Hey, do you know what activity is expensive? Living. Well, so is dying, I guess, but that’s another story. Zucchinis cost money, electricity costs money, and even bingeing the fourth season of Stranger Things costs money. I mean, is nothing in this world sacred?
Fortunately for our pockets, each Aussie state offers some of its residents cost of living rebates. Some of these states are way more generous with its rebates than others, but you might be able to squeeze some savings out of where you live.
But what are these savings? And which state offers the best rebates? Well, strap yourselves in folks, because we’re about to speed down the bureaucracy highway.
Queensland
The Queensland government offers several decent rebates to its residents. Moreover, these offers are easy to find, as all of them are listed on its Smart Savings website.
Some of the notable deals this state offers include electricity bill rebates of up to $341 per year and reticulated natural gas rebates of up to $76 per year. This government will also subsidise the cost of specialised smoke alarms for those that are hard of hearing.
It’s worth noting that there are eligibility criteria for all of these rebates, so check them out before adding these discounts to your Excel budget. Also, the Smart Savings page might not be the most thoroughly reviewed, as it contains a link to a dead 2019 webpage.
South Australia
South Australia offers the typical concessions and discounts for seniors. They also have a rad home battery system subsidy up for grabs. Such a battery can be paired with new or existing solar panels to store excess power when it’s either cloudy or dark. This scheme is available for all South Australian residents.
Two South Australians, John and his wife Brenda, were very happy with the home battery program.
“My previous bill was $684,” John reportedly said. “The first bill came nine days after the system went in and we got a $58 rebate. I was flabbergasted — my jaw dropped. Our last full bill came the other day and I got a $159 rebate for the quarter. We don’t get any bills anymore, only rebates.”
Northern Territory
In an interesting move, the Northern Territory advertises rebates for specific communities. For instance, the City of Palmerston is offering home composting rebates. This program allows Palmerston residents to get a $50.00 discount off some composting equipment. Additionally, this is a very rad initiative, if you ask me.
Another interesting scheme was made for the residents of Litchfield. These folks could apply for a Going Green rebate that would allow them to purchase $150 worth of cloth nappies and reusable sanitary items. This initiative was put in place to reduce the amount of landfill waste the community was creating. Unfortunately, this program’s funds have been exhausted, but hopefully it gets some more cash soon!
Tasmania
Here’s a depressing fact: When you Google the phrase “rebate” next to the Tasmanian Government’s website, no results come up. That’s right, nothing pops up at all.
But that doesn’t mean that Tassie doesn’t do any rebates. They just issue them to Seniors Card holders, Companion Card holders, and other types of card holders. And no, they don’t issue rebates to Pokemon card holders, so don’t even try! If you want to learn about what types of discounts these card holders are eligible for, then here’s the Tasmanian Government Concessions Guide for you to flick through.
Western Australia
Due to some areas of Western Australia being rather remote, its government offers some help to those living in these regional areas. For instance, they provide financial aid to some kids that are boarding at either the Western Australian College of Agriculture or City Beach Residential College. This government also has a Student Subsidised Travel Scheme, which financially helps individuals that travel over 56 km to get to school, uni, or college.
Another mint program is the School Dental Service. This program allows most five-year-olds to 16-year-olds to get free dental care.
ACT
To be honest, the ACT is pretty light on the rebate front, but they do have a sick scheme called the Next Gen Energy Storage Program. This initiative gives a whack of ACT residents a huge discount when buying a battery for their solar panels. How big of a discount? Well, according to the program’s website, it’s either a $3,500 discount or a 50% discount, “whichever is lowest”.
The ACT’s also offering individuals who own an electric or gas vehicle a 20% rego discount. So, if you’re planning on getting one of these machines, maybe suss out this deal.
NSW
The NSW Government’s Saving Finder website slaps. It’s easy to use, gorgeous, and chock-full of great deals. If you want to sit atop a throne made of rebates, then NSW is exactly where you want to live.
One of the notable subsidies is the Family Energy Rebate. This scheme can give Family Tax Benefit folks a whopping $180 energy bill discount. If this program sounds like your cup of tea, then you better hurry, because it closes on June 30.
Some other interesting rebates include the Apprentice Vehicle Registration Rebate, the Pre-IVF Fertility Testing Rebate, and a program that gives some young kids discounted swimming lessons. To be honest, these awesome programs shouldn’t be exclusive to those that live in NSW.
Victoria
The Victorian government is another state that’s jumped aboard the solar-powered bandwagon. This is because it’s currently giving away $1,400 for solar panel installation rebates for homeowners and rental properties alike. Moreover, this government is providing solar battery discounts that max out at $3,500.
But would you believe that the Victorian government is doing even more to help folks out with their energy bills? No? Well, then you’d be a silly goose, because this institution is doing exactly that. The Victorian Government is currently providing all Victorian households that use Victorian Energy Compare a once-off $250 reward.
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.
