Energy News
Federal Budget 2025-26 Announcement: Energy Bill Relief Extension
Additional financial relief is coming for households and businesses.
What Answers You’ll Get On This Page:
Important Points
-
The Australian Government has extended the Energy Bill Relief Fund for another six months from 1 July 2025, offering up to $150 in electricity bill support.
-
The 2025 extension provides a $150 rebate, automatically applied to electricity bills in two $75 quarterly payments from 1 July to 31 December 2025.
While the rebate is certainly helpful, many households and businesses may still feel the pinch as energy costs remain high. That’s where Electricity Monster comes in. Simply click on the button below to book an energy review with one of our energy experts, upload a recent energy bill, and we’ll provide you with several options to help you cut costs. If we can’t help you, we’ll let you know before your appointment time.
What Is the Energy Bill Relief Fund (EBRF)?
The EBRF is a government initiative to help offset rising electricity prices for eligible households and small businesses. The 2025 extension provides a $150 rebate. This rebate is automatically applied to electricity bills in two $75 quarterly payments from 1 July to 31 December 2025.
Unlike other support programs, you don’t need to apply. The credit will simply appear on your electricity bill if you’re eligible.
This initiative follows the government’s previous $3.5 billion energy relief package for 2024–25, which provided up to $300 in rebates for households and $325 for small businesses. Unfortunately, the new extension offers less financial support than in previous years, raising concerns about whether it will be enough to make a real impact.
2Who Is Eligible for the 2025 Energy Bill Rebate?
Residential Households
If you receive an electricity bill from a retailer—and are connected to the grid—or are connected to an embedded network (such as in an apartment complex, retirement village, or caravan park), you will be eligible for the rebate. Your electricity provider will automatically apply the credit to your bill—no action is needed.
Small Businesses
To qualify, your small business must:
-
Have an active electricity account,
-
not be operating from a residential address with a residential electricity plan, and
-
use less electricity than the annual threshold set by your state.
To receive the energy bill rebate, your business must also be considered a ‘small electricity customer’, which is based on how much electricity you use each year. Each state and territory has its own limit for what counts as a small business when it comes to electricity use. If your business uses more electricity than that yearly limit, you won’t be eligible for the rebate.
Here are the annual electricity usage thresholds separated by state:
State/Territory | Threshold (MWh/year) |
|---|---|
|
NSW |
100 MWh |
|
QLD |
100 MWh |
|
SA |
160 MWh |
|
VIC |
40 MWh |
|
WA |
50 MWh |
|
TAS |
150 MWh |
|
ACT |
100 MWh |
|
NT |
160 MWh |
Residential and Business Rebate Amount
The table below shows how the rebate has changed over the past few years:
Name & Timing | Rebate Amount | Small Business Rebate |
|---|---|---|
|
EBRF 2025 Extension (Jul–Dec 2025) |
$150 |
$150 |
|
EBRF 2024–25 (Jul 2024–Jun 2025) |
$300 |
$325 |
|
EBRF 2023–24 (Jul 2023–Jun 2024) |
$175–$250 (varies by state) |
$325 |
How Can You Save More?
With government rebates dropping year after year, many households and small businesses are feeling the squeeze. If you haven’t reviewed your electricity plan recently, you could be throwing away hundreds of dollars annually. Too many Aussies are stuck on outdated rates, paying far more than they should. Rebates might offer a temporary break—but they won’t fix a bad deal. One of the most productive ways to cut your power bills is to compare and switch to a more competitive plan now.
Spending hours contacting energy providers for quotes is time none of us have. That’s why we’ve made it easy to compare multiple providers all in one place. It’s fast, easy, and free. Click on the link below to schedule an energy review with our team. We’ll analyse your energy usage, compare plans from our partnered providers, and get you the best deal we have available—all in one quick phone call. And yes, it’s 100% free.
Author
Benjamin TomBenjamin is a utility specialist passionate about creating informative content about the energy, internet, and solar markets. With extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, Benjamin drives our unique blog posts, articles, and reviews. He is focused on breaking down the technical jargon so our readers can better understand the telco market and industry. Whether he is comparing the latest internet deals or creating unique guides, Benjamin takes great pride in creating helpful, easy-to-read content.
RELATED ARTICLES
+View More Related Articles
– View Less
How the Cost Of Living Crisis is Impacting Australians This Christmas
Energy bills continue to rise, are you prepared?
100% Free Service
Compare Providers
Brokered Over 150,000 Deals
What Answers You’ll Get On This Page:
It’s no secret that Australians are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living, inflation, and increasing interest rates. The ongoing economic crisis has forced residents to make significant cutbacks in order to reduce financial stress. With the holidays fast approaching, this means less spending and more budgeting.
