Knowledge/What earns a certificate/Seven activities that no longer earn certificates
Seven activities that no longer earn certificates
Seven Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) activities no longer earn certificates. They're gas space heating, the old air-to-air heat pump activity (Part 7), Parts 9 and 10, evaporative coolers, the gas water heater incentives, underfloor insulation and the home energy rating assessment, which is paused rather than revoked. Evaporative cooling hasn't been claimable since 30 June 2023.
- Gas space heating
- Gone 30 Jun 2023Part 5, Statutory Rule 25/2023
- Evaporative coolers
- Gone 30 Jun 2023Part 23, Statutory Rule 25/2023
- Underfloor insulation
- Gone 14 Apr 2026Part 12, Statutory Rule 19/2026
- Home energy rating (HERA)
- Paused 24 Jun 2026activity 45, not revoked
Which activities have gone, and when?
The regulations number each activity as a Part, so Part 23 and activity 23 are the same thing. Most of these were switched off by a numbered amendment to the regulations, called a Statutory Rule (S.R.).
| Activity | Stopped | Which rule changed it |
|---|---|---|
| Part 5, gas space heating | 30 June 2023 | S.R. No. 25/2023 |
| Part 7, the old air-to-air heat pump activity, folded into Part 6 | 30 June 2023 | S.R. No. 25/2023 |
| Parts 9 and 10 | 30 June 2023 | S.R. No. 25/2023 |
| Part 23, evaporative coolers | 30 June 2023 | S.R. No. 25/2023 |
| Parts 1A, 1B, 1F and 3B, gas water heater incentives | 1 July 2023 | See the Table of Amendments |
| Part 12, underfloor insulation (see the caveat below) | 14 April 2026 | S.R. No. 19/2026 |
| Activity 45, home energy rating assessment (HERA) | Paused from 24 June 2026 | Essential Services Commission (ESC) pause notice |
One new activity came in at the same time. Part 48, ceiling insulation, started on 14 April 2026. It's for homes, and the customer has to pay at least $200 inc GST. So the same round of changes that removed underfloor insulation added ceiling insulation.
Is there still a rebate on evaporative cooling?
No. There's no VEU incentive for installing evaporative cooling, and there hasn't been since 30 June 2023. Part 23 was revoked by S.R. No. 25/2023.
It's worth having straight, because it comes up in two different conversations. A customer asks whether there's a rebate on a new evaporative system. There isn't. A landlord asks whether their existing evaporative system has to be replaced to meet the rental cooling standard. As we read the rental rules, an existing ducted evaporative system in good working order doesn't have to go.
So evaporative sits in an odd spot. It's not incentivised, and it's not condemned either.
Does taking gas heating out still earn certificates?
Yes. Part 5 paid for installing gas space heating, and it was revoked in June 2023. Replacing gas heating with electric is a different thing, and it's still eligible under Part 6, the space heating and cooling activity. It sits in scenarios (vii) to (x), the ones where a gas heater comes out.
Put those two facts together and you can see where the scheme is heading. Installing gas heating stopped earning certificates. Taking gas heating out still does.
How often do activities change?
Often. Activities get added, paused and revoked, sometimes several at once. Four of the seven above went on the same day, 30 June 2023. In April 2026 underfloor insulation went and ceiling insulation came in, and in June 2026 the home energy rating assessment was paused.
One caveat on our own list. The regulations only say Part 12 was revoked. They don't say what it covered. The change log in an earlier version of the VEU Specifications calls it underfloor insulation, so treat that label as second-hand.
If you're about to quote off an activity, check it still exists. That's a two-minute look at the ESC updates page, and it's the difference between a quote and an apology.
Not sure which activity your job sits under?
Getting the activity and the scenario right is what sets the money, and you need to get it right before you quote, not after you install.
If you're looking at a job and the answer isn't obvious, ask Kevin.
Who this is for: small and medium HVAC contractors in Victoria. If you're a homeowner after a rebate or a repair, you need a licensed contractor, not us, and yours can point you the right way.
Related
- Activity 28, the gas ductwork rebate almost nobody claimsTake out the old gas heating ductwork, put new duct in to AS 4254, and there's a certificate in it. Here's what we know, and the figures we couldn't find.
- Activity 44 and the $10,000 commercial co-paymentThe commercial and industrial heat pump water heater activity, its $10,000 minimum co-payment, and why commercial HVAC upgrades now lean on the VEU.
- There's no Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) rebate for hydronicA hydronic space heating activity was under consultation in April 2026, and it still isn't claimable. Don't quote a rebate that doesn't exist yet.
- Which Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) activities cover HVAC workNobody maps the activity numbers for installers, so here they are. Which one your job sits under, and the one that keeps getting mixed up with lighting.
Review date: 1 January 2027. Figures in this area change without much notice and this page carries some that will go stale. Every number above is dated and sourced so you can check it yourself. If you find something out of date here, tell us and we will fix it.