Ceiling insulation is back in Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) after years without a bulk insulation activity. It is also a heavily regulated one, because of the electrical safety lessons from earlier national insulation programs.
What activity 48 covers
The activity is the installation of bulk insulation (batts or blanket) or rigid cellular foam into uninsulated or under-insulated residential ceiling spaces. The Essential Services Commission (ESC) lists it as residential only. It has been rolled out in two stages:
- Stage 1 began on 14 April 2026 for public housing and community housing premises.
- Stage 2 begins on 1 October 2026 and extends eligibility to all residential premises in Victoria.
Only installations that meet all eligibility, product, information-sharing, pre-installation, installation, co-payment and product disposal requirements can create VEECs.
Pre-installation steps
This is where jobs are won or lost:
- A licensed electrician engaged by a registered electrical contractor completes and signs a VEU pre-installation electrical safety assessment, no earlier than 30 days before the insulation works.
- The accredited person gets the owner’s written consent, at least 24 hours before installation, to share information with the ESC and, through it, WorkSafe or Energy Safe Victoria.
- The accredited person sends an installation notification to the ESC at least 24 hours before the install starts, but no earlier than five days before.
Skip a step and the certificate cannot be created, whatever the quality of the work.
How much is the discount?
There is no flat figure. The VEEC count reflects the area insulated and the improvement achieved, and the household discount is the value of those certificates (the market is roughly $85 to $95 per VEEC at the time of writing) less the provider’s costs, subject to a minimum co-payment in the activity guide. Treat any advertised dollar figure as indicative until you see the certificate count.
For households, this stacks conceptually with other Victorian support, but each programme has its own rules. See VEU vs Solar Victoria.
What this means for installers
- You need an accredited person to create certificates, or a partnership with one.
- Build the electrician visit into scheduling. The 30-day window and the 24-hour notice both shape the booking calendar.
- Keep records: assessment, consent, notification, product details, photos and disposal evidence.
- Expect audits. What the ESC checks explains the pattern.
Selling the certificates
Insulation parcels build quickly once volume starts. See how VEECs work and the VEEC trading pillar. Today’s buy rate is on /pricing/. When you hold accreditation, start trading and the desk will pre-check your first claim.
Confirm the current activity guide and forms with the ESC before you rely on any detail here.