Households in the Sunshine State will soon receive some much-needed power price pain reprieve, following the announcement of a mega government electricity rebate for all in the state.
Announced as part of the state Government’s 2023-2024 budget, a one-off $550 electricity discount is soon to hit the bills of all Queensland households to help offset the costs of rising power prices in the state.
In addition to the $550-for-all electricity rebate, the state government will slash $700 off the bills of vulnerable households. Paired with the state’s existing electricity rebate scheme, this brings the total rebate to $1,072 for Queenslanders doing it tough.
This $700 rebate will be partly funded by the National Energy Bill Relief Fund announced in May this year.
Eligible small businesses are also expected to receive a $650 power bill discount as part of the relief package.
State Treasurer Cameron Dick said Queensland will more than double the size of the National Energy Bill Relief Fund for households.
“Our government will deliver greater and more widespread cost of living relief than any other government in Australia,” he said.
Alongside direct bill support, the state government has also allocated $60 million towards a Household Energy Initiatives program and $10 million for the Vulnerable Households Energy Advice Initiatives. These are set to help deliver energy efficiency measures and keep costs down for households.
These measures combined are anticipated to more than offset the average cost of electricity bill rises pinned for this financial year in QLD.
From July 1, default power prices for households in south-east Queensland are expected to rise about 21% on average, with a further 28.7% increase anticipated for households in regional and far north Queensland, according to the Queensland Competition Authority.
Leading power providers, AGL and Origin Energy, have already pegged increases of up to 26% for households and small businesses in SEQ from July 1.
Alinta Energy and Red Energy also issued price increases in the last week to customers, according to letters shared with Canstar Blue.
Worried about July 1 price increases from your electricity provider? Start comparing plans now with these cheap deals
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Ausgrid network in Sydney but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 3900kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Citipower network in Melbourne but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the Energex network in Brisbane but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4600kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Here are some of the cheapest published deals from the retailers on our database that include a link to the retailer’s website for further details. These are products from referral partners†. These costs are based on the SA Power network in Adelaide but prices may vary depending on your circumstances. This comparison assumes general energy usage of 4000kWh/year for a residential customer on a single rate tariff. Please use our comparison tool for a specific comparison in your area. Our database may not cover all deals in your area. As always, check all details of any plan directly with the retailer before making a purchase decision.
Am I eligible for the Cost of Living Rebate in QLD?
All QLD households will be eligible for the Cost of Living Rebate, however the amount received may differ depending on circumstance.
The $550 rebate will be available to all households no matter the circumstance. This will be credited automatically to customers’ quarterly electricity bills from July 1, 2023 onwards, but timing may differ depending on billing cycles and retailers.
The $700 rebate will be available to households currently signed up to the Queensland Electricity Rebate, worth $372 annually. These are typically vulnerable customers including seniors, veterans, and health care card holders. About 600,000 households are expected to benefit from this additional rebate, also from July 1, 2023. Again, this will be automatically credited on customers’ bills.
As for small businesses, the $650 rebate will be available to businesses that consume less than 100,000 kilowatt hours per annum. This rebate will also be automatically deducted from customers’ bills from July 1, 2023.
Struggling to pay your energy bills? See what other concessions you may be eligible for in QLD with our state rebates and concessions guide.
Image credit: MultifacetedGirl/Shutterstock.com
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