Heat pump hot water rebates and loans in the ACT

The ACT stopped new gas connections in December 2023, and its support for heat pumps is mostly finance rather than cash. One change catches people out: the Sustainable Household Scheme loan used to be zero-interest for everyone, and for most households it now isn't.

What heat pump rebates and loans are available in the ACT?

Federal STCs come on top of both. See how STCs work.

Is the Sustainable Household Scheme still zero interest?

Not for most households. The ACT Government says the loan is now "a low-interest loan, with a 3% interest rate and no upfront costs or fees", and that the 3% applies to household loans excluding Home Energy Support Program participants (ACT Government). Concession card holders in the Home Energy Support Program may get a zero-interest loan of up to $10,000 (ACT Government).

The loan comes through Brighte, with its lending criteria, and you attend a free one-hour live workshop as part of the process. If you already used the scheme, or applied before 1 July 2026, there is a lifetime maximum of $15,000.

Who qualifies for the 50% rebate?

The Home Energy Support Program is for homeowners who:

• Hold a Pensioner Concession Card, DVA Gold Card or Health Care Card.
• Own and live in the home.
• Are under the unimproved value cap: $750,000 for a freestanding home, $300,000 for a unit-titled multi-storey apartment.

The rebate is 50% of supply and installation, up to $2,500, and a household can get up to $5,000 in total across eligible upgrades such as heating and cooling, cooktops and insulation.

Do I have to get rid of my gas hot water in the ACT?

No. New gas network connections have been prevented since 8 December 2023 in residential and most other zones, but the government says the regulation is about new connections, "not abolishing/decommissioning existing connections". Homes with gas can keep using it (ACT Government).

The ACT's advice is to switch when you next replace an appliance. It says "the time to choose efficient electric appliances is when you renovate or next need to replace an appliance", that the gas network may begin to shut down "from the mid-2030s onwards", and that the territory plans to stop using fossil fuel gas by 2045 (ACT Government). A gas hot water system you buy today could well outlive part of that timeline.

What heat pump suits Canberra winters?

This matters more in Canberra than any other capital. The Bureau of Meteorology's Canberra Airport station records a July mean minimum of 0.1°C (BoM). The ACT Government's buyer guide advises choosing models "rated for zone 5 climates with an energy saving of at least 65%" and checking "that the system can operate on the heat pump alone down to -5°C" (ACT Government).

For the loan, the ACT says the model must be on the Victorian Energy Upgrades register under "Water heater - Heat pump". My cold climate guide and the Canberra guide go further.

Who must install it in the ACT?

The ACT Government says installing a heat pump "requires both an ACT licenced plumber and electrician". The ACT also sets noise limits measured at the property boundary: 45 dB(A) in the day and 35 dB(A) at night in residential zones, and these cover hot water heat pumps (Access Canberra). See the noise guide before choosing where it goes.

How do STCs work in Canberra?

Canberra's 2600 to 2617 postcodes are in heat pump zone 5, the coldest zone (CER postcode zones). The STC count for each model in zone 5 is on the Clean Energy Regulator register. In my count of the register file, the middle zone 5 figure was 32 certificates, against 30 for zone 3 (Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide). Check the zone 5 figure for any model you are quoted, not the figure for another zone.