SYDNEY - A controversial decision by Australia’s second-most populous state, Victoria, to ban new households from being connected to the natural gas grid has prompted calls for other states to also switch to electricity-only cooking and heating in a move that could cut carbon emissions and costs.
“They will be banning lighters next,” he said. “We will be rubbing two sticks together to get a cigarette lit.” Gas heaters, which are widely used in Victoria, are far less efficient than reverse cycle heating systems, which use electricity but are able to absorb heat from outside the home. “Getting off gas will be complex for governments and difficult for many people – but delaying action will make it only more so.”
In New South Wales, the most populous state, Premier Chris Minns said on Monday that he will not ban gas because he was concerned about the potential impact on power supplies, as several coal-fired power plants are due to shut. Some states want to try to produce “green” gas, which involves lowering gas emissions by blending in fuels such as green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy.