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ACT Sustainable Household Scheme: what an electrician can (and can't) help with
Quick answer: The ACT Sustainable Household Scheme offers low-interest loans (3%) of $2,000 to $20,000, repaid over up to 10 years, to help Canberra households buy energy-efficient electric products. These include induction cooktops, heat pump hot water, electric heating and cooling, home batteries and EV chargers. You choose and buy the products through the scheme's process. An electrician's job is usually the electrical work that makes them possible: new circuits, switchboard upgrades and EV charger installation. Check with the scheme what's covered before you commit.
By Jordan Grant, licensed electrician (ACT & NSW)
Scheme details change. The figures below are from the ACT Government's Climate Choices website as at October 2026. Always confirm current details at climatechoices.act.gov.au or on 13 22 81 (Access Canberra) before applying.
The scheme at a glance (2026)
Loan size: $2,000 to $20,000 for new applicants from 1 July 2026.
Interest: 3% for most households. Eligible concession card holders may get zero-interest loans up to $10,000 through the Home Energy Support Program.
Term: Up to 10 years. Repayments start once the product is installed and working.
Fees: No establishment or account fees, and no early repayment penalty.
Who can apply: ACT residents who own their home (or hold a driver licence, for EV loans), meet the lender's credit criteria and attend a free one-hour workshop.
Loan provider: Brighte
Eligible products
Household battery storage systems
Electric heating and cooling (e.g. reverse-cycle air conditioning)
Hot water heat pumps and evacuated tube solar hot water
Electric stove tops (e.g. induction cooktops)
Electric vehicles
EV charging infrastructure
Ceiling insulation
Electric cargo bikes
Solar panels aren't on the general household list. They're only available to eligible concession card holders through the Home Energy Support Program.
Where an electrician fits in
Most of these products need electrical work to go in safely, and that's where we come in:
Induction cooktop: A dedicated, correctly sized circuit, and sometimes a switchboard upgrade
Heat pump hot water: A dedicated circuit, optionally on a timer for solar or off-peak use
Reverse-cycle air conditioning: A dedicated circuit per system
Home battery: Switchboard space and integration with your existing solar
EV charger: Charger installation and a dedicated circuit, plus load management
The common catch is the switchboard. Older Canberra boards often don't have the space or protection for several new electric appliances. The scheme lists installation costs for eligible products, but it doesn't say whether a switchboard upgrade counts, so we can't confirm it's covered by your loan. That depends on the scheme's rules and your product supplier, so ask the scheme or your supplier before you apply, and get a quote that shows the electrical work separately.
How to plan your upgrade in the right order
Get your switchboard checked first. Find out what your board can handle before you choose products. Our free electrification-ready switchboard check is a good start.
Make a full plan. List everything you want to switch over in the next few years: cooktop, hot water, heating, EV, battery.
Attend the scheme workshop and confirm your eligibility.
Choose products and suppliers through the scheme's process.
Do the electrical groundwork once: switchboard and circuits sized for the whole plan, not just the first appliance.
Install in the order that saves the most. Often hot water and heating first (the biggest gas users), then cooking, then the EV.
Why it matters in Canberra
The ACT is moving away from gas, and many households are planning their switch now. Doing it with a low-interest loan and a single, well-planned electrical upgrade avoids paying for multiple call-outs and patch-ups later.
Get electrification-ready
We'll check your switchboard for free, map out what your home needs for an all-electric future, and give you fixed prices for the electrical work. You can then take that to the scheme or your product supplier.
Book a free switchboard check · Switchboard upgrades · EV charger installation · Call 0433 976 398
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