Yarra Home Energy Upgrades

Funding can be used to install:

• solar
• reverse cycle heating and cooling
• ceiling insulation
• draught proofing to seal gaps and cracks
• heat pump hot water systems  

In some cases, other upgrades may be recommended for your home, such as ceiling fans or window blinds. 

Eligible households can use the subsidy to choose more than one energy upgrade, up to the total subsidy amount. 

You will receive a home energy assessment to recommend the best upgrades for your home. 

Expressions of interest for the 2025/26 program have now closed. Join the waitlist by completing the expression of interest form. 

You can also download a printable form [ PDF, 285.12 KB] , call Yarra Council on 03 9205 5555, or visit a customer service centre.

For interpreter services, call 03 9280 1940.

Participants selected 

Expressions of interest will be evaluated to select participants in higher levels of need. You may be eligible for a subsidy of between $2,000 and $3,000. Participants will be notified if they receive a place in the program, and their subsidy amount.

Home visit

A Home Energy Assessor will visit your home for an energy assessment at a time scheduled with you, to recommend the best upgrades for your home. You do not need landlord permission for the home energy assessment. 

Recommendations and quotes

The home energy assessment includes recommendations and quotes. These will be tailored to your home, and your preferences. Our project partner can answer questions and discuss options. Your quote will show which options are at no cost to you, and which require a payment contribution. 

Choose upgrades

Choose upgrades you'll use your subsidy for and sign an upgrade agreement with the supplier. Landlords also sign for rental properties.

Upgrades installed

Our project partners arrange for licensed tradespeople to install your upgrades at a time that works for you. 

We'll aim to arrange installation soon after your upgrade agreements are signed. All Yarra Home Energy Upgrades will be installed before 30 June 2026.

If you've selected upgrades requiring a co-payment from you, you'll pay this to the supplier. 

Follow up

Our project partner will follow up to make sure everything went smoothly and answer any questions.

We'll ask you to complete a survey to help us learn from the program. 

 

Expressions of interest will be evaluated to select participants in higher levels of need. You may be eligible for a subsidy of between $2,000 and $3,000. Participants will be notified if they receive a place in the program, and their subsidy amount.

In some cases, 100% of the upgrade cost can be covered by the subsidy and other available rebates. Our project partner and the program suppliers will help you apply for Victorian Government rebates you may be eligible for. Find out more about rebates below.

Our program suppliers will give you no-obligation quotes for upgrades. This will clearly show which upgrades you could choose at no cost to you. If there is a cost to you, this will be clearly shown. Then you can choose to go ahead if you wish.  

In some cases, there will be additional installation costs. For example, for larger systems, more difficult access, or if the electrical switchboard or wiring needs to be upgraded. These will be shown on your quotes.

The Victorian Government also offers no-interest loans of up to $1,400 for solar. Find out more about no-interest loans. 
 

Renters, community housing residents and people living in apartments are eligible to apply, with an eligible concession card.  

Public housing owned by the Victorian Government is not eligible for this program.

Renters and community housing residents will need approval from their landlord or community housing organisation for upgrades to be installed. We can provide a template letter for you to send to your landlord.

Either the tenant or the rental provider (landlord) can begin the application. Evidence of the tenant’s concession card will be required to receive the subsidy.

For apartment buildings and townhouses, energy upgrades may be limited. Some energy upgrades require owners’ corporation approval. These upgrades can be installed if owners' corporation approval can be granted in the program timeframes. Some products cannot be installed in some building types.

You will receive a home energy assessment to determine which types of energy upgrades can be installed at your home.

You do not need permission from your landlord to receive the home energy assessment. 

Yarra residents living in a heritage overlay are eligible to apply, with an eligible concession card.

If your home is in a heritage overlay, most energy upgrade types can be installed in the same way as in another home.

Some upgrades, such as solar, may require a planning permit if visible from the street, or may not be possible through the program. 

Our project team can help with questions about the planning permit application process.

There is no fee for a planning permit for solar in the heritage overlay. If your solar will not be visible from the street or a public park, you do not need a planning permit.

A small number of properties have additional heritage controls. Properties listed on the Victorian Heritage Register are not eligible for this program due to these additional controls, set by the Victorian Government. 

Find out more about solar in a heritage overlay. 

In addition to the Yarra Home Energy Upgrades subsidy, our project partner will let you know what other Federal or Victorian Government rebates you may be eligible for. They can help you apply. Some rebates are included as a discount on your energy upgrade. 

Solar rebates

The Victorian Government offers rebates of up to $1,400 through Solar Victoria to eligible households, including for rental properties. No-interest loans of up to $1,400 are also available. 

You'll automatically receive STCs (small scale technology certificates, a Federal Government rebate) as a discount shown on your quote.

Heat pump hot water system rebates

Eligible households can receive a Solar Victoria of up to $1,000. Discounts of between $490 and $840 are available from the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, to households who make a $200 contribution to the cost.  

Reverse cycle heating and cooling rebates 

The Victorian Energy Upgrades program provides discounts for installation of reverse cycle air conditioners, to households who make a $200 contribution to the cost. The amount depends on what type of heating you are replacing, if any. 

Draught proofing rebates

Victorian Energy Upgrades rebates are available for draught proofing to seal up gaps and cracks, using our accredited installers. You'll see this as a discount on your quote.

Rebate amounts depend on what is installed. Indicative rebates are between $350 and $700 for a house, between $280 and $560 for a townhouse, and $70 and $140 for an apartment.

Yes. In your expression of interest form, we will ask if you need interpreter support.

We can arrange a phone interpreter or in-person interpreter to support you throughout the program, for most common languages spoken in Yarra.

For interpreter support, call 03 9280 1940.

Yes, you can download a printable expression of interest form [ PDF, 285.12 KB] .

You can also call us on 03 9205 5555 to request a paper form, or visit a customer service centre at Richmond Town Hall or Collingwood Town Hall.

You can return your paper form to:

By email:
[email protected]

By mail:
Attn: Sustainability team
Yarra City Council
PO Box 168 
Richmond, VIC 3121

In person: 
Richmond Town Hall, 333 Bridge Road, Richmond
Collingwood Town Hall, 140 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford

Download a flyer with information about the Yarra Home Energy Upgrades pilot program in other languages: 

• English [ PDF, 2.81 MB]
• Vietnamese [ PDF, 2.77 MB]
• Simplified Chinese [ PDF, 3.01 MB]
• Italian [ PDF, 2.76 MB]
• Greek [ PDF, 2.8 MB]
• Arabic [ PDF, 2.77 MB]

For interpreter support, call 03 9280 1940.

Yarra Council has committed to urgent action on climate change through its second Climate Emergency Plan [ PDF, 9.51 MB] , 2024-2030, and its Climate Emergency Action Plan 2024-2027 [ PDF, 2.72 MB] .

This program is part of our commitment to support households facing higher risk from climate impacts to make their homes more comfortable in hot and cold weather, improve energy efficiency, electrify, and power their homes with renewable energy. 

This includes a commitment to support people living on low incomes, people with additional heatwave-related risk factors, renters, and apartment residents to ensure no one is left behind in the transition to a zero emissions city powered by 100% renewable energy. 

The Yarra Home Energy Upgrades and Climate Safe Rooms pilot programs provided 54 at-risk households with 174 energy upgrade activities in 2024-25. 

Read the Climate Safe Rooms and Yarra Home Energy Upgrades Pilot Programs 2024-25 Report [ PDF, 5.86 MB] .