2024–25 small business rebate

Queensland small businesses will get $325 off their electricity bills in 2024–25.

A rebate of $325 will be automatically credited to eligible small business customer bills from 1 July 2024—there is no need to apply. Exact timing will depend on individual bill cycles.

Look for the 'Queensland Government Small Business Rebate' on your bill.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the rebate, a small business must:

• meet Queensland's statutory small business electricity usage criteria (i.e. consumption less than 100 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year)
• be separately metered for electricity consumption
• have an open electricity account with their retailer or embedded network operator on 1 July 2024.

Only one $325 rebate applies per customer, regardless of how many sites a business has. For businesses with multiple sites, total consumption across all sites must be less than 100MWh per annum to be eligible for the rebate.

Ineligible small businesses

Some types of businesses are not eligible for the rebate, regardless of their consumption level. For example, if the nature of the business does not fit within the intent of the relief package for small businesses. These include:

• banks and financial institutions (e.g. branches, ATMs)
• utilities, including telcos (e.g. Telstra shops) and rail (e.g. train stations)
• government-owned sites at federal, state and local level (e.g. Centrelink, council-owned libraries and pools)
• health funds (e.g. BUPA and Medibank stores).

Embedded network arrangements

Small business tenants who get their electricity through a privately owned embedded network—and are billed by their landlord, property manager/operator or other entity (exempt seller)—are also eligible for both rebates if they meet the criteria.

You don't need to apply. Your embedded network operator will lodge a claim with their retailer on your behalf using Form 542 from the Queensland Government concessions page.

Most customers will receive the rebate as a one-off lump sum credit on their electricity bill in the second half of 2024. It may take several months for the rebate to appear on your bill.

If you haven’t received the rebate by 31 December 2024, contact your embedded network operator directly.

If an eligible small business customer has an account with an embedded network operator on 1 July 2024, then moves out of that network – they should still receive the rebate from that operator.

Energy Bill Relief Fund extension

Small businesses will also get an additional $325 off their electricity bills from the Australian Government under the Energy Bill Relief Fund extension.

From 1 July 2024, the rebate will be automatically credited by retailers to most eligible small business customer bills in quarterly instalments ($81.25 per quarter) throughout 2024–25.

Eligible embedded network customers will receive the rebate as a lump sum credit. Customers don't need to apply. Your embedded network operator will lodge a claim with their retailer on your behalf using Form 540 from the Queensland Government concessions page.

Look for the 'Australian Government Energy Price Relief Plan Rebate' on your bill.

More information is available on the Australian Government web page.

This brings the total relief for small businesses in 2024–25 to $650.

2023–24 small business rebate

The following information applies to the 2023–24 rebate only.

Up to 205,000 small businesses received a $650 rebate on their electricity bill in 2023–24, funded by the Queensland and Australian governments under the Energy Bill Relief Fund.

For most small businesses, the rebate was automatically credited to electricity bills on a quarterly basis, starting from July 2023. Exact timing depended on retailers' system requirements and individual billing cycles.

Embedded network arrangements

Small business tenants who get their electricity through a privately owned embedded network, and are billed by their landlord, property manager/operator or other entity (exempt seller) were also eligible for the rebate.

These businesses should have had the rebate credited to their bills by the relevant exempt seller or electricity billing company.

Exempt sellers were required to lodge a claim for the 2023–24 rebate (using Form 533) with their electricity retailer.

Also consider...

• Read about energy saving rebates.
• Learn about the rights of electricity customers in embedded networks.
• Read about embedded electricity networks.
• Find out how to apply for a retail exemption and registration exemption.
• Learn about the Cost of Living Rebate for households.