Heating and cooling rebates in South Australia
The dearest electricity in Australia, so efficiency matters more than the discount.
The short answer is the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme, delivered through your energy retailer rather than by government — which means the offer differs depending on who you ask, and concession households do substantially better. Below: what to ask retailers for, and why in the state with Australia's dearest electricity the system you choose matters more than the discount you get on it.
What you can claim in South Australia
Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS)
Discounted high-efficiency reverse cycle systems through participating retailers — indicatively $300 to $1,500.
- Delivered through participating energy retailers rather than claimed from government, so it is worth asking more than one.
- Priority Group households — concession card holders and eligible low-income homes — get substantially deeper discounts than the standard offer.
South Australia has the dearest electricity in the country, so the efficiency of the system you end up with matters more here than the size of the discount.
Administered by Government of South Australia. Official scheme page. Last verified 5 September 2026.
Why South Australia is different
South Australia's Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme delivers discounts through participating energy retailers rather than from government. Priority Group households — concession card holders and eligible low-income homes — get substantially deeper discounts than the standard offer, in some cases enough to put a high-efficiency system in for a few hundred dollars.
Because it comes through retailers rather than a central scheme, the offers differ. It is worth asking more than one.
South Australia is also the state where the system you end up with matters more than the discount you get on it. At 41.9c per kilowatt hour — the dearest electricity in the country — the gap between a 2-star and a 5-star system compounds every year for the life of the unit. A larger discount on a less efficient system is usually the worse deal here, and that is not true everywhere.
What it costs to heat and cool a house here
A 160 m² house built before 2005, heated and cooled for a full year at South Australia's reference rates. On these assumptions the cheapest option in South Australia is single split system at about $551 a year — though read the conditions column, because it is not conditioning the same amount of house as the ones below it.
| System | Conditions | Per year | Installed | 10-year total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single split system | One main living area | $551 | $2,600 | $8,110 |
| Multi-split system | Most of the house | $1,254 | $8,500 | $21,042 |
| Ducted reverse cycle | The whole house | $1,800 | $15,500 | $33,503 |
| Ceiling fans | Cools only — you would still need something for winter. | |||
| Ducted evaporative cooling | Cools only — you would still need something for winter. | |||
| Gas space heater | Heats only — you would still need something for summer. | |||
| Electric panel or fan heater | Heats only — you would still need something for summer. | |||
| Ducted gas heating | Heats only — you would still need something for summer. |
A 160 m² pre-2005 house in South Australia — 793 heating and 563 cooling degree days — at 41.9c/kWh, heating and cooling for a full year. Read the conditions column: the cheap options are partly cheap because they condition less of the house.
Your own house will differ. Put your floor area, insulation and rates into the heating and cooling cost calculator and every figure recalculates.
Every state, for comparison
| State or territory | Scheme | Indicative value | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) | $1,000–$3,500 | Co-payment rose 30/09/2026 |
| New South Wales | Energy Savings Scheme (ESS) | $200–$2,600 | — |
| Australian Capital Territory | Home Energy Support Program | $0–$2,500 | — |
| South Australia | Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) | $300–$1,500 | — |
| Queensland | Climate Smart Energy Savers | $0–$1,000 | — |
| Western Australia | no state scheme | — | — |
| Tasmania | no state scheme | — | — |
| Northern Territory | no state scheme | — | — |
There is no federal rebate for heating or cooling. Small-scale Technology Certificates apply to water heaters and solar panels only, so unlike a hot water upgrade there is no national floor — what you get depends entirely on your state. Every figure is indicative and delivered as a discount by an accredited installer rather than claimed back. Last verified 5 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Who actually administers the SA air conditioning rebate?
Your energy retailer, not the government directly — the Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme is worth $300 to $1,500 depending on who you ask, with Priority Group households (concession card holders and eligible low-income homes) getting substantially more. Since offers vary by retailer, it is worth comparing more than one.
Does Adelaide need a system for winter or for summer?
Both, about equally — 793 heating degree days against 563 cooling puts it among the more balanced Australian capitals, so the choice should not be made on one season alone.
Why does the system matter more than the discount in South Australia?
Because South Australian electricity, at 41.9c per kilowatt hour, is the dearest in the country. A ducted system here runs about $1,800 a year for a 160 m² pre-2005 house (a smaller multi-split comes to roughly $1,254), and at that price per kilowatt hour an efficient unit outearns a bigger discount on an inefficient one within a few years.
Would insulation help more than a rebate in South Australia?
Given the electricity price, yes — cutting heating and cooling energy through insulation, to 30% and 60% of a pre-2005 house's usage respectively, compounds every year at 41.9c per kilowatt hour, and no South Australian scheme currently covers that work.