Air conditioning in Queensland: no rebate, so price it carefully

If you are shopping in Brisbane, Townsville or Cairns and have read about a Queensland air conditioner rebate, check the date on that article first. The Climate Smart Energy Savers rebate is closed^src, and Energex says PeakSmart cashback has closed^src. So a Queensland buyer pays the market rate, which nationally looks like a split system unit at $600 to $5,500^src plus an installer's fee of $600 to $800 or more^src in CHOICE's 2023 guide.

Is there a Queensland rebate or cashback right now?

No. The state's Climate Smart Energy Savers rebate covered only appliances bought and installed on or before 4 December 2023, with 30 days to apply. By mid-November 2023 it had approved almost 3,500^src applications for air conditioners.

PeakSmart was a separate cashback, paid by the electricity networks rather than the state. Energex says the offers have closed^src. A Queensland Government page that once described the cashback has since been replaced: its address now leads to a general home energy efficiency page with no mention of PeakSmart.

What does installation cost without a rebate?

We found no published price list for Brisbane, Townsville or Cairns that we would stake a figure on, so these are national figures. CHOICE's breakdown is the most detailed but dates from 2023; ServiceSeeking's 2026 averages are recent but do not say how big each job was.

With no discount to chase, the gap between your cheapest and dearest quote is the saving that matters. Get three, make sure they price the same capacity, and ask each one what moves the price: ServiceSeeking names longer pipe runs, electrical upgrades and removing the old unit^src.

Which climate zone is your home in?

Coastal Queensland sits in the building code's two humid zones. Zone 1, high humidity summer, warm winter^src, covers northern Australia from Exmouth to south of Townsville^src. Zone 2, warm humid summer, mild winter^src, covers coastal Queensland from north of Mackay to just south of Coffs Harbour^src. Inland is different: zone 3, hot dry summer, warm winter^src, takes in the Queensland hinterland, including Mount Isa and Charleville^src. Zone boundaries do not follow town lines neatly, so look up your own address.

Humidity is the enemy of evaporative cooling: energy.gov.au says evaporative coolers are less effective on humid days^src. On the coast, that makes refrigerated air conditioning the realistic choice. The evaporative versus reverse cycle guide covers the drier zones.

Which power network are you on?

Queensland Government tariff guidance talks about households connected to the Energex or Ergon Energy^src distribution network. PeakSmart cashback came from these networks, so if you see a network cashback advertised, check your network's own site before counting on it.

Who can install it?

Queensland follows the national rule: anyone who installs, services or repairs an air conditioner needs a Refrigerant Handling Licence^src. The ARCtick licence guide explains the two licence types and which jobs each one covers.