1. Start with your home, not a rebate number
The Victorian Government’s household VEU guidance is the starting point for the scheme. Availability depends on the particular upgrade. An advertisement or online estimate cannot confirm every requirement at your address.
Prepare a simple description of the existing appliance: its type, approximate age, location and whether it is working. Add accessible model-label photographs if you can take them safely. Then explain what you want the replacement to do.
For heating, list the rooms you use and the times you use them. For hot water, explain household demand and any recurring shortages. This gives the assessor a useful brief before you discuss a specific product or price.
You do not need to diagnose the equipment yourself. If you cannot identify it, say so and arrange an assessment. Avoid removing equipment before the existing installation and evidence requirements have been checked.
2. Confirm who is responsible for the VEU activity
VEU uses accredited providers. Check the public participant register and ask which business will be responsible for the proposed activity. The business selling a system and the accredited provider are not necessarily the same entity.
Melba Energy is not a VEU accredited provider. Confirm the accredited provider arrangements for your proposed discount before proceeding. Do not infer accreditation from a logo, a website heading or a salesperson’s description of a government rebate.
Ask for a contact you can use if the discount paperwork needs clarification. Keep that detail with the quote so you are not trying to establish responsibility after the work is finished.
3. Get a complete written quote
A useful quote identifies the proposed models, installation scope, discount and amount you will pay. Ask whether GST is included and which assumptions could change the price.
- Exact equipment and room or household coverage.
- Electrical, plumbing and access work included.
- Removal and decommissioning of existing equipment.
- VEU discount and any separately identified assistance.
- Exclusions, payment timing and variation approval.
- Warranty and after-sales contact details.
If two prices look very different, line up these details before choosing. A quote excluding a switchboard upgrade is not directly comparable with one including it. Our guide to different VEU quotes explains how to compare them.
Ask whether the discount is confirmed for the proposed installation or still indicative. If the model or scope changes, request an updated written proposal.
4. Resolve permissions and paperwork before booking
If you rent, arrange the necessary permission through the property owner or manager. Apartments may also need an owners corporation discussion about common property. The rental property guide sets out practical questions to raise.
Read any document assigning certificate rights and ask what it authorises. Do not sign blank sections or a statement that does not reflect the equipment and work at your property. Keep copies of what you agree to.
If another program is involved, check its own application sequence. An approval under one scheme does not automatically approve a different scheme. This matters for hot water projects where several forms of support may be discussed.
Before accepting a booking, confirm access arrangements, the expected interruption to services and who can approve a variation. Those small details prevent rushed decisions on the day.
5. Check the agreed scope on installation day
Ask the installer to confirm the equipment and proposed positions before work begins. Raise any mismatch with the accepted quote promptly. If an unexpected issue arises, ask for the effect on cost and scope before agreeing to extra work.
Leave electrical, gas and plumbing tasks to appropriately qualified trades. Where decommissioning is required, the work and evidence need to meet the relevant requirements; merely switching an old heater off is not a substitute.
Keep access clear and make sure the responsible contact can be reached. You should not need to interfere with the installation to document the job: agree with the installer which records will be supplied.
6. Keep the handover useful
At handover, ask for a demonstration of the controls, routine care and any settings you should understand. Collect the invoice, warranty information and applicable compliance documents. Check that the final invoice reflects the agreed discount and approved variations.
Make a single folder for the proposal, signed documents and handover records. Save the support contact in your phone. If a question arises later, being able to identify the equipment and installation date makes the conversation easier.
Ready to discuss an upgrade? Contact Melba Energy with your existing equipment details. For a first estimate, use our air conditioner rebate calculator; the final eligibility and price still need confirmation.
Sources and review notes
Checked on 10 October 2026. Program rules and certificate values can change. Use the current official guidance and your written quote before committing to an upgrade.
