Energy Saver Incentive

Discounts and special offers are available on selected energy saving products and appliances from participating businesses.

The bigger the greenhouse gas reduction, the bigger your potential incentive.

Organisations offering products and services to help you save energy can participate in the Energy Saver Incentive. These include your energy retailer, local sustainability companies, your local appliance store, plumbers, builders and other tradespeople.

Ask for your Energy Saver Incentive from participating businesses. 

General Information

• Before you buy

• Energy Saver businesses

Energy Saver Actions

• Improve your home to stop energy escaping

• Choose an energy efficient fridge or freezer

• Heat your home with less energy

• Cool your home with less energy

• Cut energy on hot water

• Lower the energy used by hot showers

• Light your home using less power

• Choose an energy-efficient TV

• Dry your clothes using less power

• Use less energy to pump your pool

• Manage your standby power

• Business customers

• In-home displays

Improve your home to stop energy escaping

Insulate uninsulated ceilings and floors

Double glaze windows

Weather-proof windows and doors

Seal gaps, wall vents and chimneys to stop draughts

Making your home better insulated is an easy way to save energy on heating and cooling and reduce your power bills.

If your floors are uninsulated, you could be eligible to receive an Energy Saver Incentive to install under-floor insulation and buffer the effects of the seasons. Government rebates for some of these products may also be available. Find out more on the ResourceSmart website.

The Energy Saver Incentive applies to double glazing windows; either fitting new ones or adding panes to your existing windows. It’s also available to help stop draughts by weather-proofing doors or windows, sealing wall vents or installing chimney dampers, which open and close to shut out draughts when you’re not using the fireplace.

Choose an energy efficient fridge or freezer

Buy a high-efficiency fridge or freezer

Dispose of old inefficient fridges safely

Buying a fridge or freezer is not something you do every day. You can save a lot of money and energy, over many years, by choosing the most efficient appliance. Fridges with either one or two doors and both chest and vertical freezers may be eligible for an Energy Saver Incentive.

To find out which fridges and freezers are eligible, ask at one of the participating stores or check the list of eligible appliances on the website of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) scheme.

There is also an incentive available to have inefficient fridges built before 1996 disposed of in a way that’s safe for the environment. Check our list of participating businesses to find a supplier that can offer you this service.

Heat your home with less energy

Choose high-efficiency heating for your home

You can make huge reductions in your carbon footprint by replacing old energy-intensive heaters or installing high efficiency ducted gas heaters in new homes. Energy Saver Incentives are available to help you. The incentive will depend on the type of heating you’re replacing or installing.

Electric heating at home?

Gas heating at home?

Building a new home?

Cool your home with less energy

Switch to high-efficiency air conditioning.

Replacing an existing refrigerative air conditioner with a ducted evaporative cooler will reduce the amount of energy you use over summer and can help you save on your energy bills. Energy Saver Incentives are available if:

• you replace an existing fixed room refrigerative or ducted refrigerative air conditioner with a ducted evaporative cooler.

To be eligible please note that the existing refrigerative air conditioner must be operating in the main living areas of the home. Replacement of refrigerative air conditioners in a bedroom are not eligible.

Cut energy on hot water

Go solar or gas for hot water

Heating hot water accounts for a large proportion of your energy bills. Installing a more efficient hot water system can save a lot of money and a lot of energy. Depending on the type of hot water system you’re replacing, you could be eligible for an Energy Saver Incentive by upgrading to a more efficient system.

Electric hot water at home?

Gas hot water at home?

Government rebates for some of these products may also be available. Find out more on the
ResourceSmart website.

The website of the VEET scheme provides a list of eligible products including hot water systems.

Lower the energy used by hot showers

Install a water-saving shower head and save energy

Hot water heating is one of the biggest uses of energy in our homes. Using less of it is another way to easily save power. Having your conventional shower head replaced with a water-saving one is easy, and is also eligible for an Energy Saver Incentive from participating businesses.

Light your home using less power

Use energy efficient light globes all round your home

Install special energy efficient lamps to light up your rooms using less power

Did you know you can save up to $19 per globe a year by using energy saving globes? Special offers or discounts are available from participating businesses who can come to fit out your home with the latest in energy efficient lighting, including down-lights and energy efficient lamps. It is an easy and cheap way to save energy and reduce your greenhouse emissions.

Choose an energy-efficient TV

Buy a high-efficiency TV

Did you know that a plasma television is one of the most energy-intensive appliances in a household? Buying an energy-efficient TV is a simple way to reduce your energy consumption - and save money.

If you watch around four hours of television per day, a plasma TV will cost around an extra $40 a year compared with an equivalent high-efficiency LCD TV.

You can receive an Energy Saver Incentive for purchasing a TV that:

• has a 5.5–star energy efficiency rating, or higher
• does not consume more than 450 KWh/yr.

The website of the VEET scheme provides a list of eligible products including high-efficiency TVs.

Dry your clothes using less power

Purchase an energy-efficient clothes dryer

Using a clothes dryer can send your energy bills skyrocketing, but sometimes it can be hard to avoid.

Investing in an energy-efficient gas or electric clothes dryer is a great way to cut down on both your greenhouse gas emissions and your power bill.

You’ll be eligible for an energy saver incentive if you buy either of the following:

• a gas clothes dryer that is certified by an accredited body, like the Australian Gas Association
• an electric clothes dryer with a 5-star energy rating and above.

The website of the VEET scheme provides a list of eligible products including high-efficiency clothes dryers.

Use less energy to pump your pool

Buy an energy-saving pool pump

Pumping and maintaining a pool or spa is highly energy and greenhouse gas-intensive and can greatly increase the size of your carbon footprint.

You can cut down on your electricity use (and your bills) and still maintain a comfortable swimming pool temperature by using a smaller, higher efficiency pump and by operating it less.

If you purchase a pump with a minimum 3-star rating under the voluntary code, you’ll save money on your bills and be eligible for an incentive.

Manage your standby power

Have standby power controllers professionally installed in your home

Did you know that your computer and home entertainment system still draw power when in standby mode, adding costs to your electricity bill?

You can cut your greenhouse gas emissions by having standby power controllers installed, which will automatically reduce the amount of time these devices spend in standby mode and switch appliances off when not in use.

To be eligible for an Energy Saver Incentive, the standby power controller must:

• be installed to control either home entertainment equipment (like your TV or DVD player), or a computer and related devices (like a modem or printer)
• control the power consumption of at least two appliances in your home.

A maximum of four standby power controllers in one household are eligible for an Energy Saver Incentive.

The VEET scheme website provides a list of participating businesses.

Business customers

Victorian businesses are now able to access Energy Saver Incentives. 

The following activities are now available for business customers: 

• water heating 
• space heating and cooling 
• water efficient shower roses 
• energy efficient lighting, televisions and refrigerators or freezers. 

It is expected further new activities for business customers will be introduced into the Energy Saver Incentive in the coming months. 

Visit the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) scheme website for a list of participating businesses as well as updates on the expansion of the Energy Saver Incentive. 

In-home displays

Incentives will soon be available for in-home displays – new tools that help you monitor your electricity use at home.

Businesses are now encouraged to sign-up to offer these incentives to households. For updates regularly check this site or subscribe to the Smart Meters eUpdates.