Victoria is tightening up the eligibility requirements for its rooftop solar and electric heat pump hot water subsidies, as the number of discounted home energy and electrification upgrades delivered through the state’s Solar Homes scheme passes the 500,000 mark.
As of July 1, the combined household income eligibility cap will drop from $210,000 to $150,000 per year for solar and hot water rebates, in a move Solar Victoria says will better target the scheme at households most affected by cost of living pressures.
The value of the rebate – which is available to owner occupiers and rentals – will remain unchanged, offering up to $1,400 of the cost of a solar PV system, and to the equivalent amount in the form of an interest free loan.
For energy efficient hot water systems, the rebate remains at up to $1,400 for a locally made product or up to $1,000 for other products.
Solar Victoria, which oversees the Solar Homes Program for the state Labor government, says the changes are not expected to change the mix of rebate participants all that much, with 80 per cent of existing customers still eligible under the $150,000 cap.
