Going All-Electric in Canberra: Gas to Electric, Your Switchboard and the Order of Upgrades

Going all-electric means replacing your gas hot water, heating and cooking with electric appliances, then closing the gas account. In the ACT, new homes have no choice: the ACT Government has prevented new gas network connections since 8 December 2023. Existing homes can keep their gas for now. The government has committed to phasing out fossil fuel gas by 2045 and ran a consultation from 5 August to 16 September 2026 on future rules for gas appliances, but no rules yet force you to replace a working gas appliance.

For most Canberra homes the electrical side is very doable. ACT Government advice is that most homes will not need three-phase power to go all-electric, but the switchboard often needs work, and planning it once for everything saves paying twice. A sensible order is hot water and heating first, cooking last, with solar, batteries and an EV charger fitted around them. Sustainable Household Scheme loans at 3%, and rebates for eligible concession card holders, can help with the cost. Our heating and cooling and switchboards and power pages cover the work we do.

Where is the ACT gas transition up to?

As of October 2026, this is what is in force and what is still being worked out.

• No new gas connections. Since 8 December 2023, new gas network connections are prevented in residential, commercial and community facility zones, and for residential buildings in other zones. A new connection includes installing a gas meter where there was not one. New homes in suburbs like Taylor and the Molonglo Valley are built all-electric as a result.
• Existing connections stay. If you already have a gas meter, you can keep using it. The regulation is due to be reviewed in 2026 and 2030.
• A 2045 phase-out. In August 2022 the ACT Government committed to phasing out fossil fuel gas use by 2045 at the latest. Its Integrated Energy Plan 2024-30 is the roadmap.
• Future appliance rules are being developed. The 2026 consultation on gas appliance regulation looked at options such as information at the point of sale, standards for rental properties and limits on installing new gas appliances. A draft regulation and impact analysis are still to come.

The practical upshot: you do not need to rip out a working gas heater tomorrow, but the best time to go electric is when a gas appliance is due for replacement. Buying a new gas appliance now means paying for something that may have to go before the end of its life.

What does going all-electric mean for your switchboard?

Every gas appliance you replace becomes an electrical load. A heat pump, a ducted or split reverse cycle system and an induction cooktop each typically need their own circuit, and an EV charger adds another.

The ACT Government’s page on electrical upgrades to support electrification puts it plainly: older switchboards may not have enough capacity, spare slots for new circuits, new circuit breakers or compliant safety features for modern electric appliances. When a board is upgraded, the electrician has to bring it up to the current AS/NZS 3000 wiring standard, and it is sensible to leave spare capacity for later.

In Canberra we often see:

• Ceramic fuses in homes from the 1970s and 80s, which need replacing before new circuits can be added. Our guide to ceramic fuses and old fuse boxes explains why.
• Full boards in 1990s and 2000s homes, with no room for another breaker.
• No safety switches on some circuits, which a new circuit and modern rules will not allow.

Our guide to switchboard upgrade costs in Canberra covers what is involved. If you are going all-electric, give us the full list of what you plan to add, even if it is spread over years, so the board is planned once. Our switchboards and power work covers new boards, safety switches and extra circuits.

Do you need three-phase power?

Most Canberra homes have single-phase power. Some newer homes have three-phase. The ACT Government’s advice is that in most cases homes will not need to upgrade to three-phase to go all-electric.

It may be worth considering if you have:

• very large heating and cooling systems or commercial-grade kitchen appliances
• a fast EV charger (above about 7 kW), or more than one EV charging often
• a solar system larger than 10 kW
• a very large home with high energy use.

A supply upgrade involves Evoenergy, the local network, as well as your electrician. Before going down that path, there are cheaper ways to fit more on a single-phase supply.

Load management

The total load only becomes a problem if everything runs at once. Ways to avoid that include:

• Efficient appliances. A heat pump and an inverter reverse cycle system use far less power than old resistive heaters and electric tanks.
• Timers. Run the hot water heat pump in the middle of the day and the EV charger overnight, so they do not overlap with the evening cooking and heating peak.
• Load-managed EV chargers. Many chargers can monitor the house load and slow down when other appliances are running.
• Solar and batteries. These supply more of your daytime and evening load from your own system.

What order should you upgrade in?

There is no single right order, but this is the sequence that makes sense for most Canberra homes:

1. Plan and check the switchboard. List every gas appliance and anything else you want to add, then have an electrician look at the board and the supply. The ACT Government’s Make Your Next Choice Electric tool can help you put a plan together to share with your electrician.
2. Hot water. A heat pump is often the first swap, especially if your gas or electric tank is getting old. Our guide to heat pump hot water in Canberra covers cold-climate models and timers.
3. Heating. Canberra winters make heating a big job. Reverse cycle split or ducted systems heat and cool, and our heating and cooling page covers the install side.
4. Cooking. An induction cooktop and electric oven usually come last. Once they are in, a licensed gasfitter caps the line and you can close the gas account and stop paying the daily supply charge.
5. Solar, batteries and EV charging. These are not gas replacements, but they change how much you save. Our guides on whether a solar battery is worth it in Canberra and EV charger installation cover those decisions.

If an appliance fails early, swap the order. The aim is to never replace a broken gas appliance with another gas one.

What ACT loans and rebates are available?

Schemes change, so check the ACT Government pages before you commit. As of October 2026:

• Sustainable Household Scheme. Loans of $2,000 to $20,000 at 3% interest for most households, repaid over up to 10 years with no establishment or account fees. Eligible products include hot water heat pumps, electric heating and cooling, electric stove tops, batteries, EVs and EV chargers, and ceiling insulation. Rooftop solar and switchboard upgrades are not on the list. Previous participants and applications approved before 1 July 2026 are capped at $15,000 in total, and you need to attend a free one-hour workshop (Sustainable Household Scheme).
• Home Energy Support Program. Homeowners with a Pensioner Concession Card, DVA Gold Card or Health Care Card can get a rebate of 50% of supply and installation, up to $2,500 per product and $5,000 in total, for solar, reverse cycle heating and cooling, hot water heat pumps, electric stove tops and ovens, and ceiling insulation. Property value limits apply. Participants can also get a zero-interest loan of up to $10,000 (Home Energy Support rebates).
• Access to Electric Program. For homeowners regularly struggling to pay energy bills, this program can fully fund gas to electric upgrades and ceiling insulation (Access to Electric). Check the page or call Care Financial Counselling to see if it is open and if you qualify.

When you ask us to quote, tell us which scheme you are using so the quote and paperwork suit it.