Depending on whether your home has insulation, and an efficient or inefficient electric heater, the emissions savings are massive when comparing gas to electric.
In Melbourne, to heat a 50 square metre space without insulation, a gas heater generated 1500 kg of CO2 in 2022, compared with 604kg when using a reverse cycle air conditioner on the Victorian grid and insulating the space.
In Canberra, the emissions were marginally higher prior to 2019, but the ACT now has purchase agreements for 100% renewable electricity. In Sydney, the savings are significantly higher. To heat a similarly sized space in 2022 produces 1046 kg of emissions annually using gas, while a reverse cycle air conditioner with insulation emits only 421 kg. The emissions savings across the country do vary, but generally the projected savings are significantly higher into the future taking into account an all-electric heating system combined with insulation.
Critically, the emissions of electric appliances can be further reduced through rooftop solar or grid-scale renewables, whereas the emissions of gas appliances are locked in on an ongoing basis. Emissions from electricity have already fallen over the last decade. Between 2015 and 2023, emissions from electricity in South Australia have roughly halved. Taking the AEMO ‘Step Change’ scenario, Renew’s analysis projects that emissions from electric appliances will fall significantly by 2030.
Why gas stoves matter to the climate – and the gas industry
