Energy audit rebates for community facilities

WELLINGTON Shire Council is extending its community grants program to help not-for-profit community facilities to reduce their energy usage and look for ways to achieve more sustainable practices.

Rebates of up to $500 are now available for community groups and organisations (not-for-profit) who engage an external energy auditor to review their annual energy consumption and submit a report on their facilities’ performance.

Community facilities that consume an annual energy bill of over $1000 (combined gas and electricity) are eligible to apply.

Rate rebate on land for conservation purposes

COUNCIL provides a rebate on lands that have a Deed of Covenant for conservation purposes approved by Trust for Nature.

The rebate only applies to the land that is affected by a covenant. The rate is applied using a dollar per hectare rate, with a minimum rebate of $100 and a maximum equal to the annual general rate on the property. The current rate is $15 per hectare.

The rates rebate on land with a deed of Covenant for Conservation Purposes Policy can be viewed on the council policies page.

Environmental Upgrade Finance

WELLINGTON Shire businesses can access Environmental Upgrade Finance for projects that help them save money and improve their economic and environmental performance.

Wellington Shire Council has partnered with Better Building Finance to offer environmental upgrade finance to local businesses.

Environmental upgrade finance is a loan for building upgrade works, repaid via quarterly council rates. A lender provides the upfront capital for the works, which the business then repays through the council rates system. Council then remits it back to the lender.

Solar PV systems, energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits, lighting upgrades (such as LEDs, lighting controls and daylight sensors), heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, water harvesting, filtration, recycling and treatment for re-use are all projects that are eligible.

Victorian Energy Upgrades

ALL Victorian households can cut their power bills and reduce emissions with discount energy-saving products with Victorian Energy Upgrades.

Every Victorian household can participate in the program and be eligible for incentives for energy-efficient products and services, saving an average of between $120 and $1100 a year on energy costs, depending on the upgrade.

An accredited provider authorised to install VEU products will organise a discount or rebate for any upgrades you choose to install.

Products eligible for upgrade include selected clothes dryers, heating and cooling, hot water systems, in-home displays, insulation, lighting, pool pumps, showerheads, televisions, weather sealing and window glazing.

Solar for Business Project

THROUGH the Solar for Business Project, eligible businesses can apply for a rebate of $3500 to install a solar panel system, with the option to take advantage of an interest-free loan up to $5000.

This will bring energy bills down for eligible businesses by reducing the upfront cost of the installation of an approved small-scale solar PV system up to 30kW inverter capacity.

Zero Emissions Vehicle Emerging Technologies

THE Zero Emissions Vehicle Emerging Technologies (energy.vic.gov.au) grant is open to business, government and not-for-profit groups seeking to support broader uptake of ZEVs, such as pilots, trials, demonstrations and implementation-ready projects.