Solar and electricity concessions for low-income and pensioner households in Perth

Perth households on low incomes or holding concession cards receive government electricity rebates that reduce the cost of grid electricity. Solar can further reduce electricity costs — but the interaction between solar, concessions, and Synergy billing is often misunderstood. Here's how they work together.

WA electricity concessions overview

The WA government provides electricity concessions through the Household Electricity Credit (previously called the Energy Assistance Payment and the Low Income Household Rebate, combined in 2024). The credit is applied directly to Synergy accounts.

Household Electricity Credit (2025–26 values — confirm current amounts with Synergy):

• Available to holders of: Commonwealth Pensioner Concession Card, Healthcare Card, DVA Gold Card, Seniors Card (WA)
• Applied as a credit to your Synergy account, reducing the amount you owe

This is separate from the WA Government Electricity Credit (the broadbased credit paid to all Synergy customers regardless of income), which was provided as a one-off credit in previous years.

How solar affects your concession-eligible bill

The concession applies to your net bill after solar export credits.

If solar reduces your grid consumption, your Synergy bill will be lower. The Household Electricity Credit is applied as a fixed credit regardless of how much you consume. So:

| Scenario | What happens | |---|---| | No solar, $800/yr bill, $600 concession | Pay $200/yr net | | Solar + $400/yr bill (halved by solar), $600 concession | $0/yr bill — credit exceeds bill, no refund | | Solar + battery, $200/yr bill, $600 concession | $0/yr bill — credit still applied, surplus is not refunded |

Important: Synergy does not refund unused concession credits. If your solar and battery reduce your annual bill below the concession amount, the surplus credit is lost each billing cycle — you don't "bank" unused credit or receive a cash payment.

Practical implication: For households already receiving a large concession, the financial benefit of solar reducing your Synergy bill below zero is limited — you're absorbing unused concession credit that would otherwise have applied.

The export credit interaction

Solar export credits (from DEBS or Midday Saver feed-in) are credited to your Synergy bill. For concession holders, this means:

• Export credits reduce your bill before the concession credit is applied
• If solar export credits + consumption credits already bring your bill close to zero, the concession credit further reduces it, but any surplus is lost

Households with high solar export (good solar system, away from home during the day, older feed-in rate) may find their annual Synergy bill is already near zero from export credits alone — adding a concession on top doesn't create a refund.

Is solar worth it for concession holders?

Yes — with the right expectations:

What solar delivers:

• Reduced grid consumption = lower bill (or zero bill)
• Export credits reduce what you owe Synergy
• Protection from future electricity price increases

What changes for concession holders:

• Once your annual bill reaches zero (from solar + concession combined), additional solar savings are on export credits only — not on further concession benefit
• The upfront cost of solar is the same regardless of concession status
• The payback period is calculated on the ACTUAL bill reduction, not on the tariff rate alone

STC rebate availability: The Small-scale Technology Certificate (STC) rebate applies to eligible solar systems regardless of household income. Concession cardholders receive the same STC rebate as any other buyer — it's deducted from the system cost at point of sale.

WA Battery Scheme ($130/kWh, max $1,300): Available to any eligible Perth household. Does not have an income or concession means test — concession holders access this on the same basis as all Synergy residential customers. The battery must be installed with a solar system by a CEC-accredited installer, and the battery must be on Synergy's SSL.

Medical equipment users

Synergy provides a Medical Equipment Credit for households where the primary concession cardholder requires prescribed life-supporting medical equipment (oxygen concentrators, kidney dialysis, etc.). This provides a larger electricity credit. Solar does not disqualify you from this credit — but the same principle applies: if solar brings your bill to near zero, the credit surplus is not refunded.

Contact Synergy to confirm your eligibility if you use home medical equipment.

Steps for concession holders considering solar

1. Check your current annual Synergy bill (look at the last 12 months of bills).
2. Identify how much of your bill is concession credits vs actual payment.
3. Estimate how much solar would reduce your bill (your installer can model this; or use BillWise's calculator with your actual consumption data).
4. Assess whether the remaining bill post-solar makes the investment worthwhile given that concession credits already reduce your payment.
5. Compare payback period using actual out-of-pocket bills, not the gross electricity rate.

Solar and concessions are compatible — but the financial case requires looking at actual out-of-pocket bills, not headline tariff savings. For households where concessions already bring the bill close to zero, the value of solar comes from export credits and protection from future price increases rather than from further reducing a bill that's already near zero. The STC and WA Battery Scheme rebates apply regardless of concession status.