NSW Family Energy Rebate (On-Supply Customers)
If you live in a NSW apartment, retirement village or caravan park where electricity is onsold by a strata, building manager or village operator, your household received Family Tax Benefit Part A in the previous financial year (with that year's claim finalised by Centrelink), and your name is on the on-supply bill, the Family Energy Rebate gives you $198 per financial year as a single bank transfer through Service NSW. If you also receive the LIHR on-supply rebate, the FER drops to $22 because of a part-stack clause in the rule. This is the on-supply variant. Households whose electricity bill comes from a licensed retailer (Origin, AGL, EnergyAustralia) need the Retail variant instead.
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Quick Answer
You qualify when all of the following are true: state = NSW, received_ftb_previous_year = true (with a Centrelink finalisation letter), electricity_bill_account_holder = true, principal_place_of_residence = true, and electricity_supply_type = on_supply. The decisive flag is the supply type: an apartment with an embedded power network, a retirement village billed by the operator, or a caravan park where you receive an on-supply statement under your name.
You are blocked when you receive only FTB Part B (FER specifically reads FTB-A), when the supply is actually retail (your bill comes from a licensed retailer rather than your strata), when the bill is in the operator's master account rather than your name, or when the previous-year FTB-A has not yet been finalised by Centrelink (a 4-12 week wait after lodging the tax return). The rule conflicts with the FER Retail variant - you cannot claim both, only the one matching your supply type.
Rate logic: a fixed value of $198 per financial year standalone. The YAML's reduces_if block drops the amount to $22 per year when receiving_low_income_household_rebate = true. The on-supply rate ($198) is $18 higher than the retail rate ($180), mirroring the LIHR retail-vs-on-supply differential. An LIHR-stacked household nets $335.50/yr (LIHR on-supply $313.50 + FER on-supply $22), not $511.50.
Who Can Claim
The eligibility block is an all set, identical to the retail FER rule except for the supply-type flag:
- NSW residency: the on-supply address must be in NSW.
- Previous-year FTB-A finalised:
received_ftb_previous_year = true. Centrelink must have completed its income reconciliation for the previous year (typically 4-12 weeks after you lodge your tax return). The myGov "Family Tax Benefit balancing complete" letter is the document. - Account holder:
electricity_bill_account_holder = true. You must be the named account holder on the on-supply electricity bill from your strata, building manager or village operator. In some retirement villages and caravan parks the bill is consolidated into the operator's master statement; in that case you may need to obtain a sub-bill from the operator before lodging. - Principal place of residence: the on-supply address must be your main home, not an investment unit or holiday apartment.
- On-supply flag:
electricity_supply_type = on_supply. Confirm by checking the bill issuer: if it is your strata, owners corporation, retirement village or caravan park manager, you are on-supply.
The FTB rule reads FTB-A specifically. FTB-B alone does not qualify (FTB-B is for single-income families and single parents and runs on a different test); only households who received FTB-A in the previous year are on the white-list.
What You Get
The headline figure depends on the LIHR on-supply rebate status:
- Standalone FER on-supply (no LIHR): $198 per financial year, paid as a single bank transfer.
- FER on-supply stacked with LIHR on-supply: $22 per financial year. The reduction is hard-coded in the YAML's
reduces_ifclause, mirroring the retail variant.
The amount block is amount.type = fixed, amount.period = yearly with the conditional reduction. There is no income taper above the FTB-A threshold, no per-child multiplier, no household-size adjustment.
Worked example A (standalone): Hira, 34, single mother in Auburn, lives in a 2018-built four-storey embedded-network apartment with two children (8 and 5). She does NOT hold any concession card (her income from casual childcare work is too low to need a HCC, paradoxically - she has fluctuating receipt of FTB-A). She received FTB-A in 2024-25 (finalised October 2025). She lodges the FER on-supply application in November 2025; $198 lands in her account 4 weeks later. With monthly on-supply bills around $145, the FER cushions about 11% of her year's electricity.
Worked example B (stacked with LIHR): change the example - Hira also holds a HCC because her income reconciled to a lower level. She lodges both LIHR on-supply ($313.50 lump sum) and FER on-supply (now $22 because of reduces_if). Total stack: $335.50/yr. The reduction is automatic - she does not pick which to drop, but she does need to lodge two separate Service NSW applications.
