The ACT Government is exempting Commonwealth carbon tax compensation payments from the assessable incomes of public and social housing tenants, keeping rents down for low-income households, Minister for Community Services Joy Burch said today.

"The Federal Government introduced its Commonwealth Clean Energy Future Packages payments to help low-income households meet the costs of the Clean Energy Future Package," Ms Burch said.

"The ACT Labor Government is supporting this by excluding these compensation payments when assessing the incomes of public or social housing tenants for the purposes determining rent levels, ensuring tenants get the full benefit of the payments."

The exemption will apply to all tenants of social housing, including public and community housing tenants, as well as those tenants in public housing properties maintained under a head-lease arrangement where the tenant is a community organisation.

The exemption commenced in June 2012 when the upfront Clean Energy Advance began. The ongoing Carbon Pricing Compensation Payments will commence on 20 March 2013.

Ms Burch said the ACT Government had implemented a range of measures to help Canberrans reduce utility bills, including those specifically for energy public housing tenants.

"The 2012-13 Budget provided an additional $2 million to the $8 million already allocated to the Public Housing Energy Efficiency Program, which is helping our tenants cut energy and water use. We have also increased utility rebates for low-income households in recent Budgets.

"These measures underline how the ACT Labor Government is continuing to address energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions while minimising the financial impact on the most vulnerable in our community."