Gas networks in ten regional Victorian towns will be shutdown by mid to late 2026, with Solstice Energy and the State Government moving to help customers make the switch.
Solstice Energy explained that some part of regional Victoria rely on compressed natural gas (CNG) networks. This means that gas has to be compressed in another town and then trucked in, which costs more.
As cost-of-living increases, the price of this gas in particular has gone up quickly, which means customers in regional Victoria are paying more than customers in the rest of the state.
To support customers through this change, Solstice Energy is offering two pathways to help them switch to a cheaper energy supply – bottled LPG or electricity.
Residential Customers can choose to switch to a self-managed LPG or electric service, with an upfront payment from Solstice to help cover the cost, or a Solstice-supported LPG-only plan.
The Victorian Government is also extending support to help the 1183 impacted regional families and businesses electrify their homes in Marong, Terang, Nathalia, Lakes Entrance, Heathcote, Swan Hill, Maldon, Robinvale, Kerang and Orbost.
This includes practical measures through the State Electricity Commission (SEC), Solar Victoria, and the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program.
Solar Victoria will temporarily remove the income eligibility cap for Solstice customers in the affected towns, making it easier for more households to get more discounts for solar PV and efficient electric hot water systems.
Households can receive $4200 in upfront support through a $1400 rebate for both rooftop solar PV and Australian made hot water units, plus the option of a $1400 solar PV interest-free loan.
The government is also opening expression of interest (EOI) to identify more electric appliance installers for the VEU program that can support households in these towns to go electric.
Through the VEU households can get a discount of up to $560 and save up to $330 on their energy bills annually when they replace an existing gas hot water heater with a heat pump water heater.
Eligible households can save up to $1630 off the cost of installing an energy-efficient hot water system with a Solar Homes hot water rebate plus a Victorian Energy Upgrades discount, with the opportunity to get a further $400 rebate if they choose a locally made product.
The SEC will have a presence through a combination of local community-group information sessions and webinars for Solstice customers in the ten impacted towns.
They will help impacted customers with the process of going electric and use the SEC electric home planner – a free tool to help design a personalised plan to go electric, showing indicative costs, rebates, and potential savings.
For more information on the hot water rebates visit solar.vic.gov.au/supporting-solstice-customers or for information on going electric contact the SEC on 1300 305 700.
For information on support provided by Solstice, call 1800 750 750 or email nextsteps@solsticeenergy.com.au.
Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, said, “We’re making sure all impacted Solstice Energy customers have access to our rebates and discounts, to help them make the switch to cheaper electric appliances that will save them money in the long run.”
