Unlike the federal STC scheme, where established traders now pay in a day or two, NSW ESC payment timing varies by buyer, activity and ACP.
Where the time goes
- Job completion and evidence. Photos, forms and customer sign-off need to be complete.
- Creation by the ACP. The ACP records the activity in the registry and creates the certificates.
- Registry processing. Registration and any checks by the scheme regulator.
- Sale and transfer. The buyer accepts the certificates and pays under your terms.
If you are not the ACP, add the time it takes the ACP to process your jobs, and the ACP’s own payment cycle to you.
Why payment can be slow
- Missing or unclear evidence that needs correcting.
- Batch cycles, where the ACP only creates certificates weekly or monthly.
- Buyer terms of net 30 days or longer.
- Audit holds, where certificates are flagged.
The causes mirror those for federal claims, covered in STC payment delay reasons.
How to speed it up
- Photograph for the audit, not just the job.
- Submit jobs in the ACP’s preferred format and cut-off.
- Pick an ACP or buyer with a stated settlement time.
- Keep a log of submission and payment dates.
What to put in your pricing
If you cannot be paid for ESCs for a month or more, price the work as though you are lending the customer the discount for that period. A modest cost of funds, added to your price or taken from your margin, keeps your books honest. Some installers pass on a small portion to customers, while others negotiate shorter terms with the ACP in return for a lower rate. Either way, the aim is to avoid being surprised by a cash gap when jobs are busy.
What this means for installers
Treat ESC cash flow as slower than STC cash flow and price your work accordingly. For federal STCs, see how we settle at how it works and the pricing page. For the NSW role itself, see what an ACP is and the resources hub.