Victorian households are eligible to grab $250 from the state  government this winter – and all they need to do is visit a website.

Unveiling a second round of the state’s popular power saving bonus scheme on Friday, Victoria’s Acting Energy Minister Ingrid Stitt said those who looked up their power deals on the government’s energy compare website could cash in.

“Families right across Victoria are facing high costs of living, and this new round of the $250 power saving bonus helps them to pay the bills and make sure they are getting the best deal on their energy,” Ms Stitt said.

“We’re making sure that Victorians facing hardship receive the power saving bonus, and get the support they need to access concessions for cheaper power through the Energy Assistance Program.”

Victoria unveiled the $3.75 million power comparison initiative last year, as part of a campaign to help households with soaring energy bills. In the first round, which launched on July 1, 2022, more than 1.7 million households signed up to receive the payment.

The program aims to provide direct support through the cash while also encouraging households to see if they can get a better deal.

The latest round of the program opened on Friday and runs until August 31.

Households must have their own residential electricity plans to be eligible for the scheme. Once they’ve applied, the only requirement to receive a payment is comparing their deal on the government’s website – signing a new deal is not a requirement.

Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said big power companies relied on people not having the time, information or knowledge to save money.

“We know better deals are out there – and we’re helping Victorian families find them,” she said.

“We’re helping Victorians with immediate bill relief through the Power Saving Bonus and driving down the cost of living through our rebates for solar, hot water and Victorian Energy Upgrades program.”

Victorians who received a $250 payment under the last round of the program are eligible under the new round, but only one payment can be made to each household.

Small business owners are not eligible to apply for the payments.

Households will be asked to provide a copy of one of their recent electricity bills upon applying for the scheme, officials have said.

Applications for the program are open now and can be accessed on Victoria’s Energy Compare website.