The rebate announced jointly by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Energy Minister Mick de Brenni was aimed at relieving cost-of-living pressures on households amid skyrocketing energy and fuel prices.

It was promised to be included in the “next power bill” of Queenslanders according to their statement on May 26, but hasn’t been sighted in any bills issued by energy retailers since.

A tweet from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at 5.51am today announced the rebate would be applied to electricity bills from “now and November”.

A screenshot of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s power rebate announcement on Twitter issued at 5.51am.

Shadow Energy Minister Pat Weir said the timing of Palaszczuk’s tweet showed the rebate had been announced but never organised.

“Many Queenslanders would have adjusted their budgets for a rebate that never arrived,” he said.

Signs the rebate was in trouble appeared early this month during budget estimates hearings when Energy Queensland CEO Rod Duke, head of Australia’s largest electricity distributor, said he had received no instructions from the government about the timing of the rebate’s release.

“I would have to take some advice as to whether, in fact, it would be August or some other time,” he said.

However, according to Hansard transcripts from the August 2 hearing, de Brenni was adamant no promises had been broken in the delivery of the rebate.

“Households will start to see the rebate applied to bills from electricity retailers from 31 August,” he said.

“That has always been clear in the materials that we have provided. The media has been clear around that and retailers have been clear around that in their communications.

“I know that Energy Queensland will be enabling the provision of that rebate to Queensland households.”