Reasons people make the switch
- A Victorian gas system is ageing, and the next one will have to be electric anyway.
- The gas unit needs a big repair and the tank is old.
- A renovation is a chance to sort the hot water once.
- You're working towards an all-electric home.
- An eligible heat pump attracts a discount where you live.
What the swap involves
Choose the spot
The heat pump needs outdoor air and room around it. The old gas spot may suit, or a new one may be better for noise and airflow.
Cap the gas
A licensed gas fitter disconnects the old unit and caps its gas line. A cooktop or heater you keep stays connected.
Sort the power
The heat pump needs a suitable electrical supply, which may mean a new circuit. Ask who will do the electrical work.
Install and connect
A plumber will connect the water, run the relief valve and condensate drains, and add temperature control where your state requires it.
Remove the old unit and flue
The gas unit and its flue come out, and any opening left behind is sealed.
Paperwork
Certificates for the plumbing and gas work, plus the forms for any STCs, discount or rebate.
Victoria: the rule behind most switches
Once a gas hot water system in an existing Victorian home reaches end of life on or after 1 March 2027, its replacement must be an efficient electric alternative, and Solar Victoria gives a heat pump as the example. Check current rules: the rule explained.
The rest of your gas can stay. The Government said there are no changes to heating for owner occupiers, and none to gas cooking in existing homes. Rentals follow separate standards that allow an electric-boosted solar water heater as well as a heat pump.
Keeping gas, or leaving it
If hot water was your only gas appliance, ask whether to disconnect the supply altogether: see disconnecting gas.
In the ACT, existing gas connections continue and there's no rule yet requiring gas appliances to be replaced, though the ACT Government plans to stop using fossil gas by 2045. Outside Victoria, the timing of the switch is up to you.
Discounts, by state
Several programs lower the price of a gas to heat pump swap. Each one expects you to pay part of it.
Victoria: Solar Homes and VEU. NSW: Energy Savings Scheme discounts, which the Government calls indicative only. Everywhere: STCs for eligible models under 425 L.
Licences on a two-trade job
This job touches gas and water, so check the licence covers both. In NSW, plumbing and gasfitting each count as specialist work, needing a contractor licence at any job value.
In Western Australia, a new water heater isn't minor work: the contractor gives notice of intention before starting and owes you a certificate of compliance within five working days of finishing.
Your homework before the quote
You can
- Decide whether you'll keep gas for cooking or heating.
- Walk around the house and shortlist spots with airflow, away from bedrooms.
- Find the gas unit's age: some rebates depend on the old system's age.
- Get an electrician to look at the switchboard early.
Leave to a licensed plumber
- Disconnecting and capping the gas.
- Removing the old unit and flue.
- Installing the heat pump and its drains.
- Temperature control and compliance paperwork.
Questions before you go ahead
- Can the heat pump go where the gas unit was, or is there a better spot?
- Who caps the gas, and who does the electrical work?
- What happens to the old flue opening?
- Is the model eligible for STCs and any state discount or rebate, and is that shown on the quote?
- Should I keep my gas supply for the cooktop, or is disconnecting worth it?
What we would do
If your gas unit is working, don't rush. If it's old, work out the heat pump spot and the power supply now, while there's no deadline. Then, when the gas unit does give out, the swap is a booked job with a plan, done by a plumber who specialises in heat pumps, rather than a scramble for whatever model is in stock.