Knowledge/What earns a certificate/The Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) efficiency floors, by category
The Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) efficiency floors, by category
Every VEU Part 6 category has a minimum seasonal heating rating (HSPF) and cooling rating (TCSPF), using the Cold Zone figures from the federal Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS). The unit must also be registered to the GEMS 2019 Determination. Products registered to the GEMS 2013 Determination aren't eligible, however efficient they are.
- Basis
- GEMS Cold Zonenot the mixed or hot zone figure
- Highest HSPF floor
- 4.2category 6D, non-ducted under 4 kW
- Lowest HSPF floor
- 2.7category 6G, non-ducted over 39 kW
- Must be registered to
- GEMS 2019GEMS 2013 isn't eligible
What's the minimum efficiency for each category?
Four ratings get a floor. HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor) and TCSPF (Total Cooling Seasonal Performance Factor) are the seasonal heating and cooling ratings. ACOP (Annual Coefficient of Performance) and AEER (Annual Energy Efficiency Ratio) are the annual heating and cooling ratings. Higher is better on all four.
| Category | HSPF | TCSPF | ACOP | AEER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6A, ducted, under 10 kW | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.5 |
| 6B(i), ducted, 10 to under 25 kW | 3.4 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| 6B(ii), ducted, 25 to 39 kW | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| 6C, ducted, over 39 to 65 kW | 3.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| 6D, non-ducted, under 4 kW | 4.2 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
| 6E(i), non-ducted, 4 to under 7 kW | 3.7 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.7 |
| 6E(ii), non-ducted, 7 to under 10 kW | 3.6 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| 6F, non-ducted, 10 to 39 kW | 3.6 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.6 |
| 6G, non-ducted, over 39 to 65 kW | 2.7 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
Notice the pattern. Small units have the toughest heating floor. 6D needs HSPF 4.2, while 6G gets through on 2.7. That's likely because small units sell in the biggest numbers, so a higher bar there saves the most energy.
Why does the Cold Zone figure matter?
This is the bit that catches people reading a spec sheet. The floors use the GEMS Cold Zone HSPF and TCSPF. Brochures usually quote the mixed or average zone figure, which is a different number.
So a unit can look comfortably over the line on its brochure and still fail the VEU floor. Check the GEMS registration data, not the sales sheet.
Rules
it
out
A GEMS 2013 registration isn't eligible for Part 6
The product has to be registered to the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Air Conditioners up to 65kW) Determination 2019. Products registered to the GEMS 2013 Determination aren't eligible for Part 6, however efficient they are.
This is about paperwork, not how well the unit runs. You'll mostly strike it with old stock and with models that have been on sale for years. The unit can work perfectly well and still not qualify.
It's also a reminder that there are two separate checks. One is the GEMS registration. The other is the Essential Services Commission (ESC) product register. Passing one tells you nothing about the other.
What would change these floors?
If the government brings in a new GEMS determination or lifts the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS), product eligibility and this table would move together. That's because the table is built on the GEMS ratings.
We couldn't confirm any MEPS increase in 2025 or 2026, so the figures above stand as at our September 2026 check. If you hear the minimum standards have changed, don't rely on this table until you've checked it again.
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
- The Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) refrigerant rule and its 15 kW cut-offBelow 15 kW cooling, the refrigerant's global warming potential (GWP) must be under 700. R32 passes, R410A doesn't. At 15 kW or more, the rule doesn't apply.
- How many upgrades one address can ever claimOnce an address has had enough upgrades, Schedule 4 blocks any more claims there. The limit changes with the job type and whether the old unit came out.
- Seven activities that no longer earn certificatesGas space heating, evaporative coolers, underfloor insulation and four more, with the date each one stopped and the rule change that ended it.
- 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.
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.