Comparing the market and switching providers has become popular for homeowners and renters. If you’re in a state where you can change to a new provider, there is potential for huge annual savings. The energy retail market is filled with competitive market offers that could be significantly cheaper than what you’re currently on, so it’s recommended that you shop around for the best deal available.
-
Electricity prices can change at any time. It’s always worth checking your rate to see if you’re on the best deal.
-
Most state governments have energy concessions available to low-income households, pensioners, and concession card holders.
-
On July 1, 2023, residential customers on standard retail electricity plans were subjected to price increases of 20.8 percent to 23.9 percent without controlled load and 19.6 percent to 24.9 percent with controlled load.
How Can I Reduce My Energy Bill Further?
If you think you’re paying more for electricity, it’s possible you are. One of the easiest ways you can lower your bill is to compare energy plans and switch to a more competitive rate. Most retailers offer a benefit period that ends after a specified period (i.e. 12 months). Once this promotional period ends, you may be paying more than necessary. At Electricity Monster, we can help you potentially lower your bill by comparing rates and finding you a fair deal from our network of partnered retailers. Click on the link below to get our best deal and a $50 voucher.
Tough Times Ahead This Christmas
According to the latest forecasts released by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Australians will spend roughly $66.8 billion between November and December – all the way up to Christmas Eve. Despite inflated prices of goods and services across the economy, household spending has increased by 4.8 per cent throughout 2023. However, the economic downturn has forced shoppers to pass on discretionary goods in favour of essentials.
While state and territorial governments are offering aid in the form of energy bill relief, commonwealth rent assistance, and other benefits, the holiday season is on pace to be relatively tough due to a more frugal trading period.
On top of the increase in the cost of living, Australians are also faced with keeping their power bill at a minimum while maximising their purchasing power through holiday sales. With cost pressures slowly getting out of hand, it’s become pivotal for energy customers to find ways to lower their bills.
3Are There Energy Concessions and Rebates I Can Take Advantage Of?
Most state governments have energy concessions available to low-income households, pensioners, and concession card holders. There are also other rebates that residential energy customers can benefit from when they take action, like switching to energy-efficient LED lights or installing energy-efficient kitchen appliances.
In order to claim energy concessions in your area, you’ll need to contact your energy provider or the government if you live in South Australia and Northern Territory to apply them to your bill. Or, give us a call at Electricity Monster. We can take a look at your energy account and potentially apply for an energy concession. On top of this, we can also find you the best deal we have available within our network of partnered providers so you can get an energy plan that best suits your budget and needs.
How Much Did Electricity Prices Go Up?
On July 1, 2023, residential customers on standard retail electricity plans were subjected to price increases of 20.8 percent to 23.9 percent without controlled load and 19.6 percent to 24.9 percent with controlled load.
This rise in energy prices has caused Australians to look for cost-effective solutions to their high power bills, with minimal relief outside of state and territorial government rebates.
Households suffering from high power bills are urged to compare energy plans and providers in order to mitigate some of the high costs. If you’re looking to switch or want to compare plans, give Electricity Monster a call today, as we can analyse your energy usage and offer you a variety of free solutions to help you find a better deal.
5Why Should I Compare the Market?
One potential solution to high energy bills is comparing the market and switching providers if you’re on a bad rate. If you feel like you’re overpaying for electricity, there’s a chance you are.
In some cases, this has nothing to do with your energy consumption but the current energy plan you are on. For example, your current plan may not feature low usage rates or discounts that could lower your overall energy bill. Or, your benefit period may have ended, which can result in losing the original discount that was applied when you first signed up for the plan. Simply put, comparing your options through a service like Electricity Monster can help you get on a better plan. Give us a call today and let our energy experts analyse your power bill and provide you with a variety of free solutions. With the holidays right around the corner, there’s no better time to save money than now.
Looking To Compare More?
If you want to start comparing rates to find a plan suitable for your lifestyle, give us a call at 1300 232 848. We specialise in comparing rates with our partners so you can enjoy a fair deal without dealing with the hassles that come with the process. Our energy specialists are on standby ready to help.
More on Energy Bill Savings
Author
Benjamin TomBenjamin is a utility specialist passionate about creating informative content about the energy, internet, and solar markets. With extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, Benjamin drives our unique blog posts, articles, and reviews. He is focused on breaking down the technical jargon so our readers can better understand the telco market and industry. Whether he is comparing the latest internet deals or creating unique guides, Benjamin takes great pride in creating helpful, easy-to-read content.
