ACT to Provide Interest Free Loans for Energy Efficient Home Upgrades

The ACT Government’s Sustainable Household Scheme will provide $150 million worth of interest-free loans to eligible ACT households of between $2,000 and $15,000. The goal is to provide help with the upfront costs of investing in energy-efficient home upgrades. It is ultimately hoped that this scheme will contribute towards ACT’s target of net zero emissions by 2045.

The objective of the Scheme is to encourage sustainable solutions at the community level.

The Scheme has already attracted initial applications from 5,000 households and 44 installers and suppliers.

The new Scheme is opened up for the 2021/22 financial year. The loans will be set up to be repaid over a 10-year period and the Scheme will be available for new applicants for five years.

The scheme covers various products. We’ve listed the solar-specific ones that might relate to you below:

• Solar panels for rooftops
• Battery storage systems for homes
• Heating and cooling systems
• Hot Water Heat Pumps

Eligibility for the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme:

A participant in the scheme is defined as either:

• A household under Category A and B purchases
• Holder of an ACT Driver Licence for Category C purchases

A core requirement of the Scheme is the financial ability to repay the Government interest free loan. Hence, a credit check is performed to assess this.

The financial limits of the loan are:

• The minimum amount a participant can borrow is $2,000
• The amount loaned can be spread amongst a range of eligible products, i.e. there doesn’t have to be one single transaction.
• The maximum amount a participant can borrow is $15,000 for eligible product categories A, B and C. This is a cumulative maximum.

Here’s a brief explanation of Category A, B & C products:

• Category A: Refers to electricity generation, storage and EV charging products. Household rooftop solar PV systems, battery systems and electric vehicle charging infrastructure are included.
• Category B: Refers to the replacement of gas or inefficient electrical appliances. 
• Category C: This is for electric vehicles.

The Scheme will be rolled out in 3 phases:

• Phase 1: This is for households making purchases from Category A and B.
• Phase 2: Expansion to households purchasing from Category C.
• Phase 3: Expansion to include non-profit community organisations.

For a more detailed explanation of the Scheme click here

If you’re a resident of ACT and are thinking of taking advantage of this Scheme but aren’t sure about your installer options, submit your details below.

We provide a transparent apples-for-apples comparison of pre-vetted installers in your area and have been around since 2008.