When Sydney mother-of-two Karen Aldridge opened her latest electricity bill, she knew something was different before she even looked at the total. The familiar line item — the government energy rebate that had quietly softened her bills for the past couple of years — simply wasn’t there anymore. In its place was the full, unsubsidised retail rate.
“It doesn’t sound like much until you see it reflected in a real number on a real bill,” Karen said. “We’re talking about $150 that just isn’t coming back.”
Karen’s experience is being repeated in households right across Australia as 2026 gets underway. The temporary energy rebates that were introduced during the height of the cost-of-living crisis have officially ended, and millions of families are now absorbing electricity and gas bills without the relief payments they had come to rely on. For many, the impact is immediate, tangible, and unwelcome.
Here’s what has changed, who it affects most, and what options are still available for households feeling the pressure.
Why Were These Rebates Introduced in the First Place?
To understand why the end of these rebates matters so much, it helps to understand why they were introduced at all. In the wake of the global energy crisis that began in 2022, wholesale electricity and gas prices surged dramatically across Australia. Retail energy bills followed, leaving households — particularly those on lower and middle incomes — struggling to keep up with costs that had little to do with their own consumption habits.
State and federal governments responded with a series of energy relief measures: one-off bill credits, quarterly rebates, and temporary concession top-ups designed to cushion households from the sharpest edge of the price spike. These were always described as temporary emergency measures, tied to the extraordinary market conditions of the time rather than as permanent features of the energy system.
A federal energy department spokesperson confirmed that position at the time of the rebates’ conclusion, noting that temporary energy relief had helped households manage sharp price increases and that, as wholesale prices stabilised, the program was not extended.
The problem for ordinary Australians is that “stabilised” doesn’t mean “returned to normal.” Retail electricity bills remain substantially higher than they were before 2022, meaning the removal of even a modest rebate is felt against an already elevated baseline.
What Has Actually Changed in 2026?
The key changes taking effect in 2026 are straightforward, even if their impact isn’t. The broad-based, universal electricity rebates that were applied to most household bills during 2024 and 2025 have now concluded. The one-off bill credits that were distributed in previous years are no longer being issued. And the top-up payments that were added to existing state concessions for a period have also been wound back in most jurisdictions.
What remains is the baseline level of support that existed before the emergency measures were introduced — primarily targeted concessions for pensioners, low-income households, and those on certain Centrelink payments. For households that qualified for those concessions and nothing more, the transition is painful but manageable. For middle-income families who received the universal rebates but don’t qualify for ongoing concessions, the change is more significant.
Small businesses that received temporary bill credits are also feeling the shift. Many sole traders and small operators had come to factor those credits into their operating costs, and their absence adds to the already considerable financial pressures facing Australian small business in 2026.
How Much Are Households Actually Losing?
The honest answer is that it varies — by state, by household size, by energy usage, and by which rebates a household was previously receiving. But to give a sense of scale: many households were receiving quarterly bill credits worth between $75 and $150, which translates to annual relief of $300 to $500 or more for those who qualified for multiple forms of support.
For a family like that of Hobart father-of-three Daniel Reeves, the quarterly credit was $150 — an amount he describes as roughly a week’s worth of groceries. Its absence means real adjustments to daily life: a thermostat turned down a degree or two, lights switched off more consciously, discretionary spending trimmed a little further in an already tight household budget.
For Sandra, a single pensioner in Adelaide, the picture is slightly more nuanced. She still qualifies for her state’s pensioner energy concession, so she hasn’t lost all support. But the additional rebate that previously sat on top of that concession is gone, and winter heating — already a significant expense on a fixed income — has become noticeably tighter.
These individual stories reflect a pattern playing out across millions of Australian homes.
Before and After: What Changed on Your Bill
| Household Type | With Rebate (2024–25) | After Rebate Ended (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Average family household | $300–$500 annual relief applied | No universal credit — full retail rate |
| Pensioner with concession | Concession + extra rebate top-up | Concession only — top-up removed |
| Middle-income household | Universal quarterly credit ($75–$150) | No credit — no concession eligibility |
| Small business | Temporary bill credit applied | Standard commercial rates — no credit |
Figures vary by state, territory, and energy provider. Check your specific concession eligibility with your state government or retailer.
Who Is Feeling It Most?
Not everyone is equally affected by the end of these rebates, and understanding who bears the heaviest burden matters for thinking about what comes next.
Middle-income families sit in an uncomfortable position. They earned too much to qualify for ongoing targeted concessions, but they were receiving the universal rebates that have now ended. With no replacement support and no concession to fall back on, they absorb the full impact of the change.
Renters are another vulnerable group. Many live in older, poorly insulated properties where heating and cooling costs are higher than they would be in newer, more energy-efficient homes. They often can’t make the kinds of structural improvements — roof insulation, double glazing, solar panels — that owner-occupiers can use to reduce their consumption and costs. They pay more for energy and have less ability to reduce how much they use.
Larger households with higher energy consumption naturally feel the loss of a fixed rebate more acutely than smaller ones. And households in climate extremes — far north Queensland with high air-conditioning demand, or Tasmania with high winter heating needs — face energy costs that are structurally higher than the national average regardless of government support.
At the other end of the spectrum, truly low-income households and pensioners are better protected by the concessions that remain, though even they are not fully insulated from the change.