How to Apply
Application channel is Service NSW online or by mail, the same intake as the LIHR on-supply rebate. Steps:
- Wait for FTB-A finalisation by Centrelink for the previous financial year. Lodge your tax return early to speed this up. The finalisation letter from myGov is the key document.
- Open the Service NSW transaction page at service.nsw.gov.au and search for "Family Energy Rebate on-supply". Lodge online (preferred) or by mail.
- Upload the Centrelink finalisation letter for the previous financial year. Service NSW cross-checks via Centrelink Confirmation Service.
- Upload a recent on-supply electricity bill showing your name as the account holder. Strata-issued or building-issued statements are typical; village or park sub-bills work too.
- Provide bank account details for the transfer. Approval typically lands within 4-6 weeks of lodgement.
Practical tip: lodge the LIHR on-supply application at the same time if you also qualify (concession card pathway). Both are Service NSW intakes, so you can complete them in one sitting and get both transfers around the same time.
Read the official Service NSW Family Energy Rebate on-supply page ↑
When You'll See It
The timing chain is identical to the retail variant. First, lodge tax return for the previous financial year. Second, wait for Centrelink finalisation (4-12 weeks). Third, lodge Service NSW on-supply FER application. Fourth, wait 4-6 weeks for approval and bank transfer. Total typical end-to-end: 10-18 weeks from "previous year ended" to "FER landed in account."
The rebate is a per-financial-year claim; there is no auto-renewal. Each year you need a fresh finalisation letter and a fresh on-supply bill. The application window for any given year usually opens in August-September (when finalisation letters become available for the just-ended financial year) and closes around late June of the following year.
The rule itself runs from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. Mid-year changes (FTB-A stops, you move from on-supply to retail by leaving the apartment) do not trigger a clawback because the rebate is paid based on previous-year status. They will affect next year's eligibility.
Real-World Scenarios
Scenario 1: Hira, Auburn embedded network, FER + LIHR full stack
Hira is 34, single mother of two children (8 and 5), lives in a 2018-built four-storey block in Auburn. The strata onsells electricity through an embedded network and bills her monthly. She holds a HCC and received FTB-A in 2024-25 (finalised October 2025). She lodges both the LIHR on-supply and the FER on-supply with Service NSW on the same day in early November. The LIHR ($313.50) and FER ($22 because of reduces_if) both arrive in her CommBank account in early December. Total NSW energy support: $335.50. With monthly on-supply bills around $145, this covers about two months of her on-supply costs.
Scenario 2: Helena, Marrickville retirement village, FER standalone
Helena is 72, an Age Pensioner and lives in a Marrickville retirement village where the operator onsells electricity through embedded metering. Wait - but Helena receives the Age Pension, which means a PCC, which means LIHR... actually consider a different setup: Helena is 68, semi-retired, on Carer Allowance for her elderly sister. She receives FTB-A because she is the primary carer for her 6-year-old grandson living with her after her daughter's accident. She does not hold a concession card (Carer Allowance does not auto-grant one in this configuration). She lodges only the FER on-supply standalone; $198 lands 5 weeks later. Without LIHR stacking the full FER applies.
Scenario 3: Marwan, Lakemba caravan park, sub-bill issue resolved
Marwan, 41, lives in a long-term Lakemba caravan park cabin with his wife and three children. The operator has historically billed him via a flat weekly site fee that includes power. He received FTB-A in 2024-25 (finalised in September 2025). When he tries to lodge the FER on-supply he hits the account-holder gate: the rule needs his name on an on-supply bill. He approaches the operator, who agrees to start issuing a separate quarterly sub-bill in his name (the operator does this for several other concession-card residents). With the sub-bill in hand, Marwan lodges in October and $198 lands in November. The site rent now reflects the unbundled energy charge.
Scenario 4: Yifei, Hurstville unit, retail not on-supply (rejected)
Yifei is 47, lives in a Hurstville unit built in 1995, holds no concession card, and the household received FTB-A in 2024-25 (finalised November 2025). He lodges the FER on-supply application assuming "all apartments are on-supply." Service NSW reviews his uploaded bill and sees it is from EnergyAustralia (a licensed retailer); he chose his own retailer when moving in and his unit has its own meter. The application is rejected with a note to switch to the FER retail variant. He re-lodges via Service NSW retail page and $180 (instead of $198) lands in his account a month later.
