Short answer
Tasmania's zero-interest Energy Saver Loan Scheme closed on 1 September 2025, and the state's energy efficiency programs page lists nothing to replace it for households. Tasmanians can still get the federal STC discount, and Hobart and Launceston are in heat pump zone 5, the coldest zone.
On this page
Tasmania is where heat pump choice matters most and where state help is thinnest right now. Hobart's average winter nights are colder than 5°C, the point below which energy.gov.au says not all models are designed to work, so picking a model rated for the cold is more important than chasing a rebate.
Is there a heat pump rebate in Tasmania?
Energy Saver Loan Scheme (closed)
- What you get
- The scheme offered 0% interest loans of $500 to $10,000. It closed to new applications at 11:59 pm on 1 September 2025.
- Who can get it
- No longer available. Approved loans had to be settled and installations completed by 30 November 2025.
- Key dates
- Closed 1 September 2025.
- How to get it
- Not available. The state energy efficiency programs page lists no household replacement. Federal STCs still apply.
- Official source
- Energy Saver Loan Scheme (closed) (Renewables, Climate and Future Industries Tasmania). Last checked: November 2026.
The scheme offered 0% interest loans of $500 to $10,000. Renewables, Climate and Future Industries Tasmania (ReCFIT) says it closed at 11:59 pm on 1 September 2025, with approved loans to be settled and installations completed by 30 November 2025 (ReCFIT). ReCFIT's energy efficiency programs page now lists the closed scheme and a small business program only (ReCFIT).
I didn't check Aurora Energy's retail offers or community no-interest loan programs. If you are on a low income, ask your retailer and local community services about what is available.
What can Tasmanians still claim?
Small-scale technology certificates (STCs)
- What you get
- A point-of-sale discount worth the market value of the STCs your model earns. The number depends on the model, your postcode zone and the year it is installed, and it falls each year until the scheme ends in 2030.
- Who can get it
- Any home or business in Australia
- The heat pump model must be on the Clean Energy Regulator's register of solar water heaters, with a tank under 425 L
- Installed by tradespeople meeting your state or territory licensing rules
- Key dates
- Installed in 2026: 5-year deeming period. 2027: 4 years. 2028: 3. 2029: 2. 2030: 1. The scheme ends on 31 December 2030.
- How to get it
- Most people assign the STCs to the installer or retailer (a registered agent), who takes their value off the price. You can also create and sell them yourself within 12 months of installation.
- Notes
- The Clean Energy Regulator does not set the price agents pay. The STC clearing house price is capped at $40 excluding GST, and open market prices vary daily.
- Official source
- Solar water heaters and air source heat pumps (Clean Energy Regulator). Last checked: November 2026.
Hobart (7000 to 7470) and Launceston (7250) are in heat pump zone 5 (CER postcode zones). Your model's zone 5 figure on the register sets your STC count. The federal Household Energy Upgrades Fund also offers discounted loans that cover hot water heat pumps (energy.gov.au).
Do heat pumps work in Tasmanian winters?
Yes, if you choose the right one. Hobart's Ellerslie Road station has a July mean minimum of 4.7°C (BoM). energy.gov.au warns that "not all models are designed for cold locations where it regularly drops below 5°C in winter" (energy.gov.au), so Hobart sits right on that line.
Renew says many heat pumps, "especially those that use CO2 as a refrigerant", suit climates with sub-zero temperatures, and suggests checking the efficiency curve in the datasheet (Renew). Things to look for:
- A stated minimum operating temperature on the heat pump alone (without the element).
- Frost protection, and insulated pipes. Victoria's buyers guide notes both reduce frost problems.
- A high zone 5 STC figure, which signals efficiency in the coldest zone.
- A split system, so the tank can go in a sheltered or indoor spot, reducing tank heat loss in a cold climate (Renew).
The cold climate guide explains why these matter.
| Option | Status |
|---|---|
| Energy Saver Loan Scheme (0% loans, $500 to $10,000) | Closed 1 September 2025 |
| Federal STCs (zone 5 in Hobart and Launceston) | Open until 2030 |
| Household Energy Upgrades Fund loans | Open, through participating lenders |
| Solar Sharer Offer | Not available in Tasmania |
Is it worth switching without a rebate?
That comes down to what you are replacing. A heat pump uses far less electricity than an electric element tank. energy.gov.au says it uses "30% of the energy of a conventional electric hot water system". In a cold climate the gap narrows, because the heat pump works harder in winter, and the ACT Government notes some cold-climate models still achieve a COP of at least 2 in sub-zero temperatures (ACT Government), which is still about twice as efficient as an element. My is it worth it page walks through the sums.
See the Hobart and Tasmania guide for more on climate and installation.
Sources for this page
- Energy Saver Loan Scheme (closed), Renewables, Climate and Future Industries Tasmania. Last checked: November 2026.
- Energy efficiency programs, Renewables, Climate and Future Industries Tasmania. Last checked: November 2026.
- Postcode zones for air source heat pumps and solar water heaters (Version 3, 1 January 2020), Clean Energy Regulator. Last checked: November 2026.
- Household Energy Upgrades Fund, energy.gov.au (Australian Government). Last checked: November 2026.
- Climate statistics: Hobart (Ellerslie Road) 094029, Bureau of Meteorology. Last checked: November 2026.
- Hot water systems, energy.gov.au (Australian Government). Last checked: November 2026.
- Heat pump hot water systems, Renew (non-profit). Last checked: November 2026.
- Singing in the shower: a guide to hot water heat pumps, ACT Government (Climate Choices). Last checked: November 2026.
- Solar Sharer Offer, energy.gov.au (Australian Government). Last checked: November 2026.
- Solar water heaters and air source heat pumps, Clean Energy Regulator. Last checked: November 2026.
Every source used on the site is listed on the sources page.