Secret $500 voucher Aussies can claim for their home

Aussie households could score up to $500 to rip out old toilets and slash their water bills, as one state ramps up its response to worsening rainfall shortages.

The cash incentive is being offered under Western Australia’s expanded Waterwise Towns program, with eligible homeowners able to claim $400 for a new four-star toilet or $500 for a five-star model with a built-in hand basin.

The rebate is open to households connected to participating water providers across Perth, Peel and regional WA communities.

To qualify, the existing toilet must be a single-flush model or a dual-flush unit installed before 1995.

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The replacement must be fitted by a plumber, with applicants required to submit receipts and before-and-after photos.

Up to two toilets per property can be claimed, and the scheme runs until May 31, 2027, unless funding is exhausted earlier.

Eligible households can pocket up to $500 under an overlooked scheme designed to reduce water use and lower costs.

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The move comes as WA’s southwest faces a long-term decline in rainfall, putting growing pressure on the state’s water supply and driving new efforts to cut waste.

The state government says the Waterwise Towns program has already saved 2.8 billion litres of water since 2013, including 637 million litres in the past year alone.

The initiative was expanded in 2026 and now covers 115 towns across WA.

Households in selected locations can also swap out old showerheads for free under the same program.

Residents can exchange up to two existing showerheads for new four-star WELS-rated models, which use about six to seven litres of water a minute compared with 15 to 25 litres for older fittings.

Selected households can also swap out old showerheads.

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In Busselton, customers can bring their old showerheads and a recent water bill to Busselton Water to receive replacements.

Similar offers are available through Water Corporation in regional centres including Bunbury, Albany, Broome and Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Authorities say the more efficient showerheads could deliver noticeable savings on household water bills, on top of reducing overall water use.

WA isn’t alone in trying to help households cut consumption.

Victoria offers showerhead discounts through separate schemes, while parts of New South Wales run free replacement programs.

Beyond ageing infrastructure, WA households can also score vouchers to plant natives in their gardens.

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In NSW, eligible low-income households can also swap an old washing machine for a new water and energy-efficient model worth $749 for $250.

The toilet rebate is the latest in a string of household incentives rolled out in WA.

Earlier this year, the state’s Treebate program offered residents up to $150 towards the cost of buying native trees to plant at home.

Launched in 2025, the scheme allows up to 10,000 Western Australians a year to claim rebates on native trees over four years, provided the tree will grow to at least three metres tall and the purchase is lodged through the ServiceWA app.

For now, Treebate is only available in WA, though some councils interstate run their own native planting incentives.