Canberra air conditioning rebate 2026

What air conditioning rebates are available in the ACT in 2026?

Three programs matter for a reverse cycle job in Canberra. Which one you get depends on whether you hold a concession card, whether you own the home and whether you are ripping out gas ducted.

Every one of these starts with a written quote from an approved supplier. Get up to three local quotes first, then match them to the program you qualify for.

Home Energy Support: the 50% rebate for concession card holders

This is the ACT's real air con rebate, and it is means-tested. Home Energy Support pays 50% of the supply and install cost of reverse cycle heating and cooling, up to $2,500. The same program pays 50% up to $2,500 on rooftop solar, so a household can get up to $5,000 in total.

• Live in the ACT, own the home and live in it.
• Hold a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or DVA Gold Card.
• Attend a free online Everyday Climate Choices workshop.
• Unimproved land value at or below $750,000 for a house, unit or dual occupancy, or $300,000 for a multi-storey apartment.
• Get pre-approval before you accept a quote, and use a supplier from the approved list on Brighte's website.

On the rebate-only path you pay the supplier in full, then claim. The government says the money usually lands about 10 business days after processing. On the rebate-and-loan path, Brighte handles both and you can add a zero-interest loan of up to $10,000 for the rest.

Sustainable Household Scheme loans for reverse cycle

If you own your home and don't hold a concession card, this is what's left. The Sustainable Household Scheme lends $2,000 to $20,000 at 3% interest over up to 10 years, with no establishment or account fees and no penalty for paying it off early. Electric heating and cooling systems are on the eligible list.

Households that took a loan or applied before 1 July 2026 are capped at $15,000 over the life of the scheme. You still have to attend the one-hour workshop and pass Brighte's credit check.

At 3%, it beats most retail "interest free" deals once you look at the fees and the inflated sticker price. It is still a loan. Price the job first with a local quote, then decide how to pay for it.

Replacing gas ducted heating in Canberra

The ACT has said it intends to transition away from fossil gas by 2045, and a lot of Canberra roofs still have a gas furnace in them. ActewAGL runs a heating and cooling upgrade under the Energy Efficiency Improvement Scheme: $2,500 off a new ducted reverse cycle, plus $500 in credits on your ActewAGL bill over three years ($41.67 a quarter). Concession card holders and households in hardship can get up to $5,000 off and $1,000 in credits.

• You must be an ActewAGL electricity customer with ducted natural gas heating.
• The new system must be ducted reverse cycle with a heating capacity between 11.2 kW and 25 kW, installed by an ActewAGL-approved retailer.
• The ducting gets replaced. If the installer can't get access to replace it, you don't get the discount.
• The bill credits stop if you leave ActewAGL.

Replacing the ducts is not an upsell. The ACT Government's buyer guide says gas ducts are too narrow for reverse cycle and may have age problems, and recommends at least R1.5 insulation on the new ducting. A single storey ducted job usually runs $9,000 to $14,000 before any discount. Our reverse cycle vs gas heating guide covers the running cost side.

Which reverse cycle works in a Canberra winter?

Buy for July, not January. The ACT Government says a reverse cycle turns one unit of electricity into three to six units of heat, and that good systems keep working at minus 10 degrees. Efficiency drops as it gets colder, so the model matters.

For splits, ask the supplier about the H2 rating on the energy label. The ACT Government flags it as the sign a unit will work efficiently in a Canberra winter. For ducted systems, the ACT Government says models under 30 kW now carry the Zoned Energy Rating Label, which rates heating separately for the cold zone.

Size for heating too. A unit that is fine on a 30-degree afternoon can struggle at 7 am in a frost. Our size calculator is a sensible start, then make the installer show you the heating capacity on paper.

What to ask a Canberra installer

• Are you on the approved supplier list for Home Energy Support and the Sustainable Household Scheme?
• What is the rated heating output at low outdoor temperatures, not just the nominal kW?
• Is the rebate or ActewAGL discount shown as its own line?
• For ducted jobs, is new R1.5 or better ducting included, and is the old furnace removed?
• Where does the outdoor unit go, and will frost and defrost drainage be a problem there?

See Canberra installation prices, or ask for quotes and we will introduce up to three licensed local installers if you want them.