Gas ducted heating replacement: electric options, cost and when not to switch
Gas ducted heating replacement starts with one choice: gas again, or electric. Is there an electric replacement for gas ducted heating? Yes: ducted reverse cycle, a multi-split or separate split systems. Helcro Electrical installs all three across Melbourne’s South East from our Cheltenham workshop: about $10,000 to $13,000 installed for one of our multi-splits and about $13,700 to $15,900 for new ducted, before discounts.
We don’t install gas ducted heaters, so another gas heater means a quote from a gas heating installer. If you own your home, you don’t have to replace a working gas heater. We can often give an indicative price by phone, at no cost; your written quote follows a $50 site assessment.
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What can I replace my gas ducted heating with?
You can replace ducted heating that runs on gas with ducted reverse cycle (heat pump ducted heating), a multi-split or separate split systems. All three use heat pump technology and cool as well as heat. "Electric ducted heating" usually means ducted reverse cycle, not a central electric resistance ducted heater.
Multi-split vs ducted vs separate splits
| Ducted reverse cycle | Multi-split | Separate split systems | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covers | Whole house, through ducts | Each room with an indoor head | Only the rooms you fit |
| Ducts | Yes, usually new | None, unless you choose a concealed ducted head | None |
| Our installed price, before VEU | about $13,700 to $15,900 (new install) | about $10,000 to $13,000 | from $1,618 a room |
| Best for | Every room, no indoor heads, if ducts and roof or subfloor space allow | Several rooms where ducts won't fit | One or two rooms |
The Victorian Government's factsheet says ducted "can be more expensive to install and run" and adds "We recommend zones". On a standard multi-split you set each room's temperature separately, but can't heat one room while cooling another. Rinnai says "if all rooms run constantly, multiple single splits may be more efficient".
Do I have to replace gas ducted heating?
No, not in a home you own and live in (as at November 2026). Victoria has no requirement to replace existing gas space heating, and it can keep being used, maintained and repaired. The 1 March 2027 replacement rule is for gas water heaters (Victoria's gas ban has the dates), and homes already on gas can stay connected, so a sales line that the gas is being shut off is no reason to rush.
If yours fails in a home you own and live in, on mains gas, no Victorian electrification rule stops you fitting another gas heater: the Government dropped the proposed ban on like-for-like replacement in November 2025. A new gas heater earns no Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) discount.
Rentals differ: from 1 March 2027 a fixed heater that fails and can't be repaired, including gas ducted, generally has to be replaced with efficient electric heating with an outlet in the main living area, unless an exemption applies (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
Can I convert gas ducted heating and reuse the ducts?
Converting means replacing: a new reverse cycle system goes in and the gas heater comes out of service, whichever brand you have (Brivis, Braemar, Bonaire).
Plan on new ducts. AIRAH's best practice guide for Victoria says "Existing gas fired heating ductwork is generally too small to be used successfully with ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning", and the Essential Services Commission recommends replacing ductwork and fittings on these systems. Reuse is the exception, though some makers say ducts can stay: if yours are sound and big enough, we will say so at the site assessment.
An underfloor home isn't ruled out, but the indoor unit depends on the model: Rinnai's manuals say "roof space only".
Will reverse cycle fit your home and power supply?
At the site assessment we check the roof and subfloor space, the home's layout, including any second storey, and where the outdoor unit can go. From about 18 to 20 kW, depending on the model, many ducted systems need three-phase, so we check it against your switchboard and supply.
If you also have evaporative cooling, one reverse cycle system can do both jobs. The VEU rules' list of systems to decommission doesn't name an evaporative cooler or add-on coil, so ask us or another accredited provider before you buy.
Is electric cheaper to run than gas ducted heating, and warm enough?
Electric can be cheaper to run, but it depends on the home. The Government's figure is "energy bill savings of up to $1,140 a year when removing or replacing a ducted (whole-of-home) gas heater with an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner". That's a ceiling, so your saving may be lower. Some gas installers publish the opposite result, so check the gas price, house size and hours each figure assumes.
Reverse cycle can cost less to run because "Each unit of electricity can generate up to 6 units of heat" (Solar Victoria).
On a cold morning reverse cycle systems keep working, with pauses of up to about 10 minutes to defrost the outdoor unit. Makers list them as operating down to between -10 and -20°C, depending on the model, but rated heating output is measured at 7°C and output falls as it gets colder, so sizing matters: start with our ducted and split system sizing calculator.
