Aussie households are ditching gas to save about $4100 a year, with fresh figures showing families are cutting the cord on the controversial product as connection costs soar and exit fees tumble.
New Australian Energy Regulator (AER) data shows residential gas customers are disconnecting in growing numbers, marking the first sustained downturn in household gas use outside brief or unusual disruptions.
Nationally, residential gas connections fell for a second straight quarter in the three months to September 2025, with policy hastening the turn.
Victoria has banned new gas connections since 2024, while in the City of Sydney, new builds have been barred from connecting to gas from since January 1, this year, with commercial properties to follow from 2027.
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This later date will see outdoor gas fittings, including heaters and barbecues, also outlawed in new builds, ensuring a completely electric standard for future homes and commercial developments.
Gas cooking will soon be a thing of the past for new home builds across Sydney.
The ACT ended most new gas network connections in December 2023 as part of its plan to phase out gas entirely by 2045.
Speaking to Yahoo News, Rewiring Australia chief executive Francis Vierboom said more than 11,000 homes disconnected from gas over the past two quarters, while electricity connections rose by 62,000. “What this data shows is that there is no longer a debate about future technology and households have already made the decision to push ahead with cheaper and more efficient energy sources in their homes,” he said.
He noted all states and territories in the AER data recorded a net fall in household gas connections over six months.
“While new gas connections are banned in Victoria, it still holds almost half of Australia’s gas connections, and seeing its first‑ever net quarterly decline, nearly 2000 connections in a single quarter, is a major turning point.”
Going all electrical could save households around $4100 a year.
Cost signals appear to be doing the heavy lifting.
From October, new gas connections are set to cost around $3000 per home, while the cost of disconnecting in NSW is due to drop to about $250 from mid‑year.
“(It’s) become a no‑brainer for consumers,” Vierboom said, pointing to Rewiring Australia research that finds the average home saves roughly $4100 annually by switching to efficient electric appliances and vehicles.
Some households remain cautious, citing the upfront cost of replacing appliances, concerns about blackouts, and a preference for gas cooking.
Others argue gas networks still have a role in the transition, especially in colder regions or older homes where upgrades can be complex or costly.
On the downside, those forced into the gas ban will also gave to say goodbye to the traditional gas barbecues.
Vierboom said the sustained decline gives governments a chance to lock in lower bills and cut emissions.
He’s urging a HECS‑style “Electrify Everything Loans Scheme” that covers upfront costs for solar, batteries and electric appliances, repaid only when the home is sold.
Expanding the Small‑scale Renewable Energy Scheme to include items like electric cooktops and EV chargers could deliver immediate savings, he said, while rules requiring landlords to replace failed gas appliances with electric alternatives would ensure renters don’t miss out.
With household gas use now sliding faster, the focus is turning to how quickly governments can back the shift to cheaper, cleaner, more efficient all‑electric homes – and how many more families can bank those $4100‑a‑year savings.
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