NSW vs Victoria heat pump rebates, and which state is better for installers

Written and checked by the Energy Merchants desk · Reviewed 2 October 2026

For heat pump installers, the state you work in changes the paperwork more than the product. Both New South Wales and Victoria have certificate schemes that can discount a heat pump water heater, and both sit on top of the federal STC layer. The details differ, so this page compares the mechanism rather than quoting dollar figures we cannot verify.

The layers

The STC layer is common to both states, which means the product eligibility and zone rules are the same. See our hot water STC checklist and heat pump hot water STCs explained.

VEECs and Solar Victoria are different things

A VEEC is a certificate created for an eligible Victorian energy upgrade and sold to liable retailers. A Solar Victoria rebate is a Victorian Government payment to an eligible household for specified products. One is a tradeable instrument for the installer or provider; the other is a government program for the household. For the distinction in detail, see VEEC vs Solar Victoria rebate.

Which state is better for installers

If you install in both states, the comparison comes down to how much work each pathway creates for you.

• Product eligibility. Each scheme lists eligible products and specifications. A model eligible in one scheme may not be in the other.
• Accreditation and licensing. Victoria and NSW each have their own accreditation for providers, and heat pump installation needs the relevant trade licence. Check the requirements for each activity.
• Certificate handling. In NSW, an accredited provider typically handles certificates; in Victoria you can use an accredited provider or work towards your own accreditation.
• Price. VEECs have traded at roughly $85 to $95 in 2026, with a reported September figure of about $85 to $90. NSW certificate prices are lower on the PRC side (reported about $3). Price per certificate is not the same as value per job, since activity rules set the number of certificates.

Stacking

A single heat pump job can involve an STC and a state certificate. The rules about when both can be claimed, and who the registered person is on each, are specific to each activity. Our VEECs and STCs on the same job article walks through the Victorian side. Read the scheme requirements before telling a customer both apply.

A practical way to compare

Take one product, such as a specific heat pump model, and price it in each state on the same date. Record the STC value, any state certificate value or discount, any government rebate the household could be eligible for, and the provider’s share. Then subtract to a net price to the customer, and a net revenue to the business. The comparison usually shows that the differences between the states are smaller than the differences between providers within a state, because provider terms vary more than scheme settings do. It also shows which parts of a quote are certain, such as the STC calculation, and which depend on eligibility or on a provider’s terms. If you work across the border, build the comparison once and update it when a scheme page changes.

A fair verdict

We do not rank the states. Victoria’s VEEC route has recent higher certificate prices; NSW’s route runs through accredited providers and a different certificate mix. The federal STC layer is the same in both. For installers, the best state is the one you are licensed and set up to work in. Start with the hot water pillar, our hot water STC page, and for the wider state comparison, NSW ESS vs Victorian VEU. If you are trading STCs from heat pump jobs, see /pricing/.