The Solar Homes Program is the largest household renewable energy program of any state in Australia and is designed to help families cut their energy bills.
The Victorian 2024–25 Budget will invest $37.7 million to deliver 35,000 rebates for energy efficient electric hot water systems and a further $6 million for interest free loans on solar battery and storage systems.
The government said it has delivered more than $624 million in rebates since 2018, which has seen more than 257,000 rooftop solar systems installed on Victorian homes – generating a total of 1.7GW of power.
The government said rebates have also delivered 19,000 energy efficient hot water systems and almost 17,000 solar battery systems for Victorian households.
Heating and hot water are the biggest energy users in the home, accounting for more than 50 per cent of total energy usage.
Installing a heat pump hot water system can save a household up to $400 a year on electricity bills and when combined with rooftop solar, savings can be up to $1,400 a year.
The Victorian Government said the best way to lower energy bills is to switch to electric appliances, and as such will deliver a $5.9 million investment to ensure the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program is better supporting Victorians to reduce their energy bills by switching to electric.
The government said it will deliver an $8.7 million investment into the Energy Compare website, designed to help families save money on their energy bills by switching to the best deal on the market. The investment is expected to ensure the site will continue to provide free, independent bill comparisons, helping Victorians save $170 on average.
The Victorian Government said it will also invest $3.4 million in the Energy Assistance Program, designed to ease cost of living pressures through the free service that provides energy consumers experiencing hardship with one-on-one assistance.
The program is designed to help Victorians struggling with power bills to navigate the energy market, apply for grants and concessions, find and switch to better offers and address billing errors.
To apply for a hot water rebate visit, solar.vic.gov.au/hot-water-rebate.
To find the best deal on your energy bill visit, compare.energy.vic.gov.au. To speak to an Energy Assistance Program advocate, call 1800 161 215.
Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, said, “We’re helping families slash their energy bills with more discounts for energy efficient hot water which can save them up $1,000 off the installation costs and $400 on their bill each year.”
“We’re making sure that Victorians facing hardship receive the support they need through extra one-on-one support to access the concessions and help.”
Victorian Member for Box Hill, Paul Hamer, said, “More Victorians than ever before are switching to efficient electric technology and our rebates are helping them save thousands on installation and driving down emissions.”
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