Gas ducted heating replacement cost
Replacing gas ducted heating with electric costs about $10,000 to $13,000 for one of our multi-splits and about $13,700 to $15,900 for new ducted reverse cycle in our worked examples. Our own prices, installed, including GST, before any VEU discount:
| System | Installed price |
|---|---|
| New ducted reverse cycle, 12.5 to 16 kW, new outlets, zones and our electrician | about $13,700 to $15,900 |
| 12 kW Mitsubishi Electric, 12.5 kW Fujitsu or 10 kW Panasonic multi-split, 3 to 4 indoor heads | about $10,000 to $11,000 |
| 19 kW multi-split: Rinnai, 5 to 6 indoor heads | about $12,000 to $13,000 |
| 17 kW Carrier or 19 kW Midea multi-split | about $12,000 to $13,000 |
| One room: split system installation, standard back-to-back | from $1,618 (Haier 2.5 kW) |
The ducted row comes from the new-install worked examples on our ducted air conditioning cost calculator. Its lower figures need ducts that can stay: from about $8,230 at 7.1 kW, and $9,220 at 10 kW (a small home), reusing the ducts, outlets and existing circuit. Larger homes cost more.
Some installers advertise prices after the discount, so compare the final amount on each written quote.
Is there a rebate for replacing gas ducted heating in Victoria?
Yes. The Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) discount, the "rebate" most people mention, runs up to $5,530 for replacing a ducted gas heater that is the home's main heating. With no heater decommissioned, it's up to $410 on a ducted system. The Government's indicative figures:
| Replacing ducted gas with | Indicative discount |
|---|---|
| 10 kW ducted reverse cycle | up to $2,520 |
| 16 kW ducted reverse cycle | up to $4,200 |
| 22.4 kW ducted reverse cycle replacing ducted gas | up to $5,530 |
| Multi-split on one 10 kW outdoor unit | up to $2,940 |
| Four split systems (1 x 8 kW and 3 x 3 kW) | up to $2,520 |
- Co-payment (the least you must pay): every ducted system, and any multi-split of 10 kW or more, carries a $3,000 minimum VEU co-payment, including GST; separate splits carry $200 for each unit under 10 kW that gets a discount.
- Your figure: "Providers may offer different VEU discounts", so your written quote shows the real one. Arrange the discount before the install: "Retrospective discounts are typically not possible".
Full tables and who qualifies: our Victorian Energy Upgrades program page.
What happens to the old gas heater and the gas supply?
Under the VEU rules the gas is disconnected and capped by someone licensed in gasfitting, and the heater is removed or, where that is not safe or practical, made permanently unusable. We do this as part of the job.
Moving to a multi-split or splits can leave old vents behind, and the Commission recommends installers close and seal outlets the new system doesn't use. Ask what any quote includes for the old heater, ducts, vents and any hole.
Capping the heater's pipe doesn't stop the gas supply charge. The charge can stop once your gas is disconnected, which you apply for through your gas retailer. That only makes sense when every gas appliance has gone: the Government says "You could save around $350 to $400 a year". Abolishment, the permanent cut in the street, is about $270 including GST for 2026-27; the final charge can depend on the work.
Is it worth replacing gas ducted heating? When not to switch
Our judgement: it is usually worth it if your heater is past about 15 years or failing, you want cooling as well, and you can remove gas altogether. Keep what you have, or do less, if:
- It works and you don't want cooling.
- You want the lowest cost today. Another gas heater usually costs much less up front, because the ducts stay.
- It's a recent high-efficiency unit, or has a minor fault. A repair may be cheaper.
- You're keeping gas for hot water or cooking. The supply charge stays.
- It isn't your main heating. Only the smaller discount applies.
- The house is draughty or poorly insulated. Do that first: the Government says it "may lower the cost of your system and its ongoing running costs".
- You use one or two rooms. A split may do it.
Doing more than heating? Our home electrification page covers the order.
Getting quotes: what to ask
- The Government says "Make sure the installer visits your home".
- Does the quote state heating and cooling capacity and outdoor noise levels?
- New ducts or reused, and why?
We're on the Government's heating and cooling provider list. We don't subcontract: our own team does the work. Our 5-year workmanship warranty on air conditioning carries over to a new owner.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
Jeremy Evans (Google review, gas ducted replaced with a multi-split)
yepye soe (Google review, five-unit multi-split)
Collin Phillips (Google review, multi-split system replacing ducted gas)
Common questions about replacing ducted heating
Is ducted heating gas or electric?
It can be either. Gas ducted heating burns gas in a central furnace unit under the floor, in the ceiling or by an external wall. Ducted reverse cycle does that job on electricity.
Can I keep the old gas heater as a backup?
Not on the replacement discount: the VEU Specifications say it has to be decommissioned “in a practical and safe manner to ensure it cannot be re-used again”.
What is the average lifespan of a ducted gas heating system?
Plan on around 15 to 20 years. AIRAH’s best practice guide gives “around 15 to 20 years” for residential heating and cooling systems generally.
Can you get carbon monoxide poisoning from ducted heating?
Yes. Energy Safe Victoria says any gas heater can spill carbon monoxide, including central heating units, and recommends a ducted heater service every two years with a carbon monoxide test at the vents.
Get a quote to replace gas ducted heating with reverse cycle
Request a quote for a call back within 2 business hours. Your written quote follows a $50 site assessment.
Written by Helcro Electrical, which sells and installs the electric systems on this page. How we checked: the Government’s discounts page (last updated 29 October 2026), the VEU Specifications version 25 and the Essential Services Commission’s activity guide V3.22, checked November 2026.