Is there An Electric Replacement For Gas Ducted Heating?

Yes — and it is an extremely popular option!

If you have gas ducted heating, you can replace it with an electric ducted system that uses your existing vents and ductwork. No new holes cut into your home, no major structural work. We remove the old gas heater, update the ducting where needed, and install the new system, usually in a single day.

And here’s the bonus most people don’t realise until we tell them: the new system doesn’t just heat. A reverse cycle ducted system heats and cools your entire home from the same vents. You’re replacing your gas heater and getting full ducted air conditioning at the same time.

If you have solar panels, or you’re thinking about getting them, there’s another advantage. You can use that solar power to run your heating through winter, which is exactly when most households use the most energy. That’s a real saving that compounds over time.

Why So Many Melbourne Homeowners Are Making the Switch Right Now

Victoria was built on gas. Almost every home has it, and for decades it made sense — gas was cheap and the systems were reliable.

That’s changed. Gas prices have risen sharply over the past few years and aren’t coming back down. Getting a gas heater repaired or serviced is becoming harder as fewer tradespeople work on gas systems and parts for older units get scarce. And as of January 2024, new homes in Victoria can no longer connect to gas at all.

If your gas heater is ageing, you’ve been quoted a big repair bill, or you’re just paying too much to run it, switching to electric now makes more sense than waiting.

What Does It Cost to Replace Gas Ducted Heating With Electric?

All prices below are fully inclusive — GST, the Victorian government VEU rebate, and full replacement of your existing ductwork and grilles. No surprises.

Daikin Premium — Supply & Install

System Size	Up to	All-in price
12.5KW	6 outlets	From $8,899
16KW	10 outlets	From $10,380

Mitsubishi Electric — Supply & Install

System Size	Up to	All-in price
12.5KW	6 outlets	From $8,170
16KW	10 outlets	From $10,190

Midea — Supply & Install

System Size	Up to	All-in price
12.5KW	6 outlets	From $6,300
17KW	10 outlets	From $7,300

Every system we install is a premium inverter reverse cycle unit — the specification required to qualify for the VEU rebate. That rebate is already deducted from the prices above.

The VEU Rebate — What Is It?

The Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program is the state government’s incentive to get households off gas and onto efficient electric systems. When you replace a gas ducted heater with a qualifying premium reverse cycle system, you receive a rebate that’s applied directly to your installation cost.

You don’t claim it separately or wait for a cheque, it comes straight off the price. Every system Beyond installs qualifies.

You can read more on our VEU rebate information page.

Will the Running Costs Actually Be Lower?

Yes, and the Victorian government has put numbers to it.

According to the Victorian government’s own figures, the average existing Victorian home switching to all-electric can save:

• Around $1,900 per year without solar panels
• Around $2,230 per year when paired with an existing solar system

To put that in context, a typical dual-fuel home (electric and gas) spends around $3,080 per year on energy. An all-electric home without solar spends around $2,090 — a difference of roughly $990 per year for a new home, and more for existing homes already paying today’s gas prices.

The real opportunity is solar. Winter is when Melbourne homes use the most heating energy, and a well-sized solar array can cover a significant portion of that during daylight hours. Heating your home on power you’ve generated yourself is a fundamentally different cost equation to paying for gas — and it only gets better as gas prices continue to rise.

Victoria Is Moving Away From Gas, Here’s Where Things Stand

Victoria is Australia’s largest residential gas user, and the state government has committed to changing that. New homes can no longer connect to gas as of January 2024. Existing homes aren’t being forced off gas ,but the direction is clear, the incentives to switch are growing, and the infrastructure supporting gas home heating is slowly contracting.

Switching now means you’re making the decision on your terms, with a rebate available, rather than waiting until your old heater forces the issue.

One System, Every Room — and You Control Which Ones

One of the real advantages of ducted over split systems is zoning. Rather than heating or cooling your whole home at once, a zoned ducted system lets you control which rooms are on and which aren’t, bedrooms off during the day, living areas off at night.

Most systems we install can be controlled from your phone, so you can have the house warm before you get home without running it all day. It’s a simple thing that makes a genuine difference to your running costs.

If you’re replacing an existing gas ducted system that wasn’t zoned, it’s worth asking about zoning when you get your quote — it’s much easier to add at installation than to retrofit later.

Every home is different, the size of your existing system, the condition of the ductwork, ceiling or underfloor ducts, number of rooms. We do free in-home assessments across Melbourne’s north and northeast so you get a recommendation based on your actual home.

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Electric Heating FAQ’s

Will you need to cut new holes in my walls or ceiling?

Usually not. If you have existing gas ducted heating, we use your current vents and duct runs. In most homes there’s no visible difference to the house, just new vents and grilles where the old ones were.

Does the new system heat as well as gas on a cold Melbourne morning?

Yes. Modern inverter reverse cycle systems are rated to extract heat from outside air down to -15°C. Melbourne rarely gets close to that. A correctly sized system will heat your home quickly and maintain temperature comfortably through winter. Correct sizing is the key — that’s what the in-home assessment is for.

How long does the installation take?

One day in most cases. We’ll confirm when we assess your home — larger homes or more complex duct layouts occasionally run into a second day, but that’s the exception.

What happens to my gas connection after the heater is removed?

Because we’re mechanical plumbers, we work with both gas and refrigerant, so we handle the gas line as part of the job. You don’t need to organise a separate tradesperson to cap it off. If you’re still using gas for hot water or cooking, that’s a separate decision and you don’t have to disconnect everything at once, we’ll talk you through it when we’re on site.

The VEU rebate — is it taken off my bill upfront or do I claim it back?

It’s taken off upfront. The prices listed on this page already have the rebate applied. You don’t fill in any forms or wait for anything — we handle the paperwork as part of the installation.

I have solar — does that change which system I should choose?

It changes the running cost picture significantly in your favour. Any system we install can run off solar during the day. If you have a decent-sized array, your daytime heating load in winter can cost you very little. Mention your solar setup when you get a quote and we can talk through zoning and timing to maximise what you’re generating.

How long before the system pays for itself?

Based on the Victorian government’s own figures, switching to all-electric saves the average existing home around $1,900 per year without solar, or $2,230 with solar. On a Mitsubishi Electric system from $8,170, that’s a payback period of roughly 4 years with solar — less if gas prices keep rising. After that, the savings are yours. Most ducted systems last 15 to 20 years.

Do you replace the existing ductwork or reuse it?

We always replace the ducting as part of every installation, it’s included in the all-in prices above. The ducting we install is specifically designed for reverse cycle systems and sized correctly for both heating and cooling. Old gas ducting isn’t suitable, it’s typically the wrong size for refrigerated systems and after years of gas heating, it’s dusty. New ducting means cleaner air from day one.