For the average homeowner, the costs of running a gas-based house and petrol car is around $5300 a year, according to Rewiring Australia. By contrast, an electrified home with rooftop solar can slash those costs to less than half.
In a move that seeks to capitalise on those numbers Victorian-based electrification consultants, Goodbye Gas, has teamed with Momentum Energy to target the state’s high residential gas use and accelerate the net zero transition.
The partnership will see the energy provider offer to cover the cost of abolishing gas for them – a fee of about $242 – if the customer engages Goodbye Gas to fully electrify their homes.
Customers will be paid the abolishment fee as a credit on their final gas bill.
Momentum Energy is the mainland retailer of Hydro Tasmania, which claims to be Australia’s largest renewable energy generator. The retailer hopes to target its 70,000 gas customers based in Victoria to transition away from gas.
Momentum’s managing director, Lisa Chiba, said that while the program was voluntary, arguments for electrification will get stronger as the grid moves to decarbonisation.
“It might seem strange for a gas retailer to be incentivising its own customers to transition away from gas, but Momentum wants to see more of our customers living fully electric lives – for their wallet, for the planet and to support Australia’s net zero carbon emissions goals,” Ms Chiba said.
“Going all-electric – particularly when combined with adding solar panels – is one of the most impactful changes individual consumers can make to help the planet.”
Goodbye Gas director Peter Steele said that gaining the support of a mid-sized retailer was a big step in encouraging people to switch from gas – and his company will focus on helping customers handle the “complex” technologies and trades involved.
Rewiring Australia estimates the average running cost of gas and petrol homes to be $5300 a year, while electrified homes with rooftop solar have running costs of about $1850 per year, Mr Steele said. The numbers include usage, heating and cooling, cooking, and vehicle costs.
He adds that research by the International Energy Agency, shows that greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by 20 per cent just by switching from a gas boiler to a hot water heat pump – even when running on emissions-intensive electricity.
The comparison from Rewiring Australia requires installing solar panels, a battery, a heat pump for water heating, an induction cooktop and electric oven, replacing the gas space heating and buying a fully electric car. Merely rebating the gas cut-off fee will hardly compensate for the close to of $100,000 that must be spent to go “fully electric”. Then, at the end of their useful life, all these appliances are more expensive to replace than their existing counterparts.