RELATED ARTICLES
Electricity Market Offers Exceed Safety Net
Now Is the Time to Compare Energy Plans
100% Free Service
Compare Providers
Brokered Over 150,000 Deals
What Answers You’ll Get On This Page:
In lieu of the recent energy price increases, households and small businesses are being urged to check their current plan and see if there is a cheaper electricity rate available. Per the ACCC, energy prices have soared 10 to 20 per cent above the regulated safety net, which was designed to protect consumers by establishing pricing rules that limit the amount of money retailers can charge for their plans – also known as standing offer contracts.
According to the ACCC, 90 per cent of households are on market offers, and only 10 per cent are on standing offer contracts. This means a large majority of residential customers on market offers may be paying more for electricity than those on standing offer contracts.
-
Electricity prices can change at any time. It’s always worth checking your rate to see if you’re on the best deal.
-
On July 1, 2023, residential customers on standard retail electricity plans saw significant price increases.
-
Staying loyal to one brand may not be the best option, as you could be paying more for electricity due to the recent increase in energy prices.
How Can I Reduce My Energy Bill Further?
If you think you’re paying more for electricity, it’s possible you are. One of the easiest ways you can lower your bill is to compare energy plans and switch to a more competitive rate. Most retailers offer a benefit period that ends after a specified period (i.e. 12 months). Once this promotional period ends, you may be paying more than necessary. At Electricity Monster, we can help you potentially lower your bill by comparing rates and finding you a fair deal from our network of partnered retailers. Click on the link below to get our best deal and a $50 voucher.
What is Going On With Electricity Prices?
On July 1, 2023, residential customers on standard retail electricity plans are seeing price increases of 20.8 percent to 23.9 percent without controlled load and 19.6 percent to 24.9 percent with controlled load – depending on the region.
This substantial energy price hike has led to residential and small business customers looking for cheaper rates as they see their power bills go up.
If you think you’re paying more for energy than you think you should, it’s recommended that you compare energy plans to find a better rate. To learn more, give our team of energy experts a call and we’ll take care of the comparison shopping for you, find you the best deal we have available within our network of partnered providers, and get you connected fast. Best of all, our service is 100% free.
3What is the Difference between Market Offers and Standing Offers?
Market Offers
Market offers are energy plans designed by the retailer to attract customers. They can include anything from high solar feed-in tariff rates to one-off discounts. The energy retailers themselves set the prices as opposed to being set by the Australian Government, or more notably the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).
Because the energy retailer sets the price, it can offer consumers discounts, incentives, and other appealing sign-up bonuses. Keep in mind that prices can change at any time – depending on your contract – so it’s always worth checking your rate to see if you’re on the best deal.
Another thing to consider is the benefit period for market retail offers. When your benefit period expires, you could be paying more than what you were originally paying when you signed up for the plan.
Standing Offers
Standing offers, or standard retail offers, are designed to be a safety net to help customers who are accustomed to one retailer get connected at a reasonable price. These types of plans are regulated by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), which imposes limitations on what can be charged for energy.
Standing offers will remain in effect until it is canceled by either the consumer or the retailer. If your contract expires, you may be rolled over to a standing offer, although the process varies between retailers. Unlike market offers, standing offers are not subject to discounts, so you should not expect the same one-off bonuses or incentives that retailers will normally advertise in their market offers. However, consumers can expect some sort of protection such as:
-
Before a rate change can occur, retailers must notify the consumer in writing before any changes are made – which is the opposite of market offers, where prices can change at any time.
-
In the case of a non-payment, the energy provider must provide the customer with certain notices and additional time to pay before disconnecting them.
Is it Wise to Compare Energy Plans?
If you’ve never shopped around and compared plans, there’s no better time than now to see if you can get a better deal. Staying loyal to one brand may not be the best option, as you could be paying more for electricity due to the recent increase in energy prices. As mentioned above, energy retailers are not obliged to move you to a cheaper plan so you’ll need to check and see if you’re on the best offer.
If you have questions about your current electricity plan and want to see if you can get a better deal, we recommend calling our energy experts at Electricity Monster today. We can help you get connected fast and our service is 100% free to use.
Looking To Compare More?
If you want to start comparing rates to find a plan suitable for your lifestyle, give us a call at 1300 232 848. We specialise in comparing rates with our partners so you can enjoy a fair deal without dealing with the hassles that come with the process. Our energy specialists are on standby ready to help.
