Jenny Edwards doesn't mince words on the topic of using gas in the home.
"Get off it, is my view," she tells ABC RN's Life Matters.
For a decade Ms Edwards, director and science team leader at Light House Architecture and Science, has been helping households in Canberra – most of which have gas heating, hot water and cooking – to do just that.
"There really was a myth – we were all sold the gas idea and hence it was taken up big time in Canberra and Victoria in particular," she says.
But she argues that households can transition from gas to electric "and be just as comfortable – even more comfortable – and have a lot more money in your pocket".
Ms Edwards offers advice for home owners and renters alike to reduce their gas use and, as energy prices soar across the country, save some money, too.
'Have a plan in place to switch'
Getting off gas means losing fumes and flames from your home, Ms Edwards says.
And gas also "contributes to moisture content in your home … and of course there is the climate change impact. It is a fossil fuel".
Free online resources like MakeTheSwitch.org.au offer advice about why and where to start, but one of the main things to consider before switching, Ms Edwards says, is to have a plan.
"You may not be able to afford to [transition to electricity] all in one hit and … you don't want to replace appliances that are still working, but [they] are going to die at some point and you want to have a plan in place to switch to all electric."
"Once you get rid of all those things, then you're not paying for gas connection fee, which is $350 a year here in Canberra."
Costs vary across the country but savings can be made. For example, for one Victorian couple dropping the connection fee meant a savings of $1.50 a day.
Across Australia, the cost of wholesale energy is soaring and electricity prices are on the rise.
Prices for natural gas are also high, but a transition from gas will still equate to smaller energy bills, Ms Edwards says.
For example, reverse-cycle air-conditioning for heating is "many, many more times more efficient than that of gas [heating] – five to ten times more efficient", she says.
Plus, gas "can't be used to cool your home" and "can't be offset by PV/solar panels".
She says it's important to consider states and territories individually, as there are such varied climates across the country.
Ms Edwards hopes that the "significantly cheaper" costs of going all-electric will be available to all, especially low-income earners and vulnerable households, arguing that such households should receive government support to make the switch.
"There's no argument that the upfront cost of making the switch will be tricky for many, and that's where the government needs to help low-income households.
"We can't leave [low-income earners] behind," she says.
Start with the biggest gas guzzler
"The biggest consumer of gas in your home is your heating system," Ms Edwards says.
For those using centralised ducted gas heating, she encourages improving the energy efficiency of the home to reduce reliance on it.
"So insulating and draft sealing – draft sealing I can't stress enough – once you've done those things, you'll find that in a typical Canberra home, you don't need a centralised heating system," she says.
"A couple of split systems, those heat-pump reverse-cycle air-conditioners, should be able to do the job."
The next big-ticket item is the gas hot water system.
"It's going to die one day,' Ms Edwards says, and when it does, "don't rush out to your local gas supplier and plumber and replace it with another gas system".
"Take the opportunity to switch over to a heat-pump hot water system. It's super efficient."
Cooking with(out) gas
Online calculators can help work out the payback period on switching to induction cooktops, which Ms Edwards recommends for their energy efficiency.
Woks have been a sticking point for some when it comes to stove tops, but Ms Edwards says there are manufacturers now producing induction cooktops with a curved-in space, and others who are making flat bottom woks.
"There's really no excuse now, and lots of restaurants are switching over to induction cooking, too, because it's so much more comfortable in a kitchen, without the flames and all that extra heat and the fumes."
She recommends that renters "have a conversation with your landlords – not all landlords are evil".
"Direct them to resources, like MakeTheSwitch and ask them to think about how improving their rental property is actually going to improve the comfort of their residence and improve the durability and life of their property. Some landlords will come on board," she says.
"If they won't, then draft sealing really is the number-one thermal bang for buck."
She suggests using gap filler to seal between architraves or the wall around windows in living areas.
"Even though you don't own the property, it's a small investment that will pay off in terms of your comfort and reduction in bills," she says.
Finally, for owners and renters alike, she says there's a cheap workaround in lieu of pricey double-glazed windows,
"A layer of bubble wrap – on those windows that don't have a beautiful view and don't let in your winter sunshine – can make [a normal window] perform like a double-glazed window."
Ms Edwards says she challenges people "to think about alternatives".
"There are big wins to be had with really simple measures."
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