Victorian Energy Upgrades heating and cooling discounts in Traralgon

Any Victorian household can get a Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) discount on an approved high efficiency reverse cycle air conditioner, and that includes homes in Traralgon and the rest of the Latrobe Valley. The discount is taken off the quote by an accredited provider, or an installer working with one, and it has to be arranged before the system is bought or installed. How much you get depends mostly on what the new system replaces, with the largest discounts for removing a ducted gas heater.

Who is eligible for a VEU heating and cooling discount?

Energy Victoria’s heating and cooling discounts page says all Victorian households and businesses are eligible. In practice that covers:

• Owner-occupiers in Traralgon, Morwell, Moe, Churchill and the smaller towns around them.
• Private rental properties, where Energy Victoria recommends the landlord and renter work together on the upgrade.
• Renters, who can use many VEU discounts, but need landlord approval for heating and cooling work according to the VEU homes page.
• Businesses, which have their own discount tables.

There is no rebate to chase after the job. Energy Victoria says the discount is applied to the quote, so you pay the reduced price up front.

What product rules does the system have to meet?

To qualify, the system you install must:

1. Be approved under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program.
2. Be a high efficiency reverse cycle air conditioner that both heats and cools.
3. Come with a warranty of at least 5 years when it is installed in a home.

Eligible systems include room (split) models, multi-splits and ducted systems. If you are replacing an existing heating or cooling system, the property must be more than 2 years old. Energy Victoria also lists AIRAH’s Victorian Air Conditioning Residential Best Practice Guide as further reading for anyone choosing and installing a system.

How is the discount worked out?

The discount depends on the type of system being replaced and the size of the new one, and your accredited provider or installer confirms the figure when it quotes. This site does not repeat the dollar amounts, because they change and the official page is the place to check them. These are the household categories Energy Victoria lists:

What the new system replaces	New room or multi-split system	New ducted reverse cycle system
Hard-wired electric resistance heater	Room reverse cycle unit	Not listed for room heaters
Central electric resistance ducted heater	Not listed	Ducted reverse cycle
Ducted (whole-of-home) gas heater	Four split systems, or one multi-split with a large outdoor unit	Ducted reverse cycle, in three size steps
Non-ducted (room) gas heater	Room reverse cycle unit	Not listed
An existing reverse cycle system	Newer room reverse cycle unit	Newer ducted reverse cycle
Nothing (no system removed)	Room reverse cycle unit, smaller discount	Ducted reverse cycle, smaller discount

Two patterns stand out on the official tables. Removing a ducted gas heater attracts the largest household discounts, and installing a system without removing anything attracts the smallest. Replacing one efficient reverse cycle system with another also earns relatively little.

Who can apply the discount?

Only accredited providers can apply the discount. Energy Victoria says they manage the installation and oversee the process, and that an accredited provider may install the system itself or work with a partner installer. The provider or its installer will:

• recommend suitable systems and confirm which models are eligible;
• give you a quote with the discount already included;
• install the system; and
• handle the paperwork, including any electrical or plumbing certificates.

If you already have an installer you trust, it can still do the work, but it must work with an accredited provider to apply the discount before any work starts. Energy Victoria publishes accredited providers by region, and Gippsland has its own list on the discounts page. This site does not recommend any provider from that list.

Why must it be arranged before the installation?

Energy Victoria strongly recommends contacting an accredited provider before you buy or install an eligible product, and says retrospective discounts are typically not possible. Buying a reverse cycle unit on special, having it fitted and only then asking about the discount is the easiest way to lose it. Sort out the discount at the quote stage, with the old heater still in place.

What is the order of steps for a Latrobe Valley household?

1. Work out what you need. Energy Victoria’s buyers guide suggests looking first at draughts, insulation and single glazing, which rooms you want to heat and cool, and whether you want zones.
2. Find accredited providers. Use the Gippsland list on the Energy Victoria page, or ask the installer you are talking to which accredited provider it works with.
3. Get more than one quote. Energy Victoria notes that providers may offer different VEU discounts, products, services and prices.
4. Ask for a site visit. The installer should check what size suits the property; a system that is too large can use more energy and cost more to run.
5. Compare what is written down. Look for heating and cooling capacity, outdoor noise, efficiency, installation costs, the VEU discount, warranty and servicing, and any extras.
6. Sign a contract that sets out the work, the total cost and the timeframe.
7. At handover, ask the installer to show you how to use and maintain the system, including cleaning the filters, and which documents to keep.

If you want local businesses to quote on a VEU-eligible system, you can request reverse cycle quotes with the discount included and say so in your enquiry.

What should a landlord know about VEU and the 2027 rules?

Energy Victoria links the program to the new rental standards. After 1 March 2027 a rental space heater that breaks beyond repair has to give way to an efficient reverse cycle unit serving the main living area, and a new lease brings a cooling requirement for that room as well. A VEU discount can reduce what that upgrade costs. Landlords who plan the change while the old heater still works have time to get several quotes and confirm the discount first. The full rental rules are on the rental heating checklist, and the gas heater replacement guide explains which homes the replacement rule covers.

Which jobs on this site can attract a VEU discount?

• Gas to electric heating upgrades, where a gas wall heater or ducted gas furnace comes out and reverse cycle goes in.
• Ducted reverse cycle air conditioning, including replacing a central electric or gas ducted heater.
• New split systems and multi-splits that meet the product rules.

For how a discount sits against typical installed prices, the Traralgon heating and cooling cost guide has the guide ranges.

What does a careful provider check before applying the discount?

• That the model you want is on the VEU approved product list and meets the warranty rule.
• What system is being removed, because that sets the discount category.
• The age of the property, if an existing system is being replaced.
• For a rental, that the landlord has approved the work.
• That the work, gas disconnection and electrical connection are done by people holding the right licences.

The independent businesses that receive enquiries through this site decide for themselves whether they can offer a VEU discount and with which accredited provider, so ask each one directly.

Next step: what to send so a provider can check eligibility

When you send a VEU heating enquiry, include your suburb, the heater or air conditioner you have now (gas ducted, gas wall or space heater, electric heater or an older reverse cycle unit), the rough age of the house, whether you own or rent it, the rooms you want heated and cooled, and any model you are already considering. A photo of the existing heater’s compliance plate lets a provider confirm the replacement category before it quotes.

Send a job enquiry