Energy help built for a cold climate
Tasmania's energy help is shaped by its climate: with long, cold winters, heating is a large part of the household energy bill, so the state's support leans towards ongoing daily concessions and heating-related allowances. The main everyday help is the Annual Electricity Concession — a per-day amount for eligible concession-card holders that is applied to your electricity account throughout the year, so it grows with the number of days you are billed.
Tasmania is part of the National Electricity Market and is connected to the mainland grid, but residential retail competition has historically been limited, with Aurora Energy the main residential retailer for most households. That means, as in a few other places, concessions carry more of the weight. Always confirm the current daily rate and eligibility on the Tasmanian Government or your retailer's site.
The main types of Tasmanian help
- Annual Electricity Concession
- A daily concession amount applied to the electricity accounts of eligible concession-card holders all year round.
- Heating Allowance
- Seasonal or targeted support recognising the high cost of heating a home through a cold Tasmanian winter.
- Life Support Concession
- Help for households running approved life-support equipment, covering some of the unavoidable extra electricity.
- Medical cooling and heating support
- Additional help for households where a person has a qualifying medical condition requiring extra climate control.
- YourCare / hardship support
- Retailer hardship programs offering payment plans and protection for customers who are struggling to pay.
- Emergency assistance
- One-off help for households facing a short-term financial crisis and at risk of disconnection.
How to claim in Tasmania
- Confirm you hold an eligible card, such as a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or DVA Gold Card.
- Give your concession card details to your electricity retailer so the daily Annual Electricity Concession is applied to each bill.
- Check the Tasmanian Government and your retailer's site for any current heating allowance or seasonal support you qualify for.
- For life-support or medical needs, lodge the relevant form with medical certification through your retailer.
- If you fall behind, contact your retailer early about a hardship program and any emergency assistance before disconnection.
Getting the most out of every bill
In a cold state where winter bills spike, the daily concession and any heating allowance are genuinely valuable — but they still sit on top of your plan's rates. Making sure you are on the most efficient tariff for your usage pattern (for example, taking advantage of any off-peak or heating tariffs) can matter as much as the concession itself.
EnergySorted is independent and takes no retailer commissions. Where you have a genuine choice of plan or tariff it compares more than 16,000 offers against your real usage, and it tracks your bills over time with a Bill Health Score so you can see whether your plan is still working for you. Claim every concession and allowance you are entitled to, and use the comparison to make sure the plan beneath them is as efficient as possible for a Tasmanian winter.