Common Mistakes
- Applying for the wrong variant (retail vs on-supply): the decisive field is
electricity_supply_type. Look at the bill issuer. Licensed retailer (Origin, AGL, EnergyAustralia, Red Energy, Alinta) = retail variant ($180/yr standalone). Strata, owners corporation, retirement village, caravan park = on-supply variant ($198/yr standalone). Lodging the wrong one wastes 4-6 weeks and the rebate has to be re-lodged on the correct page. - Confusing FER with LIHR (the stacking trap): LIHR on-supply is concession-card-based ($313.50); FER on-supply is FTB-A-based ($198 standalone, $22 stacked). They share the same Service NSW intake step but they are different rebates. The $22 stacked figure is not a "reduced rebate due to error" - it is the designed amount when both run.
- Applying before FTB-A is finalised: the rule reads previous-year FTB-A and Centrelink only flags finalisation after your tax return is reconciled. Lodging too early gets rejected; wait for the myGov "Family Tax Benefit balancing complete" letter.
- FTB-B only households assuming they qualify: the rule specifically reads FTB-A. Single parents and single-income families who only receive FTB-B do not qualify for the FER. They should look at the National Energy Bill Relief which has no FTB-A test.
- Not the named account holder on the on-supply bill: in caravan parks and some retirement villages the operator pays the master bill and recovers via rent. The cardholder is not the named account holder, which fails the gate. Ask the operator for a sub-bill in your name.
- Forgetting to apply each year: there is no auto-renewal. Each financial year requires a fresh Service NSW application with a new previous-year finalisation letter and a current on-supply bill. Diary the renewal in October once finalisation letters arrive.
Related NSW Energy Benefits
- NSW Family Energy Rebate (Retail) — same FTB-A gate but $180/yr (reduced to $20 if stacked with LIHR retail) for households on a licensed retailer bill. Mutually exclusive with this on-supply page; pick the one matching your supply type.
- NSW Low Income Household Rebate (On-Supply) — $313.50/yr for on-supply concession card holders. Stacks with this FER but reduces FER to $22 (combined $335.50). Different gate (cards vs FTB-A) so families with both qualifications get both rebates.
- NSW Seniors Energy Rebate — $200/yr for Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders. Different demographic but a parallel rebate stream.
- NSW Medical Energy Rebate (On-Supply) — $313.50/yr on-supply for households with a doctor-certified temperature-regulation condition. Independent of FTB-A; can stack with this FER if the household qualifies for both.
- National Energy Bill Relief (NSW) — federal-state credits. On-supply customers must apply via Service NSW (it is auto-credited on retail bills only). Independent of FTB-A.
- Federal Family Tax Benefit Part A — the underlying federal payment that gates this rebate. The Centrelink finalisation letter for the previous year is the central evidence document.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the exact dollar amount of the on-supply FER?
$198 per financial year if you only receive the FER. $22 per year if you also receive the LIHR on-supply, because of the FER's reduces_if clause. Paid as a single bank transfer.
How does the on-supply rate compare to retail?
$198 on-supply versus $180 retail. The $18 differential mirrors the LIHR retail-vs-on-supply gap. When stacked with LIHR, both versions reduce to a similar small top-up: $22 on-supply, $20 retail.
Where do I apply?
Service NSW online (or by mail). The on-supply variant uses the same Service NSW intake as the LIHR on-supply rebate. You can lodge both at the same sitting if you qualify for both.
How long until I get the money?
Typically 4-6 weeks from the Service NSW lodgement, after a 4-12 week wait for Centrelink to finalise the previous-year FTB-A. End-to-end roughly 10-18 weeks from the close of the financial year.
What if my building manager won't issue a sub-bill in my name?
Without your name on an on-supply bill, you cannot claim. Many operators will issue sub-bills on request, especially when you mention concession or rebate eligibility. If they refuse, the rebate is unreachable until the billing setup changes.
Can I get FER and LIHR together?
Yes. Both are Service NSW intakes. The FER drops from $198 to $22 when stacked because of the reduces_if clause. Total: LIHR $313.50 + FER $22 = $335.50/yr.
Does the rebate auto-renew?
No. Each financial year is a fresh Service NSW application with a new previous-year FTB-A finalisation letter and a current on-supply bill.
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