Victoria is the one state where a single hot water job can create two kinds of certificate. That is good for the customer’s price and good for your margin, but only if you handle both without doubling the paperwork.
Rules in this area change, and eligibility depends on the product and the activity. Treat the detail below as a map and confirm specifics with the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) and the Essential Services Commission (ESC) before you quote.
Two schemes, one job
STCs come from the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme. Eligible air-source heat pump water heaters and solar water heaters create them, based on the model, the climate zone and the deeming period.
VEECs come from the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, which rewards activities that reduce energy use in Victorian homes and businesses. Replacing an electric resistance or gas water heater with an eligible heat pump is one such activity.
Both certificates can arise from the same installation. Each has its own registry, its own rules about who can create them, and its own paperwork. The overlap is a feature, not a mistake.
Who can claim what
In broad terms:
| Certificate | Created in | Typically claimed by |
|---|---|---|
| STC | CER Registry | The registered person or agent, with the owner’s assignment |
| VEEC | Victorian Energy Upgrades registry | An accredited person, with the customer’s consent and prescribed activity records |
Two points trip people up.
First, the right to create and the right to be paid are different things. The owner assigns the right to the certificates. The accredited installer or business then claims, and the trader buys.
Second, accreditation differs by scheme. Being a licensed plumber and a CEC-accredited installer does not automatically mean you can create VEECs. Check what you need to be an accredited person for the activity.
The paperwork that overlaps
Much of the evidence is shared:
- Customer name, address and signature
- The product model and serial number
- Installation date and photos
- Plumbing and electrical compliance records
- Details of the old system being replaced, where relevant
Collecting it once and using it twice is the point. The danger is collecting it twice, in slightly different forms.
Where double-handling creeps in
- A crew sends photos to one trader, then the same photos to another, with different names.
- Two sets of forms are filled in by two staff, and the details disagree.
- One claim clears and the other waits, because a field was left blank.
- The customer is contacted twice for the same information.
Each of these is a small cost. Added together across a month of jobs they add up to hours of office time and delayed cash.
What a good workflow looks like
- Quote with both in mind. Know the expected STC and VEEC values for the product and the customer’s situation before you give a price.
- Capture everything on site. Photos, serials, old unit details, signatures. One visit.
- Upload once. One portal, one set of files, one point of contact.
- Pre-check both claims. A desk that knows both schemes can spot a missing item for either, before anything is lodged.
- Settle together. Both certificate types paid on the same timetable.
That is how we run it. Our compliance desk reviews every claim before lodgement, and our VEEC trading and hot water STCs pages explain what we need.
Why one desk for both pays better
There are four reasons, and none is magic.
Less friction. Every handover between businesses is a chance for delay. One desk means fewer handovers.
Fewer errors. A reviewer who sees both claims at once notices when the product model, date or address differ between them.
Faster cash. Both certificate types settle quickly rather than one at speed and the other at the back of someone else’s queue. Our settlement timing explainer shows why that matters on a monthly basis.
Better terms over time. Consolidating volume with one partner can move you up the Partner Program tiers, which carry rate premiums and priority settlement. We do not publish dollar amounts for perks, but they are real.
An illustrative job
Suppose a Melbourne installer replaces an old electric storage tank with a heat pump. The job creates a number of STCs and a number of VEECs, based on the product and activity. At illustrative prices the two certificate values together form a meaningful discount on the customer’s invoice, often enough to change the buying decision.
Without a plan, the installer creates one claim, sends it to a trader, then remembers the VEEC three weeks later and goes hunting for the photos. With a plan, both claims leave the office on the same day, with the same photos, and both get paid.
You can see today’s published rates for both certificate types on the pricing page. For more on how the STC side works for heat pumps specifically, read our heat pump hot water STC explainer.
Before you start
- Confirm your accreditation for each scheme.
- Check each product is eligible for both.
- Agree one trader and one process.
- Write the shared checklist.
Then lodge a first job and see how it flows. If you want a desk that handles VEECs and STCs together, start trading with Energy Merchants.