Gas to electric upgrades in Warragul

Moving a Warragul home from gas to electric appliances usually means new dedicated circuits for a heat pump hot water unit, an induction cooktop or reverse cycle heating, and a check that the switchboard and incoming supply can carry the extra load. Victorian rules starting in 2027 make all-electric the default for new homes and for replacing a gas hot water system that has reached the end of its life. A licensed electrician handles the wiring, while the plumber and appliance installer handle the rest.

What changes for Victorian homes in 2027?

The Premier’s announcement of 24 June 2025 set the dates, and AusNet’s summary of the new rules explains how they apply.

Date	What the rule says	Who it affects
1 January 2027	All new homes are built all electric	New builds; a building permit approved before 31 December 2026 may still allow gas
1 March 2027	A gas hot water system at end of life is replaced with an efficient electric alternative	Existing homes, once the system cannot be repaired or safely maintained
1 March 2027	New minimum energy efficiency standards for rentals and public housing	Rental providers

There are a few limits worth knowing. The Premier’s release says there are no heating changes for owner-occupiers and no change to gas cooking in existing homes. AusNet notes that apartment buildings with centralised hot water are exempt from the hot water rule, that repairs are still allowed, and that rental homes do not have to replace gas cooktops. Existing gas appliances in working order can stay, and AusNet adds that bottled LPG can still be used in regional homes for hot water or cooking, which matters on farms beyond the piped gas network.

Why do households switch before they have to?

Common reasons people in Baw Baw start a gas to electric enquiry:

• the gas hot water unit is ageing and they would rather plan the change than replace it in a hurry
• solar panels are on the roof and they want to use more of the daytime output at home
• a kitchen renovation is the right moment to swap a gas cooktop for induction
• gas heaters are near the end of their life and reverse cycle units would also cool in summer
• they want to close the gas account and stop paying its supply charge
• a rental needs to meet the new standards from March 2027

Which electrical work does each appliance need?

Each appliance you add changes what the electrician has to do. This table gives a general picture; the electrician confirms the detail after seeing the appliance specifications.

Replacing	Electric option	Typical electrical work
Gas storage or instantaneous hot water	Heat pump hot water	A dedicated circuit to the outdoor unit, often with a timer or solar-linked control
Gas cooktop	Induction cooktop	A dedicated high-current circuit to the kitchen and a suitable isolating point
Gas ducted or space heaters	Reverse cycle split systems or ducted	A dedicated circuit to each outdoor unit and isolators
Gas oven	Electric oven	Usually a circuit shared with or alongside the cooktop, depending on the model
Several of the above together	Full electrification	Possibly a board upgrade, or a review of the supply to the house

Energy Safe Victoria lists hot water services and air conditioning among the jobs that are non-prescribed, so they do not need an inspection before being switched on. If the switchboard is replaced as part of the project, that work is prescribed and is inspected first. The Energy Safe certificate page explains both categories.

Can my switchboard and supply carry the extra load?

This is the part people often miss. A home that ran its hot water, cooking and heating on gas may have a small board and a supply sized for lights and power points only. The electrician checks:

1. Spare positions on the board. Each new appliance usually needs its own circuit breaker and safety switch protection.
2. Main switch and incoming cable. Adding several large loads at once can push total demand past what the main switch or consumer mains were installed for.
3. Single-phase or three-phase supply. Many houses run on single-phase. Some larger homes and properties with big sheds have three-phase, which spreads the load. Any change to the supply goes through the local distributor, AusNet Services, and the electrician arranges that side.
4. Solar and battery systems. Existing solar connects at the board, and an upgrade needs to keep that connection safe and compliant.
5. Future loads. If an EV is on the horizon, it is cheaper to plan for the EV charger installation circuit now than to open up the board twice.

Where the board has no room, a switchboard upgrade is often the first step, and you can send a gas to electric enquiry that covers both together.

What does the electrical side cost?

The published Melbourne guide used on this site gives $945 to $2,950 for a single-phase board and $2,625 to $5,800 for a three-phase board. New circuits for each appliance are often priced on labour and materials, with labour at $84 to $160 per hour during business hours. Appliance prices, plumbing, gas disconnection and any building work are separate and are not covered here.

A careful quote breaks the work down by appliance, so you can see what each circuit costs and stage the changes if the budget does not allow all of them at once. The Warragul electrical cost guide shows how these bands compare with other household jobs. This site does not track rebates or discounts for electrification, so check current programs directly with the Victorian Government before you plan around one.

How is an electrification project usually staged?

1. The electrician reviews the board, supply and planned appliances, and writes up the capacity findings.
2. If needed, the board is upgraded first and inspected before it is energised.
3. Circuits are run to the locations of the new appliances.
4. Appliances are installed by the relevant trades, and the electrician makes the final connections.
5. Each circuit is tested and a Certificate of Electrical Safety is issued.
6. The plumber or gasfitter caps or removes the gas appliances, and the gas supply is closed off if you want it disconnected.

Coordinating the trades matters. The hot water swap is the most time-sensitive, because a household cannot go long without hot water, so ask the electrician and plumber to book that day together.

Local angle: new estates and older homes around Drouin

Households building in the newer estates in Drouin and Warragul will meet the new-build rule first. AusNet says a home with a building permit approved before 31 December 2026 may still be able to connect gas; later projects should expect to be all electric. Owners building now should talk to their builder about board size and spare circuits, since it costs less to plan capacity before the walls are lined.

Owners of older homes across Baw Baw are more likely to face the hot water rule first, when an existing gas unit fails. Planning ahead, by checking the board and having a circuit ready, avoids a rushed decision.

The electrical work in any of these projects is quoted and completed by an independent licensed electrician under their own registration; the about page explains how referrals work.

Next step: send a gas to electric enquiry

So the electrician can assess the electrical load before visiting, include:

• which gas appliances are being replaced: hot water, cooktop, oven, heating, or all of them
• the models of the new electric appliances if you have chosen them, or links to their specifications
• a photo of the switchboard with the cover closed, and of the meter box
• whether the home is single-phase or three-phase, if you know
• whether there is solar or a battery, and its size
• whether an EV charger is planned in the next few years
• the suburb and a rough timeline

Then ask for an electrification quote and an electrician who covers your area can follow up.

Send a job enquiry