fact sheet Rebates, grants and more A quick guide to the many government initiatives which cut the cost of making your home sustainable Some of the big green things you can do to your home are pricey. Fortunately, there’s a whole swag of rebates available to make them cheaper. All of them involve fine print, so make sure you check this before going ahead. Also check that they haven’t changed since this fact sheet was put together, in November 2010. And if you’re a renter, don’t despair! Rebates are also available to you (but you’ll need your landlord’s permission, and they might need to do the paperwork). For the details on all of these rebates, go to www.livinggreener.gov.au or call 1800 106 059. Gas hot water $300‐$400 Victorian Government rebates are available for replacing electric hot water systems with gas. If you’re a concession card holder you can get $700. Without rebates, gas hot water systems cost roughly $800‐$1,400 to buy and install. Rainwater tanks Rebates of $150‐$1000 are available from the Victorian Government. $150 is for a 600 litre tank, $1000 is for a 4000+ litre tank which is plumbed into your toilet and laundry. On top of this, you can also get a $400‐$500 rebate from the federal government if your tank will hold at least 2000 litres and will be connected to your toilet or laundry. The cost of buying and installing a 2000 litre tanks starts at about $2500 (which you would get a total rebate of $900 for). Grey water systems For grey water systems which divert the water but don’t treat it, you can get a $500 Victorian Government rebate. It needs to be an approved system, and installed by a plumber. For a system which also treats the water, you can get $500 from the Victorian Government and $500 from the federal government. Diversion systems start at about $900 plus installation, and treatment systems can cost $10,000. Dual flush toilets If you live in Melbourne, you can replace a single flush toilet with a dual flush from $284 including installation (which is almost half price) through your water company. Outside Melbourne, you can get a $50‐$100 Victorian Government rebate.
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Other water saving products If you spend $100 on things like mulch, compost bins, trigger nozzles, temporary grey water diverters and waterless car cleaning products, you can get $30 back from the Victorian Government. If you’re a renter and your name is on the water bill, you can get this rebate without speaking to your landlord first. You can also get $50 for a household water audit and $10‐$20 for buying a water saving showerhead (but you can swap your old showerhead for a new one for free through your water retailer). LPG cars You can get a $2000 federal government rebate for buying a new car which runs on LPG, and $1500 for converting a car to LPG. Conversion costs about $2000‐$4500. Renewable energy: Solar Power, wind, hydro and biomass If you generate renewable energy, e.g. by getting solar panels, you can’t get a rebate but you can can benefit from the feed‐in tariff. This pays you for any energy you generate but don’t use. You can also get Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Most installers buy your RECs off you in exchange for cheaper installation, but you can keep them or sell them yourself. A 1.5kW solar power system starts at about $3000 to buy and install, if you sell your RECs to the installer. Because this is confusing, it’s worth talking to a few different installers about what you’re eligible for. Solar hot water and heat pump hot water You can get $1000 for solar or $600 for heat pump hot water from the federal government, or up to $1600 for solar from the Victorian Government. Working out which you’re eligible for is confusing, so ring 1800 808 751 or check out the table at www.resourcesmart.vic.gov.au/for_households/rebates_3041.html. You can also get RECs and Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates for the energy you’ll generate. Installers usually buy these off you in exchange for cheaper installation, but you can keep or trade them yourself. When you take into account rebates and selling VEECs and RECs, solar hot water costs about $2000‐$5000 to buy and install. Rebates for concession card holders Pension card and health care card holders on low incomes can be eligible for the No Interest Loan Scheme, to buy essential household items. If you buy an efficient washing machine or fridge through the scheme, you could get a $100 rebate. For more information call 9419 5477 or go to www.goodshepvic.org.au. If you have a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or DVA Gold Card and use a lot of water, you might be eligible for the WaterWise scheme. This gives you a free assessment of your water use and up to $500 of free plumbing repairs or water saving products. Contact your water company for more information. Free stuff! You can get a household sustainability assessment of your home for free, whether you’re a renter or a home owner. They’re free.
Environment Victoria mobilises people to safeguard our environment. Our goal is to get all 5 million people to take Green Action. For fact sheets and much more, go to www.environmentvictoria.org.au or call (03) 9341 8100. Last updated 23/11/10