Thousands of more ns are eligible for a massive discount on their energy bills with the revelation welcome news for families ahead of Christmas.
Both the NSW and South n governments have expanded eligibility for their energy bill relief rebate as part of the National Energy Bill Relief Plan.
Those now eligible can receive up to $500 off their electricity bill for the 2023-24 financial year.
The rebate was first revealed in this year’s federal budget and is funded by the federal government along with states and territories.
How much you can receive and when you will get the discount comes down to where you live in the country.
Those now eligible for the rebate can receive up to $500 off their electricity bill for the 2023-24 financial year
Eligibility, how much you can receive and when you will get it comes down to where you live
In NSW, the rebate has been expanded to include those receiving Carer Allowance, Low Income Health Care Card holders and Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Gold Card holders.
In South the rebate is now eligible for Commonwealth Family Tax Benefit recipients, people receiving a Carer Allowance and holders of certain DVA cards.
An additional 55,000 people are estimated to now eligible for the payment in NSW, a NSW Environment and Heritage Department spokesperson told Yahoo.
The figure brings up the total of households eligible to 1.6million.
In South , a total of 420,000 households are eligible for the payment.
The South n government is now processing the second installments of the payment.
Applications have opened six weeks early to help with higher costs at this time of year.
‘We understand many people are doing it particularly tough as cost-of-living pressures continue, and we want everyone to access the support they are eligible for,’ NSW Climate Change and Energy minister Penny Sharpe said.
‘This is a significant milestone in the rollout of National Energy Bill Relief in New South Wales, with payments now available for all eligible consumers.’
People can check their eligibility and apply for the scheme on the NSW government website.
The South n government said Services was contacting the new batch of eligible people and inviting them to apply.
An estimated additional 55,000 people are now eligible for the payment in NSW
Applications have opened six weeks early to help with higher costs at this time of year
‘As we head into Christmas, a reduction in energy bills will provide some relief at what is traditionally a very expensive time of year,’ said South n Treasurer Stephen Mullighan.
For those in South who never received any relief in the first quarter of the year but were eligible, they will get the full $500.
Existing recipients do not have to apply as the payment would have automatically allocated payments to their electricity bills.
In more welcome news, the South n government has also extended the $650 energy bill reduction to thousands of additional businesses.
To be eligible, businesses must be on embedded networks, such as those within shopping centres who do not receive their bill directly from an energy retailer.
It will be rolled out early next year after Business SA raised concerns with the government that businesses on embedded networks were missing out.
‘There are a lot of South n households and businesses under pressure right now, which is why we are providing targeted support to help those most in need in our community,’ Treasurer Mullighan said.
‘I encourage all consumers to check their eligibility and get the support they are entitled to,’ said NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Trish Doyle.