Saving money with an all-electric home

Andres and Rachel renovated and converted their house to all-electric, energy efficient home.

Removal of the gas connection to their house as the renovation was completed was the last step in of an electrification journey for Thornbury couple Andres and Rachel and their two kids.

The renovation, completed in 2022, delivered an all-electric, energy efficient home that is very comfortable to live in because it "performs well in hot and cold weather and we have reduced our energy consumption", says Andres.

As part of the renovation, Andres and Rachel chose new all-electric appliances including an induction cooktop, hot water heat pump and 5.1 kW of solar panels. They have their hot water service on a timer so that it heats up during the day using solar power, and they switched from gas ducted heating to efficient split reverse cycle air conditioner systems for heating and cooling.

Being able to absorb the costs of new appliances as part of a renovation was part of their budget planning, and they had a commitment to replacing items and appliances with good quality products that would be energy efficient and would last a long time.

"It did cost a bit more at the beginning, but the savings is in much reduced energy bills," says Rachel.

"Don’t be afraid to spend money to get something that will last and will work well. It is very satisfying to achieve that."

The family estimates their bills are now about $1000 for the entire year, averaging $20—$30 per month in summer and up to $100 in winter months.

The family also invested in insulation and glazing to reduce heat loss in winter, and keep the house cool in summer.

Their induction cooktop is their favourite appliance. Rachel said that she found that she had to get used to it the first couple of times she used it as it heats up so quickly. However, once the family got used to it they found they didn’t miss cooking with gas at all.

"We don’t have to worry about gas, particularly the health issues associated with it. Don’t be afraid. You won’t miss gas and you won’t look back!"

"The flat surface is easy to clean, we can’t burn ourselves, the cook top is very sensitive to temperature change and sometimes makes an unhappy sound if items are put in the wrong place which is a great safety feature. Most of our pots were able to be used on the new cooktop, a couple of additional pots were purchased but it was overall an easy transition."

Find out more

Follow the six steps to an all-electric home.