Victorian Service to Property Charge Concession

What Is This Payment?

The Service to Property Charge Concession addresses a specific problem: every electricity account carries a fixed daily supply charge regardless of how much power is used. For concession cardholders who use very little electricity, that fixed charge can be larger than the cost of the power they consume.

The rule database classifies this as a Group B benefit with eligibility_only as its result role, because the saving depends on your bill rather than a set dollar figure. The concession caps the fixed charge when it exceeds usage.

It complements the Annual Electricity Concession, which reduces usage-based charges. Together they cover both halves of an electricity bill for low-income, low-usage households.

How Much Can You Get?

The amount block is eligibility_only with period: none, so there is no fixed dollar figure; the value is the capped fixed supply charge, which depends on your usage and tariff.

• Caps the fixed service to property charge when it would otherwise exceed your usage charge.
• Targets low-usage and zero-usage households, such as a holiday property or a home that is often empty.
• Complements the Annual Electricity Concession, which reduces the usage-based part of the bill.

Eligibility Conditions

The eligibility block is an all set, so every condition must pass.

1. Victorian household: state = VIC. The concession applies to electricity accounts in Victoria.
2. Qualifying concession card: concession_card_type is one of Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or DVA Gold Card, held by the account holder.

Beyond holding a card, the concession is intended for situations where the fixed supply charge exceeds the usage charge — that is, very low or zero electricity use. Your retailer applies the cap based on your bill.

Because it only helps low-usage households, the product surfaces it to cardholders who might otherwise overlook a concession that applies specifically to the fixed part of an electricity bill.

How To Apply

The channel is your electricity retailer. You apply through the retailer, providing your concession card and a recent electricity bill.

• Contact your electricity retailer and ask to apply the Service to Property Charge Concession to your account.
• Provide your concession card details and a recent bill showing your usage and supply charges.
• The retailer applies the cap to the fixed service charge on eligible accounts.

Read the official Service to Property Charge Concession guidance

Rule-Based Scenarios

Scenario 1: a rarely used second home

Frank, a pensioner, holds a Pensioner Concession Card and rarely uses a small property he owns. Because his fixed supply charge dwarfs his tiny usage, the concession caps that fixed charge.

Scenario 2: a very frugal household

Anjali holds a Health Care Card and keeps her power use extremely low. The concession reduces the standing supply charge so she is not penalised for using almost nothing.

Scenario 3: paired with the usage concession

Tom holds a Low Income Health Care Card and already receives the Annual Electricity Concession on his usage. Adding the Service to Property Charge Concession caps the fixed charge as well, covering both parts of the bill.

Scenario 4: high-usage household

Maria uses a normal amount of electricity each quarter, so her usage charge exceeds the fixed supply charge. The cap therefore brings no extra benefit, and she relies on the usage-based concession instead.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing it with the usage concession: this concession caps the fixed supply charge, while the Annual Electricity Concession reduces usage-based costs — many households can use both.
• Assuming it suits high-usage homes: it only helps when the fixed supply charge exceeds your usage, so it mainly benefits very low-usage properties.
• Not applying through the retailer: you apply through your electricity retailer, not directly to the department.
• Forgetting to provide a bill: the retailer needs a recent bill to see your usage and supply charges before applying the cap.
• Thinking it is a cash payment: it reduces the fixed charge on your bill; it is not money paid to you.
• Overlooking it for a holiday property: rarely used homes are exactly where this concession is most valuable, so check eligibility for them.

Related Benefits

• Victorian Annual Electricity Concession — a discount on usage-based electricity costs for cardholders.
• Victorian Excess Electricity Concession — extra help for high electricity bills.
• Victorian Utility Relief Grant (Electricity) — emergency help for an unpayable electricity bill.
• Victorian Non-Mains Energy Concession — help with energy not supplied by the mains network.
• Energy Supplement — a federal supplement towards energy costs.
• Pensioner Concession Card — the federal card that unlocks many state concessions.

Frequently Asked Questions