Knowledge/Rebates and VEU/The 2026 Act: what changes, and what isn't law yet
The 2026 Act: what changes, and what isn't law yet
Act No. 37/2026 was signed off on 8 September 2026. It changes a lot about how the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) scheme works, but almost none of it applies yet. Section 19 and sections 55 to 59 started on 9 September 2026. Nearly everything else starts on a date the government sets, or automatically on 2 October 2028.
- Act
- No. 37/2026signed off 8 Sep 2026
- In force now
- Sections 19, 55 to 59plus Parts 1, 4, 5 and 6 in part
- Everything else
- Date to be setor automatically 2 Oct 2028
- As at today
- Nothing renamedaccreditation still 12 months
What actually started on 9 September 2026?
Two things that matter to contractors. Both are live law, so we cover them on other pages too.
- Section 19 took the words "on behalf of an accredited person" out of s14FA. That widened the duty around training and competency, so it now reaches more people than before
- Sections 55 to 59 gave inspectors (authorised officers) wider powers. They can now use them to check you're following the rules generally, not only to check information you've already handed in
Parts 1, 4, 5 (other than ss 135, 136 and 140) and 6 also started that day. Nothing else in the Act has.
What's coming, and when?
Everything in this table starts on a day the government still has to set. That's what "on proclamation" means. If no day is set first, it all starts automatically on 2 October 2028.
| Change | Effect |
|---|---|
| Rename the Act | 'Efficiency' in the Act's name becomes 'Upgrades'. VEECs (Victorian energy efficiency certificates) become energy upgrade certificates |
| Activity rules move out of the regulations | Into orders made by the Minister (Ministerial activities Orders). The Minister can also name "nominated activities", and the Essential Services Commission (ESC) will publish a list of who does them. New ss 14FB and 14FC |
| Accreditation term | Up to five years, new s13B |
| Dispute resolution | Accredited persons (APs) must join a dispute resolution scheme the Minister has approved, new s13C(1A) |
| New aims for the scheme (objects) | Energy affordability, equitable access, electrification at scale, uptake of flexible demand technologies |
| Target setting | The Minister can adjust the scheme target by a formal instrument, new s30A |
| Retailer deferral | Retailers can push up to 10% of what they owe in certificates into the following year |
| Bad audit findings | Adverse audit findings can be published, new s55S |
Read
this
first
As at today, none of the renaming has happened
It would be easy to read the list above and start using the new language. Don't. As at 24 September 2026 the Act is still the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target Act 2007, certificates are still VEECs, activities are still in the regulations, and accreditation is still 12 months.
Every one of those changes starts on a day the government still has to set. The backstop is 2 October 2028. So it could be any time between now and then, or automatically on that date.
If a website talks about energy upgrade certificates or five-year accreditation as if they apply now, it's read what the Act says and missed the part that says when each change starts. And when these changes do start, every page explaining how the scheme works, ours included, will need rewriting.
Which change matters most to a contractor?
Moving the activity rules out of the regulations and into orders from the Minister. Of the lot, that's the one with the biggest practical effect on your work.
Changing regulations is slow, and you usually see it coming. A Minister's order can be changed much faster. If the activity rules live in an order, what you can claim and what it pays could change a lot more often.
Keep an eye on the published list of nominated activity participants too. A public list of who's doing scheme work puts a lot more out in the open than there is now.
Not sure where your claims stand?
The scheme changes faster than anybody sends you a letter about it, and the cost of getting a claim wrong lands on you rather than on the person who told you.
Kevin will go through what you're doing now and tell you where the exposure is.
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 2025 Act that extended the scheme out to 2045The scheme isn't ending. Certificates can be created for jobs done before 1 January 2046, and four changes from 2025 are still catching contractors out.
- The 20 kW cap on residential multi-split, word for wordFrom 30 September 2026 a residential multi-split can only count 20 kW of capacity input. You can install bigger. You just don't earn any more for it.
- There's no 77-VEEC cap. We checked all 22 mentions.People are quoting a certificate cap that isn't in the VEU Specifications at all. We checked all 22 mentions of the number across all 165 pages.
- Quoting across a VEU rule change without losing the claimThe co-payment rule that counts is the one in force when the certificate's created, not when you quoted. A job that slips into October takes the new figure.
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.