What medical equipment costs to run
| Equipment | Power | A year |
|---|---|---|
| CPAP machine, overnight | about 50 W | $48 |
| Oxygen concentrator, around the clock | about 400 W | $1,161 |
| Electric hospital bed or lift chair | about 100 W | $12 |
| Mobility scooter charging | about 150 W | $109 |
Heating and cooling for someone who cannot regulate their body temperature often costs more than the equipment itself. Our air conditioner and appliance running cost calculators price your own devices.
Registering life support equipment
Tell your retailer
Let them know someone at the address relies on life support equipment. Your retailer passes it to the network.
Send the medical confirmation
Your retailer will send a form for a doctor to complete. Return it by the deadline to keep the registration.
Keep it up to date
Re-register when you move or switch retailers, and tell them when the equipment is no longer needed.
Have a backup plan
Registration does not stop unplanned outages from storms or faults. Talk to your doctor or equipment supplier about backup batteries or a plan for longer outages, and keep your network's faults number handy.
Help with medical energy costs
- NSW Medical Energy Rebate: up to $285 a year for retail customers, or $313.50 in an embedded network, for eligible concession card holders who cannot regulate their body temperature.
- NSW Life Support Rebate: an amount that depends on the equipment and the days in the billing period.
- Other states: each state and territory has medical cooling, heating or life support concessions. See concessions by state.
- Hardship help: if bills are hard to pay, your retailer must tell you about its hardship program.
Questions about medical equipment and electricity
It depends on the model. A unit drawing about 400 W around the clock uses about 3,500 kWh a year, roughly $1,161 on the Ausgrid reference rate. Check your device's rating for the exact figure.
Call your retailer, tell them someone at the address relies on life support equipment, and return the medical confirmation form they send. They pass the details to your network.
Not for non-payment if the address is registered. Registration also means you get advance notice of planned outages. Unplanned outages can still happen, so have a backup plan.
Yes. In NSW, the Medical Energy Rebate is up to $285 a year for eligible retail customers, and there is a separate Life Support Rebate. Other states have medical heating, cooling or life support concessions.
Sources
Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.