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The ACT Sustainable Household Scheme (SHS) is an initiative from the ACT government that offers 0% interest loans of $2,000 to $15,000 to eligible ACT households to invest in energy-efficient products.
The Sustainable Household Scheme is intended to help eligible households and individuals to make upgrades to their homes or premises more accessible in an effort to reduce energy use and costs, help households to reduce the cost of living, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support development of the renewable energy industry in the ACT.
At the end of 2023, it was reported that the Sustainable Household Scheme had been responsible for some 17,000 sustainable upgrades through ~$200 million in loans through the SHS.
Understanding the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme
Under the ACT’s Sustainable Household Scheme (SHS), eligible ACT residents can take out a loan of $2,000 to $15,000 with 0% interest over a maximum 10-year repayment period.
The scheme offers different products that are covered under different categories. Not all categories are eligible to all individuals. Households that meet the eligibility criteria (listed below) can use the loan to buy one or multiple energy-efficient products.
Category A (Solar and Batteries)
- Household rooftop solar photovoltaic systems
- Household battery storage systems
- Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure
Category B (Energy efficient upgrades)
- Electric reverse cycle heating and cooling systems
- Hot water heat pumps (HWHP)
- Efficient electric stove tops
Category C (Electric vehicles)
- New and used electric cars
- New and used electric motorbikes
Category D (Ceiling insulation)
Eligibility criteria for the ACT Sustainable Household Scheme (SHS)
The ACT’s Sustainable Household Scheme eligibility criteria was last updated on July 1, 2023. At the time of writing, the SHS eligibility criteria is as follows:
Eligibility for Category A, B and D products (Listed Above)
- Must be a standalone residence or a unit titled property. Note: a unit in a unit block is classified as a unit titled property which means each individual unit is eligible.
- The property is located in the ACT (Includes Hall, Tharwa, and Oaks Estate but not Jervis Bay Territory)
- Stand-alone homes with a 2022 unimproved value (UV) of $750,000 or lower are eligible for all products in the scheme except for solar.
- To be eligible for solar products under the SHS, the 2022 UV of the property must be at or below $450,000.
- To be eligible for all products, properties must be at or below $300,000 in any year from 2022, for any unit titled multi-storey apartments.
Eligibility for Electric Vehicles (Category C)
- Participants must reside in the ACT and be able to provide evidence with a rates notice or utility bill
- Participants must hold a valid ACT Drivers Licence
- Vehicles must be Zero Emissions such as battery powered vehicles (No PHEV or Hybrid)
- Value of the vehicle must not exceed the luxury car tax threshold (LCT) of $89,332 specified for fuel-efficient vehicles in the 2023-24 financial year
- Electric motorbikes must cost less than $40,000
At the time of writing, loans are currently limited to one loan per household. The loan amount may be used to purchase one of multiple items from eligible categories.
Other available rebates
The ACT Sustainable Household Scheme can be used in conjunction with other energy efficient and solar rebates, provided eligibility requirements are met.
The Home Energy Support program provides two separate rebates for ACT residents:
- 1. ACT solar rebate (up to the value of $2,500)
- 2. ACT energy rebate (up to the value of $2,500)
ACT solar rebate
The ACT solar rebate can reduce the cost of the supply and installation of a solar system by 50% up to $2,500. It can be used in addition to the Australian government solar rebate and the interest-free loan from the ACT government.
ACT energy rebate
A further rebate of up to $2,500 is available for:
- Heating and cooling units (reverse cycle)
- Hot water heat pumps
- Ceiling insulation
- Electric stove tops and ovens
The rebate reduces the purchase cost by 50% up to $2,500.
Significant Milestones for the Sustainable Household Scheme
At the end of 2023, the ACT Government reported that over 20,000 eligible Canberra households had applied to participate in the scheme with some $200 million in loans across more than 17,000 sustainable upgrades issued since the scheme was launched back in July 2021.
A further report published by the ACT Government on 24 July 2024 reported that the Sustainable Household Scheme (SHS) had contributed to more than $46.9 million in savings for participants.
Highest SHS uptake by regions
In the report titled “Significant milestone for Sustainable Household Scheme” published by the ACT Government on the 18 December 2023, Kambah – the northernmost suburb in the district of Tuggeranong – was reported as having the highest overall uptake in zero-interest loans accessed through the scheme since it was launched in July 2021.
In July 2024, Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr reported the following breakdown of SHS uptake by regions in Canberra as follows:
- Tuggeranong: $12.3 million
- Belconnen: $12.2 million
- Gungahlin: $10.1 million
- Canberra Central: $3.4 million
- Weston Creek: $3.1 million
- Woden: $3.1 million
- Molonglo: $2.3 million
- Rest of ACT: $300,000
Other significant updates that came to light from the ACT Government’s aforementioned “Significant milestone for Sustainable Household Scheme” report found that 34% of products installed through loans accessed under the scheme in the suburb of Campbell were for electric vehicle (EV) products, while 98% of installs in Whitlam from SHS loans were for Solar Systems.
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