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Black glass induction cooktop with three cooking zones and touch controls, seen from above

Induction vs gas cooktops: which is better, and how to switch

Last updated: 28 October 2026. Next update: before the 1 March 2027 hot water rule starts, or sooner if the VEU induction rules change.

Induction vs gas comes down to this: an induction cooktop is around 3 times more efficient than a gas cooktop, according to the Victorian Government, and it is easier to clean and adds no combustion fumes to your kitchen. Gas still suits curved woks and cooks who want a flame. Switching usually needs an electrician to hardwire the cooktop, often on a new dedicated circuit, and a licensed gasfitter to cap the gas.

Key takeaways

  • Induction is around 3 times more efficient than gas (Victorian Government), and it needs pots with a