Switching off your gas connection
What you need to know
If you’re currently transitioning your home or business from gas to electric, you will need to think about switching off your gas connection. When you’ve replaced all your gas appliances with efficient electric options and no longer use gas, you can either abolish your gas connection or just close your account. You will save money on your annual supply charge.
Over the next 20 years, Canberrans will gradually transition their homes and businesses off fossil fuel gas to avoid higher bills and make more savings.
About the ACT’s pathway to electrification
The ACT is preparing to electrify our city and transition away from the use of fossil fuel gas by 2045. We’re doing this because an all-electric Canberra will allow us to power our city, homes, businesses, and transport in a cleaner and cheaper way
Why is it important?
- The last step in your transition to an all electric household is to abolish or disconnect your gas connection.
- While it is an individual household choice, the safest option is for you to abolish your connection.
- Protecting vulnerable households and other households from increasing costs – if you just disconnect and close your account, your connection still needs to be maintained and this cost is passed on to all other remaining gas consumers.
- ACT Government is working with the Australian Energy Regulator and Evoenergy to understand options for the abolishment fees.
Abolishment vs disconnection – What is the difference?
Disconnection
Closing a gas account involves a temporary disconnection. If you just close your account, your gas connection still needs to be maintained and you will still have an active, pressurised gas line on your property which is a safety consideration.
Key points
- A disconnection can be requested when your gas supply is not being used – for example a vacant property or property with no gas appliances.
- You will still have an active, pressurised gas line on your property.
- Disconnection is usually expected to be temporary and gas can be reconnected at any time.
- The gas distributor must still maintain and check your meter periodically.
- The cost of maintaining your service will be distributed to all other gas consumers connected to the network.
- You may continue to receive letters from you gas retailer requesting you sign up.
Costs
Gas disconnection will cost around $170, plus an administration fee (for a standard meter). You should also consider asking your gas tradesperson to cap the line on the customer side of the meter when they disconnect the last appliance. This will ensure no gas can inadvertently pass into the house if the meter malfunctions or the ‘tap’ is turned on. If done at the same time as appliance removal, it should cost around $100. If you do it separately, it will also incur a call out fee of between $150 – $300.
Abolishment
Abolishment involves the permanent disconnection of your gas connection and removal of active gas equipment on your property. This is the safest option as it removes all risks associated with having a pressurised gas pipe on your property, including risk of gas leaks and excavation strikes.
This also involves more work than the disconnection process, such as digging up the connection point to cut the service line from the gas main, evacuating gas and removing the meter safely. The process requires at least two people onsite, may require traffic management, site restoration works and between up to two hours of work.
Key points
- Abolishment means the gas service line is disconnected from the gas main and the meter is physically removed from the property. There will no longer be an active pressurised gas line servicing your property which is the safest option.
- Removes the risk of the gas meter failing and leaking gas.
- It also removes the risk of a gas leak from any onsite excavation.
- There are no ongoing service or maintenance charges.
- Only homeowners, or their representatives, can request an abolishment.
Costs
The current fee is around $870 (including energy retailer fees and Evoenergy fees) or about $1,600 (inc. GST) for a business meter. This fee is regulated by the Australian Energy Regulator.
Checklist to turn off your gas connection
The right time to disconnect or abolish your gas connection will look different for every household.
Your transition to an all-electric, energy efficient household may include:
- Taking steps to improve your energy efficiency such as draught-proofing, installing insulation or window glazing or treatments.
- Replacing any gas heating, water heating and gas cooking appliances with efficient electric appliances.
- Replacing any remaining gas-powered appliances with efficient electric appliances where possible.
- Your last step should be to request a disconnection or abolishment from your energy provider
