Victoria to deliver $100 Power Saving Bonus to concession card households
State payments start this week for eligible applicants via Victorian Energy Compare, adding to $150 federal energy relief
Victorians who applied for a state cost-of-living payment will begin receiving a $100 Power Saving Bonus in their bank accounts this week, the Victorian government said Monday.
The bonus, announced late last month, is available to households holding a health care, pensioner concession, veterans' affairs pensioner concession or veterans' affairs gold card and comes on top of a $150 Energy Bill Relief Fund payment provided to all households by the Commonwealth. An estimated 70,000 people submitted applications for the state payment, more than 10% of which were lodged through the state government's community outreach program.
Eligible households must apply through the Victorian Energy Compare website and supply a recent residential electricity bill to verify eligibility, the government said. Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio urged residents to use the free comparison service to see if switching providers could reduce their bills.
"We're helping vulnerable Victorians with an extra $100 payment to manage paying their winter energy bills and keep their families warm," D'Ambrosio said. "Everyone should visit the free Victorian Energy Compare website to see if they can slash their energy bills by switching providers."
State officials said payments would be processed in the coming days for those whose applications were approved. The Power Saving Bonus targets concession cardholders to provide targeted assistance as households confront higher energy costs during winter.
The one-off $100 bonus complements the broader federal Energy Bill Relief Fund, which provided $150 to all households earlier this year as part of national measures to ease cost-of-living pressures. The Victorian payment program is part of the state's wider response to energy affordability concerns and was promoted through both online channels and community outreach, which helped reach more than one in ten applicants.
Applications remain open on the Victorian Energy Compare website for households that meet the concession requirements and can supply the required electricity bill. The state government said it would publish further details on timelines for processing remaining applications and any additional outreach activity.
The payments arrive as households across Australia continue to face volatility in energy prices and pressure from rising living costs. State and federal governments have implemented a mix of targeted and universal payments this year to assist households with energy and broader cost-of-living challenges.