Sunline Heat Pumps

Rebates · Victoria · Updated 2026

Three rebates. One invoice. Sorted for you.

Victorian households can stack the Solar Victoria hot water rebate, federal STCs and Victorian VEECs on a single heat pump install. Here's exactly what each one is, who qualifies, and how the discounts land on your quote.

See rebate-inclusive pricing

Typical stack — replacing gas storage

  • Solar Victoria rebate$1,000 standard
  • Federal STCs~$700
  • Victorian VEECs~$650
Total off~$2,350 standard

Indicative. Final amounts depend on the model, your postcode and the system being replaced.

The three schemes

What each rebate actually is

They come from different places, they're calculated differently, and they have separate eligibility rules. Here's each one on its own.

State

Solar Victoria Hot Water Rebate

Victorian State Government (Solar Homes program)

$1,000 standard · $1,400 locally made

Plus an optional interest-free loan of the same value

The headline state rebate. Paid on eligible heat pump (or solar hot water) systems installed by a Solar Victoria authorised retailer, replacing an existing hot water system that's at least three years old.

Eligibility in short

  • You own the property, or you're a rental provider with tenant consent
  • The home is an existing Victorian property (not a new build under construction)
  • Combined household taxable income under the current program threshold
  • Property value under the program cap
  • The existing hot water system is 3+ years old
  • The product is on the Solar Victoria approved product list
  • The installer is Solar Victoria authorised and accredited
  • One hot water rebate per property (you can't claim twice on the same address)

Solar Victoria releases rebates in monthly allocations. When a month runs out, applications roll into the next release — which is why install dates sometimes shift a few weeks.

Federal

Small-scale Technology Certificates (STCs)

Australian Government — Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme

Roughly $650–$750

Value falls slightly each year as the scheme winds down to 2030

Every eligible heat pump earns a number of certificates based on how much electricity it's deemed to save over its lifetime, your climate zone, and the model's efficiency. You assign the certificates to us, and we take their value straight off your invoice.

Eligibility in short

  • The system is on the Clean Energy Regulator's approved product register
  • Installed by a licensed plumber/electrician to Australian Standards
  • It replaces an existing electric or gas water heater, or is a new install in an eligible dwelling
  • You sign an assignment form so the certificates can be created and traded
  • Available Australia-wide — not a Victorian scheme

The certificate count varies by model and postcode. A 280 L unit in Melbourne typically earns high-20s to low-30s certificates; a smaller unit earns fewer. That's why STC value differs between two similar-looking systems.

State

VEECs — Victorian Energy Upgrades

Essential Services Commission (VEU program)

Roughly $550–$700

Discount applied at the point of sale by an accredited provider

The VEU program creates Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates for approved upgrades. For hot water, the certificate count depends on the system you're replacing — swapping out a gas or electric storage unit generates far more certificates than a like-for-like heat pump replacement.

Eligibility in short

  • Victorian property connected to the grid
  • The product is on the VEU approved product register
  • The work is done by, or on behalf of, an accredited VEU provider
  • You sign the VEU paperwork before or at the time of install
  • The old system must be decommissioned and disposed of correctly

Replacing an electric resistance storage unit generates the biggest VEEC discount — it runs on Victoria's grid, so the emissions cut is largest. Replacing a gas storage or gas instantaneous system earns fewer, roughly equal certificates (about one to two less). Replacing an already-efficient system generates very little — occasionally nothing at all.

Stacking

What you'd get in your situation

The system you're replacing is the biggest variable — it drives the VEEC count and decides whether the state rebate applies at all.

* Approved locally-made models may receive $1,400 instead of the standard $1,000 Solar Victoria amount.

Replacing electric resistance storage
Solar VIC$1,000 standard*
STCs~$700
VEECs~$700
Total~$2,400 standard
Replacing gas storage
Solar VIC$1,000 standard*
STCs~$700
VEECs~$650
Total~$2,350 standard
Replacing gas instantaneous
Solar VIC$1,000 standard*
STCs~$700
VEECs~$650
Total~$2,350 standard
New build / no existing system
Solar VICNot eligible
STCs~$700
VEECsLimited
Total~$700–$900
Over the income or property threshold
Solar VICNot eligible
STCs~$700
VEECs~$650
Total~$1,350

Indicative figures for a typical 250–300 L unit in metropolitan Melbourne. Regional postcodes, model efficiency and scheme pricing all move these numbers. Your quote shows the real ones.

Eligibility

The four things that decide your outcome

Property type

Existing Victorian home. Owner-occupied, rental (with consent) or an eligible new build for STCs only.

Ownership & income

The Solar Victoria rebate is means-tested on combined taxable income and capped on property value.

Existing system

Must be 3+ years old for the state rebate. What it is — gas, electric, instantaneous — sets the VEEC value.

Product & installer

The model must be on the approved registers and the installer must be authorised and accredited.

The process

How we handle the paperwork

You sign a few forms. We do the lodging, chasing and evidence.

  1. 01

    We check your eligibility

    Address, what you're replacing, ownership status and rough household details. Takes about five minutes on the phone or through the quote form.

  2. 02

    You get a quote with rebates already off

    We show the RRP, each rebate line, and the final installed price. No 'up to' pricing that changes at the door.

  3. 03

    Paperwork lodged before install

    Solar Victoria eligibility application, VEU forms and the STC assignment all go in first. Nothing gets installed until the state rebate is confirmed.

  4. 04

    Install day

    Old unit removed and decommissioned, new system commissioned, compliance certificate issued. Usually half a day for a straight swap.

  5. 05

    Claims finalised

    We submit the completion evidence and certificate creation. You've already had the discount — there's no waiting on a cheque.

Watch out

Six ways people lose rebate money

  • Scrapping the old unit yourself before the install — it has to be decommissioned as part of the job or the VEEC claim fails.
  • Booking an install before Solar Victoria confirms eligibility. Do it in the wrong order and the state rebate may be unavailable.
  • Choosing a model that isn't on both the Solar Victoria list and the VEU register — one missing listing kills one rebate.
  • Assuming every quote includes the same rebates. Some retailers show the STC discount only and call it 'rebate included'.
  • Claiming a second hot water rebate on a property that already used one.
  • Using a non-authorised installer for a cheaper install price and losing more in rebates than you saved.

Rebate FAQs

The questions we get asked most

Yes. The Solar Victoria rebate, federal STCs and Victorian VEECs are separate schemes and they stack. The only common blocker is eligibility for the state rebate — income, property value and the age of your existing system. The standard state amount is $1,000; approved locally-made models can receive $1,400.

More questions? The full FAQ page covers products, install and warranty too.

Find out what you'd actually pay

Send through your address, what you're replacing and your household size. We'll come back with a fully installed price with every rebate you qualify for already taken off.

Rebate amounts on this page are indicative and provided as general information only. Solar Victoria, VEU and STC scheme values, thresholds and eligibility rules change over time and are set by the relevant government bodies, not by Sunline. Your final entitlement is confirmed on your written quote and by the administering body.