Rebates and eligibility
Victorian hot water rebates, explained without the fine print
Three separate programs can apply to a heat pump upgrade. We work out which ones apply to you, take them off your quote, and do the paperwork.
How we handle it
- Eligibility checked against your actual address
- Rebates deducted from the quoted price
- Photos taken correctly on install day
- QR code scanning for Solar Victoria projects
- Documentation submitted and followed up
- You are told the real number before you commit
The three programs
What can apply to a heat pump hot water upgrade
Solar Victoria Hot Water Rebate
A Victorian Government rebate for eligible households replacing an existing system with an efficient one. Eligibility depends on the property, the system being replaced and current program criteria.
Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs)
A federal scheme. Eligible heat pump systems create certificates based on the energy they are expected to displace, and the value of those certificates comes off your price as a point-of-sale discount.
Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs)
Generated under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, which we are an accredited installer for. Like STCs, the value is applied against the cost of the upgrade.
Locally made
The second list most people do not know exists
Solar Victoria runs two hot water product lists, not one. There is the general list, and there is a separate list for products with substantial local content, which attracts a higher rebate than the standard one.
Reclaim Energy, Panasonic, Earthworker and Thermann are all on the locally made list. Earthworker is built in Morwell, Victoria by a worker-owned cooperative. Panasonic’s CO2 split systems come out of its partnership with Reclaim Energy. Reclaim itself has more models on that list than any other brand, which means the higher rebate stays available across almost any configuration your house needs.
Stiebel Eltron, Haier and Aquatech, which we also install, sit on the general list rather than the local content one. If one of those is the right system for your house we will tell you that, and tell you what the rebate difference is, rather than quietly quoting the smaller number.
It is worth asking about specifically, because most quotes will not raise it with you. We will tell you what the difference is worth on your job, in writing, in your quote.
Worth asking any installer
- Is this system on the locally made list
- What is the rebate difference on my job
- Who submits the paperwork, you or me
- What happens if my application is rejected
- Is the rebate deducted from the price or refunded later
Straight talk
Why there is no dollar figure on this page
Every competitor page you will read quotes a number. We have chosen not to, and it is worth explaining why rather than looking evasive.
Rebate values and eligibility rules move. Program budgets change, criteria tighten, certificate values float with the market. A figure published today is a figure that will be wrong at some point, and the person who wears that is the customer who budgeted around it.
What we can tell you honestly is this: for eligible households the combined effect of these programs often reduces the upfront cost of a heat pump upgrade by several thousand dollars. Your actual number goes in your quote, in writing, before you commit to anything.
What we need to check eligibility
- The property address
- What system is there now
- Whether a rebate has been claimed on the property before
- Whether the property is owner-occupied or rented
- Photos of the existing unit and switchboard
Government and program work
We also deliver rebate-funded programs at scale
If you are running an electrification program rather than upgrading a single home, the documentation and compliance side is the part that matters, and it is the part we are built around.
Solar and electrification partners
Installation-only at a fixed rate per system, with rebate photos, QR scanning and documentation returned promptly.
Read moreGovernment and community programs
Compliance-first delivery across hundreds of installations, with WHS, quality assurance and consistent reporting.
Read moreQuestions
What people ask about this
How much is the rebate?
We will not put a figure on a web page, and you should be sceptical of anyone who does. Rebate amounts and eligibility rules change with program settings, and a number that was right when the page was written is how people end up disappointed at invoice time. What we will do is confirm your exact entitlement in your quote.
Is there a bigger rebate for locally made systems?
Yes. Solar Victoria maintains a separate product list for systems with substantial local content, and products on it attract a higher rebate than those on the general list. Reclaim Energy, Panasonic, Earthworker and Thermann, which we install, are all on it. Ask about it specifically, because the difference goes straight to your bottom line and most quotes will not raise it with you.
Can I get more than one rebate?
The programs interact, and what you can combine depends on the system, the property and the current program rules. Working that out is part of quoting, not an afterthought.
Do I have to claim it myself?
No. We deduct eligible rebates from your quoted price and handle the documentation, including the photos and, for Solar Victoria projects, the QR code scanning that has to be done correctly on the day.
What makes a property eligible?
Eligibility generally turns on things like the property type, what system is being replaced, whether a rebate has been claimed on that property before, and household or income criteria depending on the program. It is genuinely case by case, which is why we check it against your address rather than guess.
Does the rebate apply if my system has already failed?
The programs have documentation requirements that are much easier to meet on a planned replacement than an emergency one. If your system has failed, call us before you commit to anything so we can look at whether eligibility can still be preserved.
Areas we serve
Local pages for the suburbs we work in most
Based in Laverton North, roughly 30km of core service area, and further afield for partner and program work.
Next step
Get a fixed price on this job
Send a few photos of your current system and we will come back with a real number, rebate already deducted.