Free energy assessment for Victorian farm businesses

On-Farm Energy Assessments provide farm businesses with an independent, free, on-farm energy assessment to help them identify opportunities to make energy savings, improve energy efficiency and explore renewable energy sources.

Overview

Primary producers can access a free, independent analysis of their on-farm energy use (electricity, gas and diesel) to identify opportunities to make energy savings, improve output volumes per energy unit, and to explore renewable energy sources.

Type 1 and Type 2 Energy Assessments are available depending on the farm business's energy expenditure:

• Type 1 – farm businesses with farm energy expenses from $8,000 to $25,000 per annum (including GST)
• Type 2 – farm businesses with farm energy expenses over $25,000 per annum (including GST).

Farm businesses with an annual energy expenditure of less than $8000 are not eligible to apply.

Once an assessment has been undertaken applicants may be able to apply for either:

• a fast track rebate of up to $20,000, if choosing to purchase items as specified in the On-Farm Energy Assessment, or
• an On-Farm Energy Grant, if purchasing an item that differs in size from what is recommended in the energy assessment.

What are the eligibility criteria?

To be eligible, you must:

• be running a farm business located in Victoria
• be a legal entity with a current Australian business number (ABN)
• be a primary producer who is
  • cultivating or propagating plants, fungi or their products or parts (including seeds, spores, bulbs and similar things) in any physical environment
  • maintaining animals for the purpose of selling them or their bodily produce
  • manufacturing dairy produce from raw milk
  • operating on-land aquaculture facilities
• spend $8,000 or more per annum (including GST) on energy on-farm, inclusive of electricity, gas, LPG and diesel (excluding energy for transport).

Primary producers engaged in forestry or on-sea aquaculture and agriculture transport operators are not eligible to apply.

How do you apply?

Find out more about eligibility and how to apply at On-Farm Energy Assessments.