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The federal government is set to deliver the final quarterly instalment of the household Energy Bill Relief Fund to electricity providers from today. As a result, households should expect to see a $75 credit applied to their account in the next couple of weeks.
The timing of when this applies can differ depending on a person’s location and provider, with some retailers saying it will take up to two weeks to appear in customers’ accounts.
Western Australian residents didn’t receive the previous quarterly instalment but will receive a $150 credit from 11 October, to account for the July and October quarterly amounts.
When will households have to face a rebate-free electricity bill?
Exactly when households use up the last of their electricity relief depends on a range of factors, including how much electricity they use, where they live, whether they receive monthly or quarterly bills, and when they receive these bills.
Households that pay monthly are likely to face the reality of rebate-free bills later this year.
However Canstar research shows the majority of households (62%) pay quarterly, and these customers are unlikely to see a rebate-free bill until next year. This could potentially be as late as March or early April if they’ve just received, or are about to receive, a bill in the next few days before the rebate lands in their account.
Many are unprepared for higher electricity costs
The government’s quarterly cash injections have been providing a buffer to energy bills since July 2024. In total, the federal government has provided households with $450 to help reduce energy costs, typically in $75 quarterly instalments.
However, a Canstar survey of over 2,000 electricity customers has revealed that when the rebates end:
- 40% will need to make changes to manage the increased costs.
- 9% may not be able to pay their bill.
- 32% are prepared and don’t believe it will have a significant impact on their budget.
- 19% aren’t aware the rebate is ending.
Households can extend the honeymoon by switching
While a federal rebate has provided bill relief for households, switching to a lower-cost energy plan can potentially help reduce energy bills in the long term.
Canstar research shows a customer on the average-priced electricity plan that switches to the lowest could save up to $383 over the next year, which is more than the total $300 worth of rebates provided by the government in the last 12 months.
Potential savings switching from average to lowest cost electricity plan:
City | Avg. annual cost | Lowest annual cost | Potential savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Sydney | $1,780 | $1,479 | $301 |
Melbourne | $1,466 | $1,199 | $267 |
Brisbane | $2,011 | $1,681 | $330 |
Adelaide | $2,159 | $1,806 | $353 |
Canberra | $2,375 | $1,992 | $383 |
Hobart | $1,326 | $1,216 | $110 |
Source: www.canstar.com.au - 01/10/2025. Based on single rate electricity plans on Canstar's database; excluding solar-only plans. One product shown per distribution network. Annual costs calculated based on the estimated lowest possible price a representative customer would be charged in a year, assuming all conditions of discount offered (if any) have been met. Representative customer based on the reference usage for NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, and SA (per Victorian default offer for VIC, ICRC for ACT, and AER for others) or the median usage in the Office of the Tasmania Regulator's report, Typical Electricity Customers in Tasmania 2022 for TAS.
Canstar data insights director, Sally Tindall, says: “This final $75 instalment will be welcome relief for households about to receive their next bill, but it also marks the end of an era for subsidised energy costs.”
“For the majority of households who receive their electricity bills quarterly, the reality of paying full freight is unlikely to hit until next year. However, those who pay monthly could face their first rebate-free bill before the end of the year.
“The federal government rebate has helped many families cope with the electricity price hikes we saw in July and August of this year. However, the concern is, once this credit dries up, many households won’t be ready to meet these higher costs.
"Canstar research shows that just under half of electricity customers will need to adjust their budget to manage higher electricity bills, including some who might not be able to pay their bill when the credit runs out.
“When you get your next electricity bill, check you’ve received the final instalment but also stop and think about how you might manage your energy costs from this point on.
“One way to potentially extend the honeymoon is by switching to a more competitively-priced plan.
“Canstar research shows that switching from an average-priced plan to one of the lowest could, in some cases, save a typical household over $300 in the course of a year – that’s more than the federal government relief received in the last year, just by making a relatively simple switch.”
