If you’re still expecting a quarterly credit to magically appear on your electricity bill, it’s worth knowing: it stopped. The national Energy Bill Relief Fund, which automatically applied up to $300 in 2024–25 and a further $150 across the first half of 2025–26, made its final payment on 31 December 2025. There’s been no new universal federal rebate confirmed since, and nothing suggests one is coming in the current calendar year.
That doesn’t mean help has disappeared entirely — but what’s left has shifted shape. It’s no longer automatic for most people, and it’s no longer universal. Here’s what’s actually still on the table in 2026, and how to check it without relying on outdated information still floating around online (including, ironically, some of the “2026 guides” that show up in search results).
What Actually Ended
The Commonwealth Energy Bill Relief Fund ran as a joint federal-state program for two financial years:
- 2024–25: up to $300 automatically credited to eligible household electricity accounts
- 2025–26 (first half only): a further $150, delivered as two $75 instalments in July and October 2025
Most people never had to apply — retailers applied it automatically. That final $75 instalment landed by 31 December 2025, and the program concluded there. As of 2026, there is no automatic federal credit appearing on electricity bills.
Official source: Energy Bill Relief Fund — energy.gov.au
What’s Still Running: State and Territory Concessions
Unlike the federal program, these were never automatic for everyone — they’re targeted, ongoing, and generally require you to hold a specific concession card and actively apply (or confirm your retailer has applied it to your account).
Commonly eligible groups across most states include holders of:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Health Care Card
- Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
- DVA Gold Card
- In some states, Family Tax Benefit recipients also qualify for specific concessions
Amounts vary significantly by state and card type — reported figures for some current schemes run roughly in the $200–$400 per year range, but exact amounts change between financial years and shouldn’t be relied on from a single source. The energy.gov.au rebate finder is the right starting point to see what’s actually current for your state.
Official source: Rebate finder — energy.gov.au
The Detail Renters Specifically Should Check
1. The account needs to be in your name. A surprisingly common issue in share housing and some rentals: if the electricity account is still in a previous tenant’s name, a landlord’s name, or a housemate’s name, concessions tied to your concession card won’t apply — because eligibility is assessed against the account holder, not just who lives at the address. If you’ve moved in and haven’t formally transferred the account, that’s worth fixing regardless of rebates, but it becomes essential if you’re trying to claim a concession.
2. Embedded networks (common in apartment buildings) work differently. If you live in an apartment complex, retirement village, or caravan park where electricity is supplied through a building-wide “embedded network” rather than billed directly by a retailer, some remaining federal Bill Relief payments for the 2025–26 financial year may still be available through state service portals, separate from the standard retailer process — this pathway has historically stayed open later than the main program because embedded network billing works differently. If this applies to you, check directly with your state’s service portal (like Service NSW) rather than assuming the same rules as a standard household account.
3. Check before renewing, not after. If you’re on a fixed retail plan and it’s up for renewal, that’s a natural moment to also check current concession eligibility — circumstances (income, concession card status, household composition) can change what you’re eligible for even if nothing changed on the electricity side.
Other Ongoing Support Worth Knowing About
A few additional, more targeted programs exist alongside the standard concessions:
- Medical Cooling and Heating Concessions — for people medically unable to regulate their own body temperature, in some states this provides additional support specifically for the running costs of heating/cooling equipment (directly relevant if you’ve set up a portable air conditioner or heater for a medical need, not just comfort)
- Hardship and emergency assistance programs — one-off support for households in acute financial difficulty with energy bills, generally administered through your retailer or state service portal, separate from the standard ongoing concessions
A Practical Checklist
- Confirm the electricity account is actually in your name, not a previous tenant’s or landlord’s
- Check the official energy.gov.au rebate finder for your state’s current concessions
- If you hold any concession card (Pensioner, Health Care, Commonwealth Seniors Health, DVA Gold), confirm it’s linked to your energy account with your retailer
- If you’re in an apartment with an embedded network, check your state service portal directly rather than assuming standard rules apply
- Don’t rely on outdated articles (including ones dated “2026”) that describe the old $300/$150 federal credit as if it’s still running — cross-check anything specific against the official page linked above
The Bottom Line
The federal safety net that quietly protected most households through 2024 and 2025 is gone, and it’s not coming back in its old universal form. What replaces it isn’t nothing — but it does require you to actually check and, in most cases, actively hold the right concession card and have your account details correct. Five minutes on the official rebate finder is the difference between assuming you’re covered and actually being covered.
This article summarizes publicly available information from energy.gov.au and links directly to official pages. Program details, eligibility, and amounts change and are updated periodically — always confirm current information directly with energy.gov.au or your state government before relying on it. This is general information, not financial advice.