How Do STC Rebates Work?
Small-scale Technology Certificates, or STCs, are part of the Australian Government’s renewable energy scheme. Eligible heat pump and solar hot water systems can generate STCs, which carry a monetary value. JR Gas & Water applies this value as an upfront rebate so customers see a reduced out-of-pocket price on eligible products rather than needing to claim anything later themselves.
For clarity, JR Gas & Water uses a flat-rate STC rebate of $1,000 including GST on eligible systems. This means the price shown online is the customer’s out-of-pocket price after the rebate has already been applied. It is not the full gross system price before the rebate.
As an example, if a system is advertised online at $4,000, the gross system price is $5,000, less the $1,000 STC rebate, leaving the advertised out-of-pocket amount of $4,000.
This upfront rebate is offered on the basis that the installation will be completed compliantly, the system will remain eligible for STCs, and JR Gas & Water will be able to create, process, and receive the value of those certificates after installation. We handle the STC paperwork and process behind the scenes, but the rebate is conditional and relies on the job proceeding correctly from start to finish.
Who Is Eligible?
In general, customers may be eligible for the STC rebate where they are purchasing an approved solar hot water system, heat pump hot water system, or other eligible product that qualifies under the applicable scheme rules at the time of installation.
Eligibility generally requires that:
the product itself is STC eligible,
the installation address is eligible,
the system is installed in Australia,
the installation is completed in a compliant manner,
the system is capable of being properly verified,
and the customer provides any required information, declarations, signatures, and supporting documents needed to process the STCs.
Where JR Gas & Water advertises an eligible system with the rebate already applied, the customer is agreeing that the STCs will be assigned to JR Gas & Water or its nominated agent as part of the sale. That assignment is what allows the rebate to be applied upfront instead of the customer paying full price.
When Is the Rebate Not Available or Not Valid?
The STC rebate is not an automatic discount in every situation. It is only available where the installation proceeds fully and remains eligible for STC creation and assignment.
A customer may not be eligible, or may be required to repay the rebate amount, where:
the order is cancelled after rebate pricing has been applied,
the customer declines installation,
the site is not ready,
access is refused,
the installation cannot proceed due to hazards, animals, obstructions, or unsafe conditions,
the customer wants to keep the STCs personally,
required paperwork is not signed or returned,
incorrect or incomplete information is provided,
the property or system turns out not to qualify,
the quoted eligible product is changed,
a third party interferes with, alters, completes, disconnects, reconnects, or modifies the installation,
required compliance or upgrade works are refused,
or the installation cannot be lawfully completed in a way that allows the STCs to be validly claimed.
This also includes situations where another contractor performs part of the work in a way that affects eligibility, or where changes made by the customer or another trade prevent JR Gas & Water from receiving the STC benefit that the upfront rebate was based on.
What Happens If the Customer Does Not Proceed?
Where a customer accepts pricing that already includes the STC rebate and then cancels, postpones, declines installation, refuses access, or otherwise prevents the installation from being completed, JR Gas & Water may recover the full $1,000 STC rebate amount in addition to any other applicable cancellation, postponement, restocking, freight, attendance, or administrative charges.
This is because the lower advertised price was offered on the basis that JR Gas & Water would receive the benefit of the STCs after compliant completion of the installation. If the job does not proceed, that STC benefit cannot be recovered by JR Gas & Water, so the rebate amount becomes payable.
Can the Customer Keep the STCs Instead?
Yes, but not at the rebate-adjusted price.
If the customer wishes to keep, trade, or claim the STCs themselves, they must notify JR Gas & Water in writing before the order is accepted, or at the latest before installation begins. In that case, the customer must pay the full $1,000 including GST rebate amount before installation unless otherwise agreed in writing.
