Following the success of the 2015 Natural Gas Rebate Campaign for Existing Homes, Australian Gas Networks is again offering rebates to its customers in South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. If you install natural gas hot water services and/or natural gas heating (flued space heating or ducted central heating), you can pass on significant savings to your eligible customers by following a few easy steps.
Getting started
Firstly, make sure you’re registered with the 2016 Campaign - if this is the first time you’ve participated in the Campaign, register your interest here or get in touch with the Natural Gas Rebates Team (either by phone, 08 8115 4443 or 08 8115 4441, or register your interest here). You should also ring the Natural Gas Rebates Team if you’ve participated in a previous year and want to renew your registration. New registrations will take between two and four business days to complete.
Find out if your customers are eligible for a rebate.
How do you know whether a customer’s eligible for a rebate?
Making sure your customer meets the eligibility criteria for AGN’s rebates is simple and straightforward.
To begin with, ensure that the residence you’re working on is an existing home (not a recent new home build) that is part of AGN’s network. This is particularly important when you’re working on a property in Victoria or New South Wales, as AGN only owns a portion of the natural gas network in those states.
To check if an address is part of AGN’s network, you can use this handy postcode list. In South Australia, we’re the sole-owner of natural gas, so homes where gas is available meet the criteria here.
Rebates are available only for natural gas hot water systems, natural gas flued space heating systems, and natural gas ducted central heating. You can claim rebates for your customers so long as you’re installing a new appliance and not replacing an existing (or faulty) natural gas appliance.
For example, you can’t claim a natural gas hot water rebate if you’re replacing a broken-down natural gas hot water system, just like you can’t claim a natural gas ducted central heating rebate if you’re replacing an old (pre-existing) natural gas ducted central heating unit. To comply (and this is important), natural gas hot water systems must have been installed on or after the first of January 2016, and natural gas flued space heaters/gas ducted central heating must have been installed on or after the first of March 2016.
As a Registered Supplier, you should also make sure that the appliance rebate you intend to claim for your customer hasn’t already been claimed in a previous campaign. To keep things fair, the golden rule is ‘one rebate per appliance type, per household’!
Like last year, there are a limited number of rebates available for each appliance type, per state. The rebate amounts also vary according to state, so ensure you’re offering the right amount. You can check this and rebate availability, by referring to the following counters for each state:
Essentially, the 2016 Campaign will run while there are rebates available - but don’t worry, you’ll be notified in advanced by email when a particular quota is reaching its closing point.
What do you need to do to claim a rebate for your customer?
Claiming a rebate is as simple as finding out whether the property you’re working on is eligible. All that’s needed from you are the following three documents:
- A copy of the Certificate of Compliance (a.k.a. Compliance Certificate) for the appliance installation.This must be signed-off, and should show the date of installation, the service address, as well as customer details
- A copy of the customer’s invoice. This should show the scope of works (such as what appliance was installed, what it was replacing), the service address, and customer details (including a contact number). Please note: the customer invoice MUST show the rebate and rebate value - this can show either as a point of sale discount, or as some kind of disclaimer indicating that you intend to claim the rebate and pass it onto your customer after receiving payment from AGN
- A tax invoice from your business to AGN, to claim back the rebate.If you’re registered for GST, the total balance due should include GST, and ensure this invoice is addressed to Australian Gas Networks Limited.
Complete claims can be sent to the Natural Gas Rebates Team, preferably over email or by post to:
Attention: Natural Gas Rebates Team
PO Box 6014
Halifax Street SA 5000
Some handy tips for a smooth rebate:
- Double-check your claim paperwork before you submit, just to make sure all documents are included and complete
- Include a gas meter number or a MIRN/DPI number where possible (particularly for jobs at shopping complexes, schools, retirement villages or churches), so that the right address can be matched to your claim right from the start
- Double check that the installation date of the job you’re claiming for complies
- Double check that the address you intend to claim a rebate for is part of AGN’s network
If you’re a plumber/gasfitter in Victoria, you might be able to take advantage of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target, which is run by the State Government (it’s worth investigating the full list of discounts and benefits available)
If you’re at all unsure about whether a customer is eligible for a rebate (or if you have a question about the claim paperwork), please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Natural Gas Rebates Team - give them a call (08 8115 4443, 08 8115 4442), or drop them an email via naturalgasrebates@apa.com.au
Remember, rebates are limited across each state and category, so AGN encourages you to act quickly and take advantage of these great rebates - get them while they’re hot
