Smell gas now?
Don't touch light switches or anything that sparks. Get everyone outside, and call the gas emergency number on your gas bill from there. If anyone is hurt or unwell, call 000 first. Then see our gas leaks page.
Gas in Melbourne homes: what's changing
Cooking stays
The Victorian Government says there are no changes to gas cooking in existing homes. LPG use by households and businesses is unchanged too.
Owner-occupiers keep their heating
There are no changes to heating for owner occupiers. Rentals are different: Victoria's new rental energy standards include heating that is replaced when it fails.
Hot water at end of life
From 1 March 2027, a gas hot water system in an existing home must be replaced with an efficient electric alternative when it reaches end of life. Repairs are still allowed. Check current rules.
New buildings go electric
From 1 January 2027, new homes are to be built all electric, as are new commercial buildings other than industrial, manufacturing and agricultural ones.
Gas jobs that carry on as normal
- Swapping or moving a gas cooktop or oven in an existing home: see cooktops.
- Servicing and repairing gas heaters and gas hot water units. A gas hot water system that can be repaired doesn't have to come out.
- Fitting bayonets for portable heaters and barbecues, and gas safety checks.
- Converting an appliance between natural gas and LPG: see LPG conversion.
- Capping a gas line when you switch an appliance to electric: see gas disconnection.
Renovations and businesses
Renovating doesn't force a gas hot water system out. The Government's announcement says gas systems can be temporarily removed and reinstalled during renovations.
For businesses, the same announcement says there are no changes to end-of-life replacement rules for gas appliances in existing commercial buildings. The all-electric requirement applies to new commercial buildings from 1 January 2027.
Checking a gas fitter's licence in Victoria
Victoria's plumbing licences are administered by the Building and Plumbing Commission. Each plumber is registered or licensed for particular classes of work, so ask which class their registration or licence covers and whether it includes the gas work you need. Only a licensed plumber can issue a compliance certificate.
In March 2021, Victoria's building regulator warned about unregistered people advertising through online marketplaces and apps. Get the person's name and number, and look them up yourself. Our licence check guide shows what to look for, and the national gas plumber page explains what a gas fitter checks on each job.
Questions for a Melbourne gas fitter
- Does your registration or licence cover this gas work?
- Is this a repair, or are you saying the unit has reached end of life? Why?
- If I go electric later, what happens to this gas line?
- Will I get a compliance certificate for this job?
What we would do
Before you rip out a working gas appliance, check what has actually changed. Cooktops in existing homes, owner-occupiers' heaters and LPG are untouched, and gas hot water only has to go electric when it reaches end of life from 1 March 2027. Check current rules. For anything that touches gas, use a licensed gas fitter and look up the licence yourself. We'd match you with a gas fitter who handles your kind of job all the time.