NSW government rebates and discounts to help save money

From utilities and council rates to car registration, there are loads of rebates and discounts on offer for NSW residents to help save thousands of dollars on day-to-day expenses. See the full list.

New South Wales residents may be able to make their money stretch further with support from their state government.

A host of rebates and concessions are available to help cover the cost of utilities, council rates, vehicle registration and educational costs – to name a few.

These savings could add up to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, for people who are eligible.

See the list below for how you can save on day-to-day living expenses.

Energy & utilities

The NSW Family Energy Rebate provides up to $198 for households with dependent children to cover the cost of energy bills. Rebate paid depending on whether you are billed directly by energy supplier or through a third party, which as a strata.

Applications for the current financial year will open in late August. Eligible seniors can also apply for a rebate of up to $200.

Concession and Health Care card holders who have an account with an energy supplier can claim a $110 a year gas rebate, with credit applied on bills.

The NSW Gas Rebate also helps eligible households cover the costs of supplied 45kg-plus LPG bottle delivery or refills. This rebate is in the form of a lump sum of $121.

NSW households can get almost $200 to help cover cost of energy bills as part of the Family Energy Rebate. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

There is also the Low Income Household Rebate (LIHR) to help cover the cost of energy bills for concession or Health Care card holders who live in NSW. Eligible people can apply for the rebate by contacting their energy provider directly, asking for the LIHR and providing their concession to Health Care card details. The rebate will be in the form of a credit on the quarterly bills, up to $285 a year, which is calculated daily from the day you apply. The LIHR is also available for those who receive their energy bill through a third party, such as a property manager or strata scheme. The rebate will be provided as a lump sum of $313.50.

People who are struggling to pay their energy bills because of short-term financial hardship, may be eligible for the Energy Accounts Payment Assistance (EAPA) vouchers worth $50, which help pay home electricity or gas bills.

Pensioners who own and live in their own home may qualify for a rebate on their water bill. Applications need to be made to the water provider directly, with the rebates applied to each bill.

Pensioners who receive Centrelink support may be eligible for additional help to cover bills and medicine costs through the NSW Pension Supplement (PS). The PS combines the Pharmaceutical Allowance, Utilities Allowance, GST Supplement and Telephone Allowance. Conditions apply.

Transport

Drivers could save up to $750 on their tolls with the Toll Rebate Scheme. The package, which was announced in June by Premier Dominic Perrottet and Metropolitan Roads Minister Natalie Ward, will allow motorists who spend a minimum of $375 a year on tolls to get a 40 per cent rebate, up to $750 a year.

Drivers have until the end of June next year to claim their free or half price vehicle registration for toll expenses between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022.

Motorists can save hundreds on their tolls each year. Picture: Toby Zerna

First and second year apprentices may be eligible for a rebate to help cover the costs of vehicle registration.

Drivers with a good record may be eligible for an automatic 50 per cent discount on their licence renewal fees under the NSW Fair Fot for Safe Drivers Scheme. There are some conditions including the driver must have held their full NSW licence for at least five years and had no relevant driving offences in that period.

Young drivers aged 16 to 20 years old can get free roadside assistance through NRMA’s Free2go program.

People who receive the Commonwealth Carer Allowance may be eligible for a refund on vehicle taxes when registering eligible vehicles.

Drivers could save up to $750 on their rolls with the Toll Rebate Scheme, which NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced in June. Picture NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Pensioners may be eligible for concessions on vehicle-related fees such as registration and motor vehicle tax. There is other support offered including no fees for licences, driving test and photo car, providing the applicant meets certain criteria.

There are a range of subsidies and concessions available for using public transport.

For NSW residents with a severe or permanent disability who are able to use public transport, they may be entitled to a 50 per cent subsidy of taxi fares, to a maximum of $60. Applications are required.

Health

People who have short term or ongoing health needs may be able to apply to get some of the associated cost reimbursed. Conditions apply.

Residents who need to travel more than 100km for specialist medical treatment may be about to receive support for travel and accommodation expenses under the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme.

People who require the use of high-energy equipment for medical needs may be able to apply for the Life Support Energy Rebate program, which provides people support to cover the costs of running equipment such as dialysis machines at home.

There is a $250 rebate available for eligible NSW residents to cover the costs of fertility testing. People can only apply for the rebate once.

The Active Kids program provide children two $100 vouchers to cover sporting costs. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Education

Families with children in NSW primary or secondary schools can get a $150 voucher per child to help pay for school supplies, such as school uniforms, shoes, bags, textbooks and stationery.

Under the Creative Kids program, parents and carers can claim a $100 voucher to help pay for the cost of lessons or fees for creative or cultural activities for students with registered providers.

A similar program exists for active children — Active Kids — which provides two $100 vouchers for school-enrolled children to put towards sport and active recreation costs each year, with registered providers.

Parents and carers of children aged three to six years old, who are not enrolled in school, can apply for First Lap, which is a program that offers a $100 voucher towards the cost of swimming lessons through an approved provider.

NSW school students living with a disability may be able to get assistance with travel through the Assisted School Travel Program. Conditions apply.

Housing

Eligible pensioners can apply for concessions on their council rates and waste services to the value of $250. There is $87.50 concession available on water and sewerage rate if the service is provided by the council.

Renters can seek support through a number of services through Housing Pathways to help cover costs but conditions apply. Rent Choice is a private rental subsidy that will pay an eligible person’s rent for up to three years. Another option is Rentstart Bond Loan, which is an interest free-loan to cover part of all of the private rental bond for eligible people. Tenancy Assistance provides up to four weeks rent a year to cover unpaid rental and/or unpaid water charges.

Those in the market to buy their first home may be eligible for a range of support to get their foot on the property ladder. First homebuyers can get a full exemption from transfer duty if the value of the new or existing home was less than $650,000 or the value of the block was less than $350,000.

You can apply for a concession in that tax to the value of the new or existing home was between $650,000 to $800,000 or if the block of land was valued between $350,000 and $450,000.

For those opting to build their first home, they may be eligible for a $10,000 grant.

No interest loans scheme

NSW No Interest Loans Scheme provides eligible low income earners access to fee and interest free loans to help cover costs of essential goods such as furniture, whitegoods, car repairs or educational materials such as textbooks and computers.

There are some application criteria and the loaned amount needs to be paid off within 12 to 18 months.

Originally published as NSW government rebates and discounts to help save money