.png){kind=spacer}
Protect Victoria's transition to cheaper, cleaner electric homes
Australians are switching to electric homes at record rates with soaring sales of EVs and world leading installs of household batteries.
The upcoming Victorian election on Saturday 28 November is a critical moment in deciding whether households are supported to move towards cheaper, cleaner energy or whether outdated gas infrastructure is protected at the expense of families. As more households leave the gas network, the industry is pushing governments to protect a system that is becoming increasingly expensive for the people who remain connected.
The choices governments make now will shape household energy bills for decades.
Victoria has led the country on electric homes
Since 2023 alone, families who have installed electric appliances have saved $185 million on their energy bills according to research by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) - with the biggest savings in the outer suburbs and the Latrobe Valley.
Two rules lock in that progress:
- From January 2027, new homes are built all-electric, ending new gas connections.
- From March 2027, gas hot water systems at the end of their life are replaced with efficient electric ones.
By shifting new homes to the growing electricity grid, the policy prevents locking families into expensive, soon-to-be-obsolete infrastructure and also shields them from volatile fossil fuel prices.
The gas lobby wants the rules gone
As more households leave the gas network, the industry is pushing governments to protect a system that keeps getting more expensive for the people still connected.
What the gas industry claims
A leaked document written for the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group outlines a campaign claiming fixed network costs will rise 20 to 40 percent, or around $100 a year, and that households will carry the cost.
What the evidence shows
Our independent research shows the average Victorian family saves around $1,220 a year by getting off gas and going electric, even without solar and including upfront costs.
Where the parties stand on the gas transition measures
Victorian Labor has said it remains committed to the policies. The Liberals, Nationals and One Nation have said they will scrap them.
The upcoming Victorian election is a chance to protect the policies that help households move to cheaper, cleaner energy and go even further to accelerate the transition - not wind back the progress.
We're calling on all parties to:
- 01Protect Victoria's existing gas transition measures
- 02Protect and expand the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, including for apartment and strata households
- 03Expand support for households to upgrade through no-interest loans, like NSW's programs
- 04Enable the sale and connection of plug-in solar and batteries for renters and apartment residents
- 05Introduce mandatory energy performance disclosure for renters and buyers
- 06Provide land tax incentives for rental upgrades before minimum energy standards start
- 07Reduce strata voting barriers so more apartment communities can upgrade
Tell your Victorian MP to protect cheaper, cleaner electric homes
Victorian MPs need to hear that the people they represent want an energy system built for the future.
Ask your MP to protect policies that help families move off expensive gas, and make it easier for everyone, including renters and apartment residents, to access efficient electric homes.
When you send your message, add your own experience and tell your MP why this matters to you.
Common questions
Is Rewiring Australia telling me how to vote?
No. We're an independent, non-partisan charity. We're asking every party and candidate to back policies that make electric homes cheaper and fairer.
Why does emailing my MP make a difference?
MPs and candidates track how many messages they get from their own electorate. A personal email, in your own words, carries the most weight.
What happens to my details?
Your name and suburb go to your MP with your message so they know you're a constituent. We'll only send you updates if you tick the box. Read our privacy policy.
I don't live in Victoria. How can I help?
Share this page with friends and family in Victoria and ask them to email their MP before 28 November.
Where do the numbers come from?
The $185 million figure is from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The $1,220 a year saving is from Rewiring Australia's independent research.