What the Experts Are Saying
Energy economist Dr. Laura Bennett has been watching household energy affordability in Australia closely for years, and her assessment of the current situation is measured but clear-eyed. She points out that while wholesale electricity prices have eased from their 2022 peaks, the cost of the infrastructure required to deliver electricity — the poles, wires, substations, and increasingly complex grid management systems — continues to rise. Those costs are passed through to consumers in network charges that appear on every bill regardless of how much energy a household uses.
“The rebates masked the full cost of electricity for a couple of years,” Dr. Bennett explains. “Now consumers are seeing the real retail price again — and that price is still considerably higher than it was before the energy crisis, even after wholesale markets settled down.”
She also flags that the timing of the rebates’ removal coincides with seasonal peaks. Summer air-conditioning and winter heating are the two periods when household energy bills are naturally at their highest. Removing rebate support just as those peaks arrive amplifies the financial shock for many families.
Industry data supports the concern. Average Australian household electricity bills remain hundreds of dollars higher annually than they were five years ago, and there is no near-term expectation of a significant drop in retail prices.
What Support Is Still Available?
The end of universal rebates doesn’t mean there is no support left. It means the support that remains is more targeted, more means-tested, and more variable depending on where you live.
Pensioners and low-income households should check their eligibility for ongoing state energy concessions, which continue in every Australian state and territory. The amounts and eligibility criteria differ significantly, so it’s worth looking up your specific state government’s current concession offerings rather than assuming you do or don’t qualify based on what you’ve heard from others.
Centrelink recipients receiving certain payments — including the Age Pension, JobSeeker, and Disability Support Pension — may be eligible for an energy supplement as part of their payment. This is a regular amount added to fortnightly payments specifically to help with energy costs, and it hasn’t been affected by the end of the temporary rebates.
Every Australian energy retailer is required to offer hardship programs for customers experiencing genuine financial difficulty. These programs can include payment plans, temporary payment deferrals, bill smoothing arrangements, and in some cases, debt forgiveness for customers in severe hardship. If you are struggling to pay your energy bill, contact your retailer before the bill becomes overdue — options are far more readily available at that stage than after you’ve fallen behind.
Some states also offer energy efficiency grants or subsidised appliance replacement programs that can help reduce ongoing consumption costs. Installing LED lighting, upgrading to a more efficient hot water system, or accessing insulation rebates won’t replace a quarterly credit — but over time, they can meaningfully reduce the size of the bills those credits were once helping to cover.
Practical Ways to Reduce the Impact
Beyond government support, there are practical steps households can take right now to reduce their exposure to higher energy costs. Comparing electricity providers is one of the most straightforward. Australian energy retail markets are competitive, and switching to a plan that better suits your usage pattern — whether that’s a flat tariff, a time-of-use tariff, or a plan with a controlled load for hot water — can make a meaningful difference to annual costs without changing how much energy you use.
Reviewing your usage habits during peak periods is also worth the effort. Shifting energy-intensive tasks like dishwashers, washing machines, and pool pumps to off-peak hours can reduce costs significantly on time-of-use tariffs. Adjusting heating and cooling thermostat settings by even a degree or two has a measurable impact on electricity consumption over a season.
For households with the means to invest, rooftop solar remains one of the most effective long-term hedges against high retail electricity prices. Solar doesn’t eliminate network charges, but it can dramatically reduce or even eliminate consumption charges for households that generate enough power during daylight hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have the energy rebates officially ended in 2026?
Yes. Most temporary universal energy rebates and one-off bill credits introduced in 2024 and 2025 have now concluded in most states.
How much more will I be paying?
It depends on your previous eligibility and location, but many households are losing between $75 and $150 per quarter — or $300 to $500 per year.
Are pensioners still receiving any energy support?
Yes. State-based pensioner energy concessions continue. However, the additional temporary top-ups that were applied over the rebate period have ended.
Can I switch energy providers to get a better deal?
Yes, and it’s worth doing. Comparing plans through your state’s energy comparison website can identify genuine savings.
What if I can’t afford to pay my bill?
Contact your retailer immediately. All retailers are required to offer hardship assistance, including payment plans and deferrals, to customers in financial difficulty.
Are solar households unaffected?
Solar reduces consumption costs significantly but does not eliminate network charges. Solar households are still better off than non-solar households but are not completely insulated from the change.
Will new rebates be introduced later in 2026?
That depends on government policy decisions. There are no confirmed new universal rebates at the time of writing.
Adjusting to a New Energy Reality
For Daniel Reeves in Hobart, the disappearance of $150 per quarter is not a financial crisis — but it is a genuine pressure that requires real adjustment. His family is making small changes, staying more mindful of consumption, and absorbing the cost as best they can. “We’ll manage,” he says. “But it’s another thing on the list.”
That quiet resilience is being tested across Australia in 2026. The rebates that helped millions of households navigate two years of extraordinary energy prices were always a temporary measure, and the government was transparent about that. But for families still dealing with grocery bills, mortgage repayments, and rental costs that remain elevated from the same inflationary period, losing even a modest quarterly credit is not a trivial thing.
The energy relief era is over. The energy cost challenge very much isn’t.
Check your concession eligibility, review your energy plan, and contact your retailer early if you need help — the options available now are far better than the options available once bills go unpaid.