More on Energy Bill Savings
Author
Benjamin TomBenjamin is a utility specialist passionate about creating informative content about the energy, internet, and solar markets. With extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, Benjamin drives our unique blog posts, articles, and reviews. He is focused on breaking down the technical jargon so our readers can better understand the telco market and industry. Whether he is comparing the latest internet deals or creating unique guides, Benjamin takes great pride in creating helpful, easy-to-read content.
RELATED ARTICLES
Electricity Prices Set to Rise By Up to 25 Percent in July
The pending price hike will impact thousands of households this July
100% Free Service
Compare Providers
Brokered Over 150,000 Deals
What Answers You’ll Get On This Page:
Australians are facing more cost-of-living pressures with electricity prices set to increase by up to 25 percent from July 1, 2023 after the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) finalised a decision on the default market offer.
From July 1, residential customers on standard retail electricity plans will see price increases of 20.8 percent to 23.9 percent without controlled load and from 19.6 percent to 24.9 percent with controlled load – depending on the region. Small businesses will also see price rises of 14.7 percent to 28.9 percent – depending on the region.
-
Electricity rates will affect those who live in New South Wales, South-East Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria.
-
One of the easiest ways to lower your bill is to compare energy plans and switch to a better rate.
-
Eligible households can take advantage of the $500 Energy Relief Payment, which offers cost-of-living relief for homeowners and small businesses.
How Can I Lower My Energy Bill To Prepare for the Price Hike?
If you’re already suffering from high energy bills, the upcoming price hike could significantly impact your finances. One of the easiest ways to lower your bill is to compare energy plans and switch to a better rate. And, now’s the time to get yourself a better rate before the price hike is in full effect.
With wholesale energy costs continuing to be the predominant driver of increased retail electricity prices, households and businesses throughout Australia could see substantial increases in their power bills. The change could impact hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses on the default offer, which is a benchmark price designed to regulate price rises for household and business customers.
Most retailers offer a benefit period that ends after a specified period (i.e. 12 months). Once this promotional period ends, you may be paying more than necessary. At Electricity Monster, we can help you potentially lower your bill by comparing rates and finding you a fair deal from our network of partnered retailers. Not only can we help you get the best deal we have available, but by switching through Electricity Monster, you’ll also get a $50 Voucher! Give us a call today and see how we can help.
What States Will Be Affected?
Electricity rates will affect those that live in New South Wales, South-East Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria. The sections below break down the increases for each affected state.
New South Wales
In New South Wales, residential customers without controlled load will see price increases of 20.8% to 21.4% depending on their network distribution region. Customers with controlled load will see price increases of 19.6% to 24.9%, according to the AER.
South-East Queensland
Residential customers in South-East Queensland will see increases of around 21.5% for customers without controlled load and 20.5% for customers with controlled load, according to the AER.
South Australia
South Australia residential customers without controlled load will experience price rises of around 23.9%. Customers with controlled load will see increases of around 22.5%, according to the AER.
Victoria
According to the Essential Services Commission in Victoria (ESC), benchmark retail prices will increase by 25 percent, which calculates out to be a $350-per-year increase for the average household.
3Are There Rebates to Help Offset the Increased Costs?
Eligible households can take advantage of the $500 Energy Relief Payment, which offers cost-of-living relief for homeowners and small businesses.
This rebate will be automatically deducted from the eligible customers’ energy bills over the next financial year. There is no actual application form to fill out.
To learn more about this rebate, check out our post on the $500 Energy Relief Payment.
4Will Embedded Networks Be Affected By the Price Hike?
Embedded networks can be defined as residents that get their electricity from their landlord in an apartment building, retirement home, or village. A resident that receives power bills but does not have a direct relationship with the retailer may not fall under the embedded network category.
According to the AER, the DMO is not applicable to tariffs charged in embedded networks. However, in scenarios where an embedded network customer buys their energy from an exempt seller, they do have their prices indirectly capped at the DMO. This is because the exempt seller cannot charge more than the standing offer from the local area provider.
Looking To Compare More?
If you want to start comparing rates to find a plan suitable for your lifestyle, give us a call at 1300 232 848. We specialise in comparing rates with our partners so you can enjoy a fair deal without dealing with the hassles that come with the process. Our energy specialists are on standby ready to help.
More on Energy Bill Savings
Author
Benjamin TomBenjamin is a utility specialist passionate about creating informative content about the energy, internet, and solar markets. With extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, Benjamin drives our unique blog posts, articles, and reviews. He is focused on breaking down the technical jargon so our readers can better understand the telco market and industry. Whether he is comparing the latest internet deals or creating unique guides, Benjamin takes great pride in creating helpful, easy-to-read content.
RELATED ARTICLES