Concessions and rebates

Concessions and rebates

At Pacific Blue, it’s important to us that both eligible concession cardholders and life support customers have access to current information.

If you have a relevant concession card, are in receipt specified Centrelink benefits (for example, Family Tax Benefit), or live in a low-income household, you may be eligible for a concession on your account with Pacific Blue.

Valid concession cards may include:

• Pensioner Concession Cards issued by Centrelink or the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Health Care Cards issued by Centrelink
• Department of Veterans Affairs Gold Repatriation Health Cards

If you believe you may be eligible for a concession on your account or would like further information, please call Pacific Blue on 133 669 from Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, excluding public holidays. 

Alternatively, you can:

Email: [email protected]

Post:
Pacific Blue
PO Box 320
Geelong North VIC 3215

For more detailed information on the types of concessions available, your eligibility and applying for concessions, please contact us or visit the related State government websites that contain more information on these concessions.

Victorian concessions

The Victorian Government offers a variety of concessions and benefits to assist low-income Victorians with energy bills.

Further information on concessions in Victoria is available from the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) website here.

Annual electricity concession

The Annual Electricity Concession reduces your bill by approximately 17.5% for both electricity usage and supply charges. It is applied to your bills throughout the year and is calculated after retailer discounts and solar credits have been deducted. This concession is capped, once the cap has been reached, Pacific Blue will send you an application form for the Excess Electricity Concession.

Controlled load concession

The Controlled Load Electricity Concession reduces your bill by approximately 13% for controlled load electricity usage charges. This concession is applied to your bills throughout the year.

Controlled load charges apply to separately metered electric hot water or slab heating, which is measured via a dual element electricity or dual element smart meter. This concession is only available to eligible customers with a dual-element meter.

Electricity transfer fee waiver

Eligible concession cardholders can have their electricity service connected for free when moving into a new house. The concession will be automatically applied.

Excess Electricity Concession

If your mains electricity usage and service costs are above the Victorian Government's annual cap for the Annual Electricity Concession, for the year, you may be eligible for the Excess Electricity Concession. Please note this amount is reviewed each year.

This concession provides a reduction of 17.5% of electricity usage and service costs. The concession is calculated after retailer discounts and solar credits have been deducted.

If you receive the Life Support Concession or the Medical Cooling Concession you will be exempt from the Excess Electricity Concession capping.

Life support concession

The Life Support Concession assists customers who require the use of specific life support machines in their home.

For more information on the VIC Life Support Concession click here.

Medical cooling concession

The Medical Cooling Concession reduces your electricity bills during the summer period by approximately 17.5%. This concession is paid to eligible cardholders in addition to the Annual Electricity Concession. The summer period dates are 1 November to 30 April (inclusive) each year.

Examples of qualifying medical conditions include:

• Multiple sclerosis
• Lymphedema
• Parkinson’s disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Post-polio syndrome/poliomyelitis
• Motor Neurone Disease

Applications for medical conditions not listed as part of the Medical Cooling Concession will need to be approved by the DFFH. The application form can be downloaded here.

For more information on the Medical Cooling Concession please refer to the DFFH website here.

Service to property charge concession

If your electricity usage is low, you may be eligible for the Service to Property Charge Concession. In instances where the service to property charge is higher than charges for the electricity consumed at the property, the concession amount will be the difference between the two.

Utility relief grant scheme (URGS)

The Utility Relief Grant Scheme provides grants to eligible concession cardholders and low-income households. The grant can be used to pay an electricity or gas bill that is overdue due to a temporary financial crisis. The amount of the grant is based on the amount you owe at the time of the application. Please note that the grant is capped at a maximum amount for each type of energy.

What are the criteria for the grant?

You must show that you have no way of paying the account without assistance, and you must meet one of the following criteria:

• You or someone in your house has experienced family violence.
• You have had a recent decrease in income, for example, lost your job.
• You have had high unexpected costs for essential items.
• The cost of shelter is more than 30% of your household income.

For more information on URGS please refer to the DFFH website here.

To apply for this grant, please call Pacific Blue on 133 669 from Monday to Friday between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm (AET), excluding public holidays.