Short answer: there is no $500 electricity rebate available in NSW right now. The $500 payment people search for was a one-off in 2023–24, and the federal Energy Bill Relief Fund that followed it ended on 31 December 2025. What NSW households can still get in 2026–27 is a set of ongoing NSW Government energy rebates, worth from $110 to more than $1,300 a year depending on your situation, and some households can combine more than one.
Updated 29 October 2026. Rebate amounts are for the 2026–27 financial year and can change, so check energy.nsw.gov.au/rebates before you apply.
What happened to the $500 electricity rebate?
In 2023–24, the NSW and Australian governments jointly funded up to $500 of energy bill relief for eligible NSW households, mainly concession card holders, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders and Family Tax Benefit recipients. Most people received it automatically as credits on their electricity bills. It was a one-year measure and it has finished.
The federal Energy Bill Relief Fund then gave every household up to $300 in 2024–25 and up to $150 from 1 July to 31 December 2025, applied as bill credits. The Australian Government confirms the fund ended on 31 December 2025, and NSW's National Energy Bill Relief page says the program has closed. As at October 2026, there is no new universal electricity bill credit for NSW households.
NSW energy rebates for 2026–27
These ongoing rebates are paid each financial year and credited to your bill. Amounts below are from the NSW Government's Energy rebates partner toolkit 2026–27 (July 2026) and the individual rebate pages.
Low Income Household Rebate: $285 a year ($313.50 for embedded network customers, such as some apartment blocks, caravan parks and retirement villages). For holders of a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or Veteran Gold Card.
Family Energy Rebate: up to $180 ($198 for embedded networks). For households that received Family Tax Benefit in the previous financial year, have lodged their tax return for that year and had their Family Tax Benefit finalised by Centrelink. If you also get the Low Income Household Rebate, you receive a partial $20 ($22).
Seniors Energy Rebate: $200. For Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders. You can't receive it in the same year as the Low Income Household Rebate.
Medical Energy Rebate: $285. For concession card holders where someone in the home can't regulate their body temperature because of a qualifying medical condition, assessed by a doctor who has treated them for at least three months.
Life Support Rebate: up to $1,343.20. For households where someone needs approved life support equipment at home, verified by a registered medical practitioner. No concession card is needed.
Gas Rebate: $110. For natural gas or bottled LPG customers with one of the same cards as the Low Income Household Rebate.
For every rebate, the electricity (or gas) account must be in your name and for your main home in NSW.
Can you still get $500 or more?
Yes, by combining rebates. For example, a pensioner with natural gas can receive the Low Income Household Rebate and the Gas Rebate ($285 + $110 = $395 a year). If someone in the home also qualifies for the Medical Energy Rebate, that adds another $285, for $680 in total. A family with a Health Care Card that also received Family Tax Benefit would get $285 plus the partial $20 Family Energy Rebate.
Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA)
If you can't pay your current bill because of a short-term crisis, such as losing income, unexpected medical costs or a natural disaster, EAPA can pay up to $400 towards an electricity bill and $400 towards a gas bill per application, with up to two applications a year (a maximum of $1,600). You apply through Service NSW online or an approved community organisation.
Seniors Card vs Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
A common mix-up: the NSW Seniors Card is a discount card for NSW residents aged 60 and over, and it does not by itself qualify you for the Seniors Energy Rebate. You need a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, issued by Services Australia to self-funded retirees of Age Pension age who meet an income test. Pensioners with a Pensioner Concession Card claim the Low Income Household Rebate instead. If you're a senior and want help with your return or pension paperwork, see our seniors tax returns page, and our guide to the Age Pension assets test.
How to apply
Check which rebates you qualify for and have your card or Centrelink details ready.
Low Income Household, Medical Energy and Life Support Rebates (retail customers): contact your electricity retailer and ask for the rebate. For the medical and life support rebates, download the form from energy.nsw.gov.au and give it to your retailer.
Family Energy and Seniors Energy Rebates: apply online through Service NSW, or post a paper form with a copy of your latest bill to NSW Energy Rebates, PO Box 435, Parramatta NSW 2124.
Embedded network customers (you're billed by your building or village operator rather than a retailer): apply online or by post using the details on each rebate page, unless your provider applies rebates directly.
Need help? Call Service NSW on 13 77 88 or visit a Service NSW Centre.
Apply as soon as you become eligible. The Family Energy Rebate depends on the Family Tax Benefit you received in the previous financial year, so it is claimed year by year.
Other ways to cut your power bill
Home Energy Saver: since 17 June 2026, NSW households with combined taxable income up to $210,000 can borrow up to $15,000 interest-free for upgrades such as solar, batteries, insulation and efficient heating and cooling. Discounts of up to $4,000 are due later in 2026 for households earning up to $80,000 or holding a concession card. See energy.nsw.gov.au/home-energy-saver.
Compare plans: use the government's free Energy Made Easy comparison site, and ask your retailer about payment plans or its hardship program if you're struggling.
Do energy rebates affect your tax?
Energy rebates and bill credits applied to your household account are not income, so you don't declare them in your tax return. The ATO took the same approach to earlier automatic electricity rebates.
They can affect deductions, though. If you work from home and use the actual cost method, you can only claim the work-related share of what you actually paid, after the rebate. The fixed rate method (70 cents an hour for 2025–26) already covers electricity, so a rebate doesn't change that claim. See our work from home tax deductions guide. For a business, a rebate reduces the electricity expense you can deduct and, if you're registered for GST, the GST credit you can claim.
Questions about your tax return, seniors' entitlements or claiming home office costs? Contact Australia Wide Tax Solutions or call 0488 854 200.
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