Gas in Canberra: the local picture
Who runs the pipes
Evoenergy is the ACT's gas distributor, and the ACT Government names Jemena as its network manager. Your retailer looks after the account.
Still widely used
The ACT Government says most Canberrans use fossil fuel gas for heating, hot water and cooking.
No new meters
Since 8 December 2023, new connections, including fitting a meter where none exists, have been blocked in residential, commercial and community facility zones.
Clearance at the meter
With a disconnected service you must keep 500mm clear around the gas meter, with no electrical equipment or appliances inside that zone.
Closing a gas connection: two options
| Disconnection | Abolishment | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | The account closes and the line is capped. The meter stays. | The service line is cut at the main, the gas evacuated and the meter removed. |
| Gas left on your block | An active, pressurised line | None |
| Who arranges it | Your energy retailer, plus a gas tradesperson to cap the line | Your gas retailer, at the request of the homeowner or their representative |
| Can you go back? | Yes: gas can be reconnected | In most cases no, because a new connection is blocked |
Before you cap or abolish
When the last gas appliance comes out, the ACT Government suggests asking your licensed gas tradesperson to cap the line on the customer side of the meter at the same visit.
A disconnected line is still pressurised, and you have to tell anyone building, landscaping or digging that it's there. Abolishment is mandatory before demolition, and the Government suggests it if you plan building or landscaping work, want to use the area near the meter, or will sell or lease the home with no gas appliances.
Be sure before you abolish. A renovation that abolishes the connection to make the site safe falls under the connection rule, so the gas won't come back.
Gas appliances and the 2045 goal
No ACT rule forces a gas appliance out. The Government consulted from 5 August to 16 September 2026 on rental standards and possible restrictions on installing gas appliances, with a draft regulation and Regulatory Impact Analysis to follow.
The aim is to stop using fossil fuel gas by 2045. The Government expects to close parts of the network from the mid-2030s, with notice, and favours doing it in bulk by street, suburb or district. A gas appliance bought today might not see out its life on gas. Our national gas fitting page covers the jobs gasfitters do.
ACT gasfitter licences
Gasfitter classes in the ACT are advanced gasfitter, general gasfitter, journeyperson gasfitter and LPG gasfitter, plus restricted automotive classes. They're separate from the plumbing and drainage classes. Look up the class on Access Canberra's public register before work starts, using our licence check guide.
Questions for a Canberra gasfitter
- Which gasfitter class do you hold, and does it cover this job?
- Given my plans for the house, should I disconnect or abolish?
- Will you cap the line on the customer side when the last appliance comes out?
- Is anything sitting inside the 500mm clearance around my meter?
What we would do
If you still use gas, keep the appliances serviced and plan each replacement as it comes, rather than all at once. When the last gas appliance goes, have the line capped on the same visit and leave the connection disconnected until you're certain about renovating, selling or demolishing. Abolish only when you know you won't want gas back, because in most cases you can't.