Household electricity credit

Fact sheet
Eligible households will receive assistance to ease cost of living pressures.
Last updated:

Eligible households will receive a $700 electricity credit which consists of:

Important information

Applications open 31 July 2024 and close 31 January 2025.  You must apply for the 2024 credit even if you received it in 2023. 

We won't contact you by unsolicited email.  See information about the communication you may receive from RevenueWA.

If you have any concerns about the correspondence you receive regarding the Household Electricity Credit, please contact us.

When you will receive the credit

We are processing applications in the order they are received.  Expected processing time is approximately 6 weeks.  We will contact you if we have any questions about your application.

We are currently processing applications lodged in mid-September.

Households that were registered for Energy Concession Extension Scheme (ECES) on 17 June 2024 will have received the payment in late July 2024.

What you need to do to claim the credit

Synergy or Horizon Power customers don't need to apply.  Your provider will automatically apply the credit to your account over two instalments from 20 July 2024 and 7 December 2024.

Households on an embedded network or other third-party billing arrangement must apply to RevenueWA for payment of the credit.  See below for information on eligibility and how to apply if you are not billed by Synergy or Horizon Power.

Eligibility criteria

Who is eligible

You may be eligible if, at 17 June 2024:

  • you were an owner-occupier or a tenant incurring electricity costs
  • the property was a self-contained dwelling which can be lawfully used as a place of residence, including granny flats and dual key properties
  • the property was solely or dominantly used for residential purposes and
  • either:
    • you are not connected to the electricity grid and you have your own infrastructure for generating electricity or
    • your electricity was supplied through an embedded network, sub-metering arrangement, or other on-supply arrangement and you were invoiced by a third party for the electricity you use.  Common examples are apartment buildings, retirement villages, caravan parks, and regional communities whose electricity is supplied by mining companies. 
       
Who is not eligible

You won't be eligible if, at 17 June 2024:

  • you were not incurring electricity costs
  • you were a Synergy or Horizon Power customer
  • you were an owner leasing the property to tenants
  • you were an employer providing housing to employees as part of their employment terms. If the employee was leasing the property and invoiced for their electricity charges, they are eligible for the credit
  • you were a resident of Christmas or Cocos (Keeling) Islands or
  • the property was primarily used for short stay holiday accommodation such as an Airbnb.

How to apply

If your household is eligible for the Energy Concession Extension Scheme (ECES)

If you were registered for ECES on or before 17 June 2024

You don't need to apply for the 2024 Household Electricity Credit. We will pay the $700 credit directly to your nominated bank account.

Complete this form if you need to update your nominated bank account.

If you were eligible for ECES on 17 June 2024 but not registered

Register before 30 November 2024 and provide a copy of an invoice for your electricity costs covering 17 June 2024.  See how to apply for ECES. 

Once registered, you will receive the $700 credit directly to your nominated bank account.  You will also receive the annual Energy Assistance Payment.

If you become eligible for ECES after 17 June 2024You must apply separately for the $700 credit through the Online Services Portal between 31 July 2024 and 31 January 2025.

 

All other households

Apply through the Online Services Portal between 31 July 2024 and 31 January 2025.

You will need to provide:

  • a copy of your identification document.
  • a bank statement for the nominated account in the name of the applicant(s).
    • The statement you provide must include the account name, BSB and account number. We don’t need to see your transaction details.
    • If the nominated account is not in the name of all owners or tenants, provide a completed Authorisation form with the ID of each owner or tenant.
  • a copy of the lease agreement (if you are a tenant).
  • evidence of electricity costs covering 17 June 2024.
    • If your property is on an embedded network or sub-meter, provide the invoice from a third party (strata management, caravan or retirement management company) recouping the costs from you as owner or tenant.
    • Off-grid households need to substantiate power generation infrastructure by providing evidence of costs incurred, such as receipts for solar panels, generators or associated expenses.

Don't apply for the credit if you were a Synergy or Horizon Power customer on 17 June 2024.  See information below.

Synergy or Horizon Power customers

Don’t apply for the credit if you were a Synergy or Horizon Power customer on 17 June 2024. 

Your provider will automatically apply the credit to your account over two instalments from 20 July 2024 and 7 December 2024.

If you open an account after 17 June 2024 but before 18 November 2024, you may only be eligible for the second payment.

See your electricity provider for details.

We will check with electricity providers to ensure households don't receive two payments for the same property.

If you close your Synergy or Horizon Power account after 17 June 2024

Under Synergy's and Horizon Power’s terms and conditions, customers forfeit any credit not used if they close their account and don't open another eligible residential account by 31 March 2025.

  • If you closed your account before the first credit instalment was applied, contact RevenueWA to discuss your circumstances.
  • If you closed your account after the first credit instalment was applied, you forfeit the second instalment.
  • If you open a new Synergy or Horizon Power account before 31 March 2025, contact your provider to discuss transferring your credit.

Small businesses

If you are a small business not directly billed by Synergy or Horizon Power: 

  • contact the Small Business Development Corporation on 08 6552 3300 or see their website for information.

If you operate a small business from your home and you are not directly billed by Synergy or Horizon Power:

  • apply for the $700 Household Electricity Credit from RevenueWA.  See information above about how to apply.

Examples

 Synergy or Horizon Power customers
1Anh moved to WA in July and opened a Synergy account for his new residence. He isn't eligible for the first instalment, but Synergy will automatically apply the second instalment to his account in December because he opened a new account between 17 June 2024 and 18 November 2024. He doesn't need to apply for the credit.
2Max received the first instalment of the credit on his Synergy account in July. In August he moved to another house and closed the old account. If Max opens a Synergy or Horizon Power account for the new address before 31 March 2025, he can contact his provider to ask about transferring the credit to his new account.
3Dave had a Synergy account at his home on 17 June 2024. In July, Dave moved into a sub-metered apartment and permanently closed his account before Synergy applied the first credit instalment. Dave can no longer receive the credit from Synergy and should speak to RevenueWA about his circumstances.
4Taylor had a Synergy account at her home on 17 June 2024. In July, Synergy applied the first credit instalment to her account. In September, she moved into a sub-metered apartment and permanently closed her Synergy account. Taylor isn't eligible for the second instalment payment and can't apply for a new credit, part payment or refund from RevenueWA.
5Sunita is a tenant and lives in a house that has a meter supplied by Synergy. The Synergy account connected to the property is in her landlord’s name and they pass the bill on to her. Synergy will automatically apply the credit to the electricity account. Sunita's landlord should pass on the benefit of the credit to her.
 Caravan parks
6Robert is a resident in a caravan park and is supplied with electricity through a sub-meter. The caravan park manager calculates Robert’s electricity consumption and invoices him for his usage. Robert should apply for the credit through RevenueWA before 31 January 2025.
7Wendy was travelling in her caravan and temporarily staying at a caravan park on 17 June 2024. She is not a permanent resident of the caravan park. Wendy can't apply for a credit for her temporary site but may be eligible for a credit for her usual place of residence.
 Subsidised electricity
8Yan leases a property from her employer and receives an electricity subsidy as part of her employment terms. Her employer doesn't invoice her for her electricity costs because the subsidy offsets her electricity costs. Yan should apply to RevenueWA and provide evidence that her subsidy covered her electricity costs for the period including 17 June 2024. If Yan didn't receive an electricity subsidy and wasn't required to contribute to her electricity costs, she wouldn't be eligible for a credit.
 Ancillary dwellings
9Alice rents a granny flat on the land behind Paul’s house. The land is not subdivided and is serviced by a single electricity meter. For postal services, Paul’s house is described as 15A and Alice’s granny flat is described as 15B. Paul has a Synergy account and invoices Alice for 40% of the usage under the utility clause in Alice’s lease agreement. Paul receives the credit on his Synergy account. Alice can apply to RevenueWA for a separate payment for her household.
10Isobel’s property has a main residence at the front of the lot, with a smaller self-contained dwelling behind it. Her son Teddy occupies the dwelling but continues to live as part of Isobel's household. Teddy doesn't have a separate mailing address and isn't invoiced for his electricity costs. His house isn't considered a separate household from the main residence and isn't eligible for a credit.
11Ibrahim owns a dual key property and leases both units to tenants. There is a main Synergy meter connected to Unit A and a sub-meter which runs off this and supplies electricity to Unit B. The electricity account is in Ibrahim’s name. The property manager receives the invoice from Synergy and invoices each tenant for their usage. Synergy will automatically apply one credit to the electricity account. Unit A should receive the full credit and the tenant in Unit B should apply to RevenueWA for an equivalent payment. The credit is not intended to cover administrative account fees payable by Ibrahim.
 Exceptional circumstances or compassionate grounds
12

Shah was due to move into his new apartment on 7 June 2024. Due to urgent repair work required to the building, he was unable to move in until 24 June 2024. As his previous lease expired on 6 June 2024, Shah stayed in a hotel while waiting to move into his new apartment. Shah can apply to the Commissioner for payment of the credit under exceptional circumstances by uploading to his online application any documents that support his claim, including:

  • a detailed written explanation of his circumstances and
  • evidence that he incurred electricity costs before and after 17 June 2024.

The Commissioner will consider exceptional circumstances applications on a case-by-case basis.

Note: If Shah’s new residence is supplied by Synergy or Horizon Power, he should contact his new provider to ask about applying the credit. RevenueWA cannot consider applications from Synergy or Horizon Power customers.

 Off-grid households
13Antonio lives in a house he owns in a remote location in WA’s Southwest. The property is not connected to the power grid. To power his home, Antonio installed an off-grid power system which includes solar panels, batteries, inverters and a backup generator. Antonio should apply for the credit through RevenueWA by providing the required documents, including evidence of his off-grid power system such as receipts and/or invoices for the installation or maintenance. 
14Mary lives in a house she owns which is not connected to the power grid. She uses an off-grid diesel generator to supply power to her home. Mary should apply for the credit through RevenueWA by providing evidence that she owns, leases, or has access to a diesel generator, along with proof of expenses related to the generator such as receipts for fuel, batteries, maintenance, or repairs.

Documents

Published

20 November 2024

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