Get Off Gas
Embracing Efficiency, Health and Sustainability
Transitioning away from natural gas is not just about embracing modern technology; it's about making a conscious choice for the environment, our health, and our wallets. While gas has been a staple in many homes for years, it's important to understand its impact and the benefits of moving towards electrification.
Natural gas, despite being cleaner than coal and oil, is still a fossil fuel. Its combustion releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants, contributing to climate change. Moreover, the extraction and distribution process often results in methane leaks, a greenhouse gas far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Gas heating for your water and home can be replaced by heat pumps, or reverse-cycle air-conditioning powered by electricity. If you combine this with solar power on your roof, you’ll find that using air-con at the hottest parts of the day coincides with your peak solar generation. Win-win!
From a health perspective, burning natural gas in our homes leads to indoor air pollution. Appliances like gas stoves can emit harmful gases such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and formaldehyde, especially in poorly ventilated spaces, posing risks to our health.
Economically, as renewable energy technologies advance and become more affordable, the cost of maintaining and running gas appliances could soon exceed that of electric alternatives. The infrastructure for gas is also costly to maintain and upgrade compared to electrical infrastructure.
By getting off gas, we're not just adapting to the times; we're future-proofing our homes. As the world moves towards sustainable energy sources, homes reliant on natural gas may become obsolete. Making the switch to electricity now is a proactive step towards a sustainable future.
For eating, induction tops and electric ovens are a strong alternative to gas cookers and stovetops. Electric devices can get a pan to the appropriate temperature faster than gas, and allow much greater control over the temperature settings, as well as being easier to wipe clean. Most of all, it can be run on renewable electricity, whether from your roof or the grid.
Moreover, electrification can lead to significant cost savings. By replacing gas appliances with efficient electric ones, you can reduce your energy bills and enjoy a more comfortable and efficient home. Once you no longer have any need for gas, it’s possible to get your home disconnected, which means that you’ll get one less bill every quarter, with no need to pay for expensive standing charges.
Understanding Your Gas Usage
First of all, it’s a good idea to understand your usage and current emissions.
Check your most recent bills to find your ‘gas usage’ for a full 12 month period, as your usage may change across different seasons. e.g ‘68 units for 98 days’
The number of gas ‘units’ is equivalent to a kWh and can be considered as part of your household energy demands when installing a solar system.
Start by offsetting your gas consumption while you prepare to move to a full electric home, e.g. Kleenheat offer this as an option.
Prepare your own “Get Off Gas” plan
Next, you can start to make your own personalised ‘Get Off Gas’ plan:
List out your gas appliances (hot water, stove, oven, heater, dryer etc.)
Prioritise your appliances to be replaced over time.
Tip: Water heating is the second largest segment of household energy use (15% to 27%) and largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (up to 25%), so ideally start with your water heater.
Discuss with a qualified electrician to understand your home set-up, e.g. 1 or 3 phase power to the house, the suitability of your switchboard and circuit limits.
If you can’t afford to make the switch immediately, it’s worth planning ahead to save up or use the next time a gas appliance fails.
Compare and choose your alternatives, including purchase and installation costs. There is a list of local suppliers in this article. Make a list of the preferred items so you can immediately select these should any of your current equipment fail:
Hotwater: Heat pump for hot water or solar hot water
Heater: electric heater / reverse cycle air con
Stove: induction stove top
Oven: electric oven
Set a timeline and make the change
When you obtain quotes for installing your new appliances, ask what the installer does with the old ones. The best option is for old appliances to go to a scrap metal recycler, not the tip.
Old air conditioners contain refrigerant which needs to be safely recovered by a licensed air conditioning technician. Some major retailers offer “take-back” services including removal of polystyrene packaging.
Once you’re fully off gas and wish to remove the service entirely from your property, for an active gas account, you must apply for your service to be abolished through your retailer.
Costs and Payback Period
Although the upfront costs can appear high, the changes will pay for themselves over time. If you can close your gas account then you may be able to save more than $150 per year just for service and account charges, not to mention switching to a much lower unit price for all of your heating and cooking energy needs.
Ease of Change
Usually, existing gas lines can be shut off as part of installing an electric alternative, and the old unit then safely removed and recycled by a qualified installer.
When replacing water heating or adding a major new load to your existing switchboard then be sure to consult with a qualified electrician.
If the change feels like too much to do at once, it’s possible to switch over time and worth targeting the highest energy use appliances first (typically water heating).
Emission Reductions
Electrical appliances can be far more efficient than gas appliances, for example a heat pump hot water system can be 3 to 5 times more efficient than gas.
Induction cooktops are proven to be much more energy efficient: gas cooktops are around 40 percent efficient whereas induction cooktops are 84 percent efficient.
Plus, as the grid transitions to provide more renewable-generated electricity over time, your emissions will continue to reduce with no additional effort.
To work out how much you can save on emissions, you can multiply the number of gas units used annually by 0.68. This gives you to get kgCO2e/kWh or kgCO2e/unit of gas consumption.
Co-benefits
Getting off gas is much better for the overall health of your household:
No air pollutants or noxious gases
Reduced dust
Safer
Efficient induction stoves and appliances reduce risk of personal injury, fires and explosions
Simple and expandable
You can expand your home solution to add items like solar PV, batteries, EV over time
Increased home energy consumption transparency
You can adjust your consumption behaviours with electricity as unlike gas you can monitor it in real time.
You don’t need solar panels or an EV to start making a difference
Initial set-up costs can be high, particularly if you need to change the switchboard to support the new electrical needs, so discuss with your qualified electrician
As the grid ‘greens up’ over time your greenhouse gas emissions automatically reduce over time
Funding
Government support for getting off gas is not currently available within Western Australia.
Helpful Websites
Make the Switch : ACT-based resource. Detail is given on improving the thermal efficiency of building, prioritising your appliances for switching (e.g. biggest gas users first, lowest gas users last), choosing alternative appliances, setting a timeline.
General information and preparing the plan
https://maketheswitch.org.au/calculate-the-switch/
https://www.nabers.gov.au/ratings/our-ratings/nabers-renewable-energy-indicator
Comparing your options
https://www.energy.gov.au/households/hot-water-systems
https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/buyers-guides/hot-water-buyers-guide/
https://www.energy.gov.au/households/hot-water-systems
Contractors around Curtin
Hot Water Heat Pumps
https://heatpumpsperth.com.au/
https://www.hiltonplumbing.com.au/hot-water-systems/heat-pump-hot-water-systems/
https://www.plumbitright.com.au/hot-water/heat-pumps/
Hot Water – Evacuated Tubes and Solar
https://www.mackieplumbingperth.com.au/evacuated-tube-split-systems/
https://www.solazone.com.au/solar-hotwater/evacuated-tube/