Victorian Energy Upgrades heating discounts in Warragul

Warragul households can get a Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) discount off the price of an approved high efficiency reverse cycle air conditioner, as long as an accredited provider, or an installer working with one, arranges it before the work starts. The discount is shown on the quote, not paid back later. How much you get depends mainly on what heating you are replacing, and taking out a whole-house ducted heater attracts the largest amounts.

Who can get a VEU heating and cooling discount?

According to the state government’s VEU heating and cooling page, every Victorian household and business is eligible. There is no income test listed on that page and no requirement to live in a particular region, so homes in Warragul, Drouin and the rest of Baw Baw Shire qualify on the same terms as Melbourne.

Private rental homes are eligible too. The program recommends that landlords and tenants plan the upgrade together, which makes sense because the tenant lives with the system and the owner pays for it. Rental owners have an added reason to look at the program: new minimum standards for rented homes begin on 1 March 2027, and the 2027 gas heater rules guide explains what those standards require.

Which systems qualify?

The product rules are short. To attract a discount, the system must:

• be approved under the VEU program
• be a high efficiency reverse cycle air conditioner that provides both heating and cooling
• carry a warranty of at least five years when it is installed in a home

Room, multi-split and ducted models can all be eligible. Cooling-only systems such as evaporative coolers are not, and neither are new gas heaters. If you are replacing an existing heating or cooling system, the property must be more than two years old. Check the build date if your house is in one of the newer estates around Warragul and Drouin and was finished very recently.

How does the discount process work?

The program page sets out the steps. In practice they run in this order:

1. Choose an accredited provider. The VEU page lists accredited providers by region, and Gippsland has its own list. Only those providers can apply the discount. This site does not name or rank them.
2. Or use your own installer. If you already have an installer you trust, they can still do the job, but they must work with an accredited provider to apply the discount, and that partnership has to be in place before any work starts.
3. Have the system sized on site. The provider recommends suitable systems and confirms which models are eligible. The program advises having the installer visit to work out the right size, since an oversized unit can use more energy and cost more to run.
4. Get a quote with the discount on it. The quote should show the price before and after the discount. The program also suggests asking for the heating and cooling capacity and outdoor noise levels to appear on the quote.
5. Installation. The accredited provider or its partner installer fits the system.
6. Paperwork. The provider handles the program paperwork and gives you any electrical or plumbing certificates for the job.

If you want help finding an installer for a reverse cycle job, you can request a reverse cycle quote that includes the VEU check, and the independent provider who takes the enquiry will say whether they apply the discount themselves or through an accredited partner.

Why must you arrange the discount before buying?

The program strongly recommends contacting an accredited provider before you buy or install an eligible product, and says retrospective discounts are typically not possible. A common way to miss out is buying a split system from a retailer, having it fitted, and then trying to claim the discount afterwards. Another is starting the job with an installer who has no accredited partner. Settle the discount question at the quoting stage and you avoid both.

What decides the size of your discount?

The program states that the discount depends on the type of heating or cooling system being replaced, and that the provider confirms the actual amount on the quote. The indicative tables group homes by what they currently have. The table below describes those groups in words; this site does not quote discount figures, because they are indicative, can change and differ between providers.

What you have now	What the upgrade replaces it with	How the discount compares
Ducted gas heater serving the whole house	Ducted reverse cycle, or a multi-split or several splits	The largest discounts in the household tables, highest when a large ducted reverse cycle system goes in
Central electric resistance ducted heater	Ducted reverse cycle	Also among the larger amounts
Non-ducted gas space heater, such as a wall furnace or room heater	A room reverse cycle unit	A mid-range discount that varies with unit size
Hard-wired electric resistance room heater	A room reverse cycle unit	A smaller discount
An older reverse cycle air conditioner	A new high efficiency reverse cycle unit	A modest discount
Nothing removed	A new reverse cycle system	The smallest discount

The program also notes that providers may offer different discounts, products and prices, which is a good reason to get more than one quote. For the installed price ranges themselves, see the Warragul heating and cooling cost guide.

What does this mean for a typical Warragul house?

An older Warragul home heated by a gas ducted unit in the roof or under the floor, or by a gas wall furnace in the lounge, falls into one of the gas categories in the table above, and the ducted case sits at the top of it. Some smaller towns nearby may not have mains gas, and households there may be running LPG heaters, so tell the provider which fuel you use. A home on the edge of town that relies on electric panel heaters falls into a different category again.

If you are replacing a single wall furnace, a room split in the living area is often the simplest change, and the split system installation page explains how that job is priced and fitted. Replacing a whole gas ducted system is a larger project, and the gas to electric heating upgrade page covers disconnecting the gas and lining up the trades. Households in the newer Drouin estates should note the two-year property age rule; the Drouin area page covers that town’s local points.

What does a careful provider check for a VEU job?

A provider who knows the program will:

• confirm the model you are offered is on the VEU approved list before quoting
• check what is being removed, since that sets the discount category
• look at the switchboard, because a reverse cycle system needs its own circuit and older boards may need work
• size the system for the rooms and the insulation, not just the floor area
• explain which business is the accredited provider if they are working as a partner installer
• refuse to backdate the paperwork for a system that is already installed

Refrigerant work still needs a technician licensed by the Australian Refrigeration Council, and the electrical connection still needs a licensed electrician who issues a Certificate of Electrical Safety. The discount does not change those requirements.

Who quotes and installs the system?

This website takes the enquiry and passes it to an independent local heating and cooling business. That business, or the accredited provider it works with, confirms eligibility, prices the job, applies any discount and does the installation. The program rules above are summarised from the government page, and the provider’s quote is what you rely on.

Next step: ask for a quote with the discount shown

Send a VEU reverse cycle enquiry and tell the provider exactly what heating you have now (ducted gas, gas wall furnace, LPG heater, electric panel heaters or an old split), the rough age of the house, whether you own it or rent it out, and the rooms you want heated and cooled. Ask for the quote to show the VEU discount as a separate line, the accredited provider’s name and the model numbers being offered.

Send a job enquiry