Energy Supplement: The $14.10/ft Add-On and Who Still Qualifies
The Energy Supplement is a small, fixed top-up rolled into your Age Pension — $14.10 a fortnight for a single pensioner and $10.60 each ($21.20 combined) for a couple. If you started your pension or held a qualifying card before 20 September 2016, you keep it for life; most new entrants to certain payments lost access to it from that date.
What the Energy Supplement actually is
The Energy Supplement is a permanent payment introduced to help with household energy bills after the carbon-pricing scheme was repealed. For Age Pensioners it is not a separate cheque you apply for — it is one of three pieces that, added together, make up the headline maximum rate Services Australia quotes you.
For the rate period 20 March 2026 to 19 September 2026, the maximum single Age Pension of $1,200.90 per fortnight is built from these three components:
| Component | Single (per ft) | Couple — each (per ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum basic rate | $1,100.30 | $829.40 |
| Maximum Pension Supplement | $86.50 | $65.20 |
| Energy Supplement | $14.10 | $10.60 |
| Total maximum rate | $1,200.90 | $905.20 |
So the Energy Supplement is the smallest of the three slices — about 1.2% of a single pensioner's total payment. For a couple, each partner gets $10.60, so the household receives $21.20 a fortnight in Energy Supplement, sitting inside their combined $1,810.40. (Source: Services Australia — How much Age Pension you can get.)
When someone says "the Age Pension is $1,200.90 a fortnight," the Energy Supplement is already baked in. You do not get $1,200.90 plus $14.10. The $14.10 is the third line that, together with the basic rate and the Pension Supplement, equals $1,200.90.
It isn't separately indexed
This is the part that trips people up. The basic rate and the Pension Supplement are indexed twice a year (in March and September) and have climbed steadily with the cost of living. The Energy Supplement is different: it is a fixed amount that does not get indexed. It has been $14.10 for a single pensioner for years and is expected to stay $14.10 unless the government legislates a change.
The practical effect: as the rest of your pension rises each indexation, the Energy Supplement quietly shrinks as a share of your total. It was a more meaningful slice in 2017 than it is in 2026 — but it never disappears for those who keep eligibility.
How it's paid
If you receive the full Age Pension, the Energy Supplement is paid fortnightly as part of your normal pension instalment — you will not see it itemised in your bank account, only in your Centrelink payment summary. You do not lodge any separate claim or form for it. There is also a quarterly-payment option available for some supplements, but for Age Pensioners it is almost always rolled into the regular fortnightly pension.
One important nuance: if your pension is reduced under the income or assets test to a part rate, your supplements (including the Energy Supplement) can also taper. The figures above are the maximum rates that apply to full pensioners.
The grandfathering rule: 20 September 2016
For Age Pensioners who were already receiving the pension before 20 September 2016, nothing changed — the Energy Supplement continued and continues to be paid as part of their rate. The 20 September 2016 date matters most for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) and for some other payments where new entrants from that date forward were no longer granted the Energy Supplement.
In plain terms, the cut-off works like this:
- Held a qualifying payment or CSHC before 20 September 2016, continuously since? You are "grandfathered" — you keep the Energy Supplement.
- Became eligible on or after 20 September 2016 (e.g. a new CSHC granted later)? The Energy Supplement is generally not available on that card.
For the Age Pension specifically, the Energy Supplement remains a standard component of the maximum rate for full pensioners in 2026 — the grandfathering "loss" most often bites CSHC holders and transitional-rate situations, not standard Age Pensioners. If you are unsure which side of the line you fall on, your Centrelink payment summary will show whether an Energy Supplement amount is included. (Source: Services Australia — Energy Supplement.)
Two single retirees, same maximum rate — two different histories.
Beryl (the pre-2016 pensioner) started her Age Pension in March 2015 and has received it continuously. She also held a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card before then.
- Maximum basic rate: $1,100.30
- Pension Supplement: $86.50
- Energy Supplement: $14.10 ✅ (grandfathered — included)
- Total: $1,200.90 per fortnight
Over a year (26 fortnights), Beryl's Energy Supplement alone is $14.10 × 26 = $366.60.
David (the new 2026 claimant) reaches Age Pension age and starts his pension in May 2026. Because he is claiming the Age Pension itself, the Energy Supplement is still part of his standard maximum rate:
- Maximum basic rate: $1,100.30
- Pension Supplement: $86.50
- Energy Supplement: $14.10 ✅ (still part of the Age Pension max rate)
- Total: $1,200.90 per fortnight
The contrast that matters: where David would miss out is if, instead of the pension, he were granted a brand-new Commonwealth Seniors Health Card in 2026. A CSHC granted after 20 September 2016 does not carry the Energy Supplement, so a 2026 CSHC holder receives $0 Energy Supplement, while Beryl's pre-2016 card would have. Same dollar figure on the pension, very different outcome on the card.
Single vs couple at a glance
| Situation | Energy Supplement (per ft) | Annual (×26) |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $14.10 | ≈ $366.60 |
| Couple — each | $10.60 | ≈ $275.60 |
| Couple — combined | $21.20 | ≈ $551.20 |
Annual figures are approximate (a fortnightly amount × 26); the official annual totals Services Australia publishes round slightly differently.
- $14.10/ft single, $10.60/ft each for couples ($21.20 combined) — verified for 20 Mar–19 Sep 2026.
- It's already inside the $1,200.90 single max rate, not added on top.
- It is not indexed, so it slowly shrinks as a share of your total pension each March/September.
- Standard Age Pensioners (old and new) still receive it; the 20 Sep 2016 cut-off mainly removes it for new Commonwealth Seniors Health Card holders.
- It's paid fortnightly with your pension — no separate claim or form.
Is the Energy Supplement paid on top of the $1,200.90 single Age Pension?
No. The $14.10 Energy Supplement is one of the three components that make up the $1,200.90 — alongside the $1,100.30 basic rate and the $86.50 Pension Supplement. You receive $1,200.90 in total, not $1,200.90 plus $14.10.
How much is the Energy Supplement for a couple?
Each member of a couple receives $10.60 per fortnight, so a couple gets $21.20 combined. This sits inside each partner's $905.20 maximum rate (combined $1,810.40) for the 20 March to 19 September 2026 period.
Why doesn't my Energy Supplement go up each year like the rest of my pension?
The basic rate and Pension Supplement are indexed twice a year, but the Energy Supplement is a fixed legislated amount that is not indexed. It has stayed at $14.10 (single) for years and will only change if Parliament legislates it.
Who lost the Energy Supplement after 20 September 2016?
People who became eligible for certain payments — most notably a new Commonwealth Seniors Health Card — on or after 20 September 2016 generally do not get the Energy Supplement. Those who held a qualifying payment or card continuously from before that date are grandfathered and keep it.
Do I need to apply for the Energy Supplement?
No. If you are eligible, it is automatically included in your fortnightly Age Pension payment. There is no separate form or claim. Check your Centrelink payment summary to confirm an Energy Supplement amount is listed.
Does the Energy Supplement reduce if I'm on a part pension?
Yes. The figures here are maximum rates for full pensioners. If the income or assets test reduces your pension to a part rate, your supplements — including the Energy Supplement — can taper down with it.
Get the free Age Pension rates checklist
The current fortnightly figures, the supplements, and the tests on one page — emailed to you.
You're on the list — we'll be in touch.
Sources: Services Australia — How much Age Pension you can get · Services Australia — Energy Supplement. Figures verified for the 20 March 2026 – 19 September 2026 rate period.