Cost of Living Rebate QLD: What It Is & How It Works
Feeling the squeeze from rising power bills and everyday expenses? You’re not alone. To help ease the pressure, the Queensland Government is offering a Cost of Living Rebate QLD—a $1,000 credit applied directly to eligible electricity bills.
Whether you’re renting, own your home, or live in an embedded network, this rebate could provide some much-needed relief. In this guide, we’ll break down what the rebate is, who qualifies, how it’s applied, and what other support might be available to help you manage your household budget.
What Is the QLD Cost of Living Rebate?
The QLD Government Cost of Living Rebate is a one-off $1,000 credit that the state government is applying to household electricity bills in the 2024–25 financial year. If you have an eligible electricity account, you’ll see the credit applied automatically from 1 July 2024—no forms, no fuss.
This measure is part of the state’s broader 2024–25 Cost-of-Living Action package, which is funded through increased coal royalties. It’s designed to help take the edge off power bills while inflation and everyday expenses remain high.
With the average quarterly electricity bill in Queensland sitting around $315, this rebate could stretch across three or more billing cycles. That means many households won’t need to pay another electricity bill out-of-pocket until well into 2025.
Who Is Eligible for the Rebate?
You qualify for the QLD Gov Cost of Living Rebate automatically if, on 1 July 2024, you:
Hold an active residential electricity account in Queensland (including isolated Ergon-supplied communities).
Have your own meter and get billed for your individual usage.
That means:
Home-owners, renters and share-houses with a metered account all receive one $1,000 credit per account.
Embedded-network customers—people whose power is billed by a landlord, body corporate, retirement village or caravan-park operator—are also eligible. Your on-supplier claims the rebate via Form 541 and passes the full $1,000 to you, generally as a lump-sum bill credit later in 2024.
Card-operated meter users (orange power cards) receive the credit automatically on their linked card.
Vulnerable households who already get the $372 Queensland Electricity Rebate will still receive that quarterly discount on top of the new $1,000 credit.
You won’t receive the rebate if your premises isn’t separately metered or if electricity is bundled in rent and no bill is issued in your name.
Moving or changing retailers?
The credit attaches to the electricity account active on 1 July 2024. If you switch providers after the credit lands—or if you close an account—most retailers will carry any remaining balance across or refund it, but confirm their policy first.
How and When Is the Rebate Applied?
You don’t need to do anything. The QLD government electricity rebate is handled for you. Here’s how it works:
From 1 July 2024, electricity retailers began applying the $1,000 rebate. You’ll see it on your first bill issued after that date, depending on your billing cycle. For most people, that’ll be sometime between July and September.
On your bill, look for a line item that says “Queensland Government Cost of Living Rebate” or something similar.
If you’re in an embedded network, your on-supplier will pass the rebate on to you, usually as a lump-sum credit in the second half of 2024. If you haven’t received it by 31 December 2024, follow up with your provider.
If the credit doesn’t show up when expected, contact your electricity retailer or call 13 QGOV (13 74 68) for help.
Additional Energy Support Measures for Queensland Households
On top of the $1,000 QLD Cost of Living Rebate, you might also have access to several other programs that can keep chipping away at your power bills. Let’s take a closer look:
$300 Federal Energy Bill Relief (automatic)
If you pay for electricity in Queensland, you’ll also receive the Commonwealth’s $300 Energy Bill Relief Fund credit, delivered as four $75 instalments spread across July 2024, October 2024, January 2025 and April 2025. There’s nothing to apply for—the discount appears on the same bill as your state rebate.
Queensland Electricity Rebate: $372.20 a year
The ongoing Queensland Electricity Rebate provides $372.20 a year (about $93 each quarter) to eligible pensioners and seniors holding:
Queensland Seniors Card
Services Australia Pensioner Concession Card
Services Australia Health Care Card
Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card
Asylum seekers with an ImmiCard may also be eligible.
