Smell gas?
Turn the gas off at the meter only if it's safe, put out any flame, don't touch electrical switches and open the doors and windows. Then call the emergency number on your gas bill from outside, or 000 if there's a fire. See gas leaks for what happens next.
Gas in Greater Geelong
Rentals need a check every 2 years
28.0% of homes in Greater Geelong's council area were rented in 2021. Under the Residential Tenancies Regulations 2021, landlords must have gas and electrical safety checks done every 2 years, the gas one by a gasfitter endorsed in Type A gas work.
AusNet on the easement plan
Council's guide to easements lists AusNet as the usual holder of gas easements, alongside Barwon Water for water and sewer. Your plan of subdivision shows which easements cross your block.
Heaters every two years
Energy Safe Victoria recommends a gas heater service at least every two years, including a test for carbon monoxide leakage. Any gas heater can spill carbon monoxide, old or new.
Who licenses Geelong gasfitters
Energy Safe Victoria says the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) registers, licenses and disciplines gasfitters as well as plumbers. A gasfitter's photo ID card lists the classes of work they may do.
For servicing heaters, cooktops and water heaters, look for the Type A appliance endorsement. Energy Safe Victoria groups cookers, space heaters, central heaters and water heaters as Type A appliances. Check the person who turns up, not just the business name on the quote.
What 1 March 2027 does and doesn't change
It changes one thing for existing homes: when gas hot water wears out, the replacement must be an efficient electric system, like a heat pump. Until it wears out, it can keep being repaired. Check current rules, since we haven't found the regulation itself.
It doesn't touch gas cooking in an existing home, or gas heating for people who own and live in their home. LPG use is unchanged too. New homes are a separate story: the Government says they will be built all electric from 1 January 2027.
If the hot water goes electric but the cooktop and heater stay on gas, ask the gas fitter what happens to the old hot water line. Going fully electric is a gas disconnection, which has its own steps.
Common gas jobs in Geelong homes
- Swapping or moving a gas cooktop.
- Fitting a bayonet for a portable heater or barbecue.
- A two-yearly gas safety check for a rental.
- Servicing a ducted heater or wall furnace.
- Capping a gas line when the hot water goes electric.
Ask the gas fitter
- Can I see your photo ID card, and does it show Type A servicing?
- Will the service include a carbon monoxide spillage test?
- Which lines need capping if only the hot water goes electric?
- For a rental: will I get a record of the safety check to keep?
What we would do
If you're a Geelong landlord, diarise the two-yearly gas check now; it's a legal duty, and the gasfitter's record is your proof. If you own your home, get your gas heater serviced before winter rather than during it, and ask for the CO test by name. And if your gas hot water is getting old, plan the switch while it still works, so a breakdown doesn't force a rushed decision.