businesses in the Northern Territory (NT) can enjoy a $650 rebate to alleviate their energy bill pressures. To be eligible, your business must:
- Be based in the NT
- Be on a separately metered commercial tariff
- Consumed less than 160 MWh of electricity in a year
Eligibility will be assessed based on your business’s electricity consumption from 1 July 1 2022 to 30 June 2023. New customers within this period are automatically deemed eligible.
On the other hand, ineligible entities include:
- Businesses operating from a residential electricity account
- Companies that used over 160 MWh of electricity in a year
- Territory or Commonwealth agencies, institutions, or corporations, unless competing with the private sector
- Local government entities
If your business is part of an embedded network, you will not qualify for this energy relief fund unless you receive bills from a licensed electricity retailer. You also need to meet the specific eligibility criteria.
Eligible businesses will see the rebate automatically applied to their electricity accounts starting 1 July 2023. The relief will be distributed on a pro-rata basis throughout the fiscal year ending 30 June 2024.
Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses in NSW
Your small business in New South Wales (NSW) can get up to $650 in bill relief from 1 July 2023 if you meet the eligibility criteria, which includes the following:
- Your business is based in NSW.
- Your business’s electricity consumption is less than 100 MWh per year.
- Your small business is on a separately metered business tariff.
Some small businesses are ineligible for the energy bill relief in NSW. These include state-owned corporations, authorised deposit-taking institutions and more. For the complete list of ineligible small businesses and eligibility requirements for those on an embedded network, visit www.energy.nsw.gov.au.
Note that only one energy bill relief payment will be granted to each small business in the 2023-24 financial year. Energy providers will automatically apply the relief in your energy bills through quarterly instalments of $162.50 on the following schedule:
- 31 July 2023
- 31 October 2023
- 31 January 2024
- 30 April 2024
Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses in QLD
The Queensland (QLD) Government administers the energy bill relief to eligible businesses. If you meet the requirements, you can get $650 in bill relief, which will be automatically applied to your electricity account every quarter starting from 1 July 2023. If your company becomes eligible for the bill relief in the middle of the fiscal year, you are granted to receive all future quarterly relief payments for the rest of the year.
You are eligible for the energy bill relief in QLD if your small business is:
- based in Queensland
- on a separately metered business tariff
- using less than 100 MWh of electricity per year
If your small business is on an embedded network (for example, a shopping centre), you may also be eligible for energy bill relief in QLD. Be sure to check the specific requirements applicable to you on Queensland’s government website.
Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses in SA
In South Australia (SA), small businesses facing the challenge of rising energy costs can find relief through the Energy Bill Relief Fund, effective from 1 July 2023. The relief offers a $650 rebate to businesses that meet the following requirements:
- Be based in South Australia
- On a separately metered business tariff
- Consumed less than 160 MWh of electricity in a year
Electricity providers will apply the rebate amount to eligible electricity accounts from July 2023. For details about the eligibility of those in an embedded network, visit South Australia’s government website.
Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses in TA
You can get a total of $650 in energy bill rebates for your local and small business in Tasmania (TA) from 1 July 2023 if you meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Your small business must be based in Tasmania.
- Your small business is on a separately metered business tariff.
- Your small business used less than 150 MWh of electricity in 2022 to 2023.
If your small business operates in a shopping centre or any facility that utilises an embedded network, you are not eligible for the energy bill relief in TA.
Electricity providers will automatically apply the bill relief to eligible small businesses’ electricity accounts. Two rebates of $325 will be applied to the September and June quarter bills from 2023 to 2024.
Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses in VIC
You can enjoy $325 in bill rebates for your Victoria-based small business from 7 August 2023 if you meet the eligibility requirements, including:
- Your small company is registered in Victoria (VIC).
- Your business is on a separately metered tariff.
- Your company utilised less than 40 MWh of electricity in a year.
The Victorian Government administers the bill relief, but electricity providers apply the rebates on eligible electricity accounts automatically.
Energy Bill Relief for Small Businesses in WA
Energy bill relief in Western Australia (WA) is administered to customers of Synergy or Horizon Power who run local small businesses. Eligible businesses can enjoy $650 in bill relief payable over two instalments of $325. You are eligible if you are on one of the following electricity tariffs:
- C1 or C2
- D1 or D2
- K1 or K2
- L1 or L2
- R1
Even if you’ve met the product eligibility criteria, you may not be qualified to get the energy rebates if your electricity account is held by a local government authority, a telecommunication company that is part of a corporate group, or a major mining operator, etc. For the complete list of ineligible accounts and other eligibility requirements, visit Western Australia’s government website.
The Energy Bill Relief Fund for Small Businesses is a good initiative to alleviate the burden of rising electricity bills.
If you are a small business striving to grow while keeping your overhead costs manageable, don’t miss out on this energy rebate.
For detailed information on how to get the energy bill relief fund in specific regions, including the ACT, Northern Territory, NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia, we encourage you to visit your respective state or territory’s official website.
