Energy bill relief for households, Northern Territory

Program:

Energy Bill Relief Fund - Northern Territory

Location:

Eligible households in the Northern Territory can get help with their energy bills from 1 July 2023 through the Energy Bill Relief Fund. The NT Government is administering the bill relief.

[toc]

How much you can get

Eligible households in the NT can get $350 in bill relief from 1 July 2023.

Who can get it

To get the bill relief in the NT you must have an eligible concession.

Please note: You must be the electricity account holder for your principal place of residence to receive the bill relief. If you are eligible and are not named on the bill for your household but you pay for electricity, contact your electricity provider to add your name to the account.

Your household can only receive one bill relief credit in the 2023–24 financial year, even if more than one eligible person lives in the household.

Eligible concession cards and payments for existing rebates in NT

If you held or received one of these concession cards or payments as at 1 July 2023 you may be eligible for the existing NT Concession Scheme Electricity concession. If you get this payment, you will also get the bill relief payment automatically from 1 July 2023.

To find out more about the NT Concession Scheme go to the NT Government website.

To be eligible for the NT Concession Scheme Member, you must hold one of the following:

Northern Territory Concession Scheme Member
living in an Indigenous Essential Services remote community household
DVA Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
DVA Orange Card
DVA Pensioner Concession Card
Parenting Payment single
Pensioner Concession Card if you get Age Pension or Disability Support Pension
Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Gold Cards marked with:
- ‘War Widow’, ‘War Widower Pension’ or ‘Totally and Permanently Incapacitated’ (TPI).

Additionally if you are living in an eligible remote community you are eligible for the Energy Bill Relief fund and do not need to take any action.

Services Australia concession cards and payments eligible for energy bill relief

You may be eligible for energy bill relief if you hold or receive one of these concession cards or payments between 1 July 2023 and 31 March 2024.

Carer Allowance
Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
Family Tax Benefit A and/or B
Health Care Card, including Low Income Health Care Card

You should be contacted directly by Services Australia in September 2023 to tell you what you need to do.

If you have not heard from Services Australia by 30 September 2023 or hold or receive one of these concession cards or payments between 1 July 2023 and 31 March 2024, please contact the NT Energy Bill Relief team.

DVA cards eligible for energy bill relief

If you hold one of these cards between 1 July 2023 and 31 March 2024, please contact the NT Energy Bill Relief team.

All other DVA Gold Cards

How to get it

In most cases your electricity provider will automatically apply the bill relief to your electricity account to reduce the amount you owe on your next bill. How and when this happens depends on your situation.

If you already get help from the NT Government

If you already get the NT Concession Scheme Electricity Concession, you don’t need to do anything. You will start getting the bill relief from 1 July 2023.

If you are eligible for help from the NT Government but do not currently get it

If you think you are eligible for the NT Concession Scheme Electricity Concession but aren’t getting it, contact the NT Concessions Scheme team before 31 March 2024. You will then also get the new bill relief.

To find out more about how to apply go to the NT Government website.

If you have an eligible concession card or get a payment from Services Australia

If you aren’t already eligible for the NT Concession Scheme Electricity Concession, but you hold or receive one of the eligible concession cards or payments from Services Australia, you should be contacted directly by Services Australia in September 2023 to tell you what you need to do.

If you have not heard from Services Australia by 30 September 2023 or become eligible for these concession cards or payments between 1 July 2023 and 31 March 2024, please contact the NT Energy Bill Relief team.

If you have an eligible card from DVA

If you aren’t already eligible for the NT Concession Scheme but you hold an eligible DVA card between 1 July 2023 and 31 March 2024, please contact the NT Energy Bill Relief team.

If you live in an embedded network

If you live in an embedded network and your household is eligible for the bill relief, you will not automatically receive bill relief but will be able to access a direct payment through your territory government.

Typically, you live in an embedded network if you get your electricity from your strata or landlord in a caravan park, apartment building or retirement home or village.

If you live in a household that receives energy bills, but you don’t have a direct relationship with the retailer (e.g. you are a tenant or subletter in a sharehouse) you don’t necessarily live in an embedded network.

To find out more go to the NT Government website.