Community housing energy upgrades

The $18 million Queensland Community Housing Energy Upgrades program aims to improve residents’ quality of life by keeping homes warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

Rebates of up to $4,500 (excluding GST) per dwelling will be available for eligible community housing providers to purchase and install eligible energy efficiency upgrades. Up to 4,000 households in community housing across Queensland will benefit from the upgrades.

The program is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments through the $116 million Queensland Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative.

Also, as part of this initiative, the Queensland Government is delivering the $98 million Thermal Comfort Program, which aims to improve cooling in social housing properties and reduce energy use and costs for social housing residents across Queensland.

Eligibility and timeframes

Eligibility requirements for community housing providers, energy efficiency upgrades and installers will be released ahead of the program launch.

To be considered for a rebate, energy efficiency upgrades must be purchased and installed at a community housing provider owned and managed dwelling after the program opens and conditional approval has been granted.

Eligible energy efficiency upgrades

The program will deliver energy efficiency upgrades for community housing owned and managed properties including:

• ceiling insulation
• direct current (DC) ceiling fans
• draught proofing
• electric cooktops
• electric ovens
• energy efficient hot water systems such as heat pump and solar hot water systems
• external window shading
• high performance window glazing
• LED lighting
• split-cycle air conditioner
• solar PV.

Inspections

Energy efficiency upgrades installed under the program may be subject to safety inspection in the weeks and months following installation. A Queensland Government appointed inspectorate will assess these installations to ensure they meet the program’s quality and safety standards. A tender for the inspectorate closed on 17 October 2025 with the successful supplier to be announced in due course.