To qualify, you must be the electricity account holder and live alone or with specific dependents or carers who do not pay rent. Apply once through your electricity retailer and the discount stays on your bill until your eligibility changes.
QLD Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme: up to $720
If a sudden crisis—such as job loss, illness or a natural disaster—leaves you unable to pay your bill, the QLD Home Energy Emergency Assistance Scheme can provide a one-off grant of up to $720 (available once every two years) paid directly to your retailer. Contact your retailer’s hardship team to start the process.
Want to Save More? Try a Solar Generator
Sunshine is Queensland’s greatest energy asset, yet many renters and apartment-dwellers can’t bolt solar panels to the roof or wait out landlord approvals. A solar generator sidesteps that hurdle. Roll it in, plug in fold-out solar panels, and start banking free daytime solar energy you can use after dark, shaving the kilowatt-hours you buy from the grid.
When storms roll through or Energex schedules a maintenance outage, the built-in battery keeps your fridge, Wi-Fi and lights running without noisy petrol fumes. And if you move, the generator comes with you, unlike rooftop panels or hard-wired batteries.
Sound like something you need? Check out the EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station.
This suitcase-sized portable power station packs a serious punch. A single unit stores 4 kWh and delivers 4,000W of continuous power (with a surge capacity up to 8,000W). That’s plenty to run a kettle, microwave, and washing machine at the same time. If you need longer backup, clip on extra batteries to grow capacity to 12 kWh without calling an electrician.
Speed matters when storms are brewing, so EcoFlow’s X-Stream tech charges the portable power station from 0-80 % in about 50 minutes from a wall socket, or you can feed in up to 2,600W of solar for free daytime top-ups. A built-in 10 ms uninterruptible-power-supply (UPS) flips over fast enough to protect sensitive gear like NAS drives and gaming consoles.
Pair the unit with EcoFlow’s high-efficiency folding panels and you’ve got a clean, silent generator that costs nothing to refuel—and keeps the esky cold when the next blackout hits.
EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3 Portable Power Station
Conclusion
The Cost of Living Rebate QLD is a straightforward way to reduce your electricity costs. No paperwork, no applications, just automatic savings. If you’re eligible, the $1,000 credit should appear on your electricity bill after 1 July 2024.
Remember, this rebate is just one of several support measures available to Queensland households. If you’re facing financial challenges, it’s worth exploring additional concessions and assistance programs that could further ease the burden.
FAQs
What is the $1000 payment from the government in QLD?
The $1,000 payment refers to the Queensland Government’s Cost of Living Rebate for the 2024–25 financial year. This rebate is automatically applied as a one-off credit to eligible residential electricity accounts from 1 July 2024. To qualify, you must have an active electricity account with your retailer or embedded network provider on that date and be separately metered and charged for your own electricity consumption. No application is necessary.
How do I get a Cost of Living Rebate in QLD?
You don’t need to apply for the QLD Cost of Living Rebate. If you’re an eligible Queensland household with an active electricity account as of 1 July 2024 and are separately metered, the $1,000 rebate will be automatically credited to your electricity bill. Additionally, the Australian Government is providing a $300 rebate, paid in quarterly instalments of $75 throughout the 2024–25 financial year.
What is the $1000 appliance rebate in QLD?
The $1,000 appliance rebate was part of Queensland’s Climate Smart Energy Savers program, which offered rebates between $300 and $1,000 to households that replace old appliances with more efficient ones that have 4-star energy rating or higher. Eligible appliances include washing machines, fridges, dryers, dishwashers, air-conditioners, and hot water systems. The program was highly popular, with over 72,700 households benefiting before it closed due to exhausted funding.
How will I know the rebate has been applied?
The $1,000 Cost of Living Rebate will appear as a credit on your electricity bill, typically labeled as “Queensland Government Cost of Living Rebate.” For the additional $300 rebate from the Australian Government, you should see four separate credits of $75 each, corresponding to each quarter of the 2024–25 financial year. If you haven’t seen these credits by the end of 2024, it’s advisable to contact your electricity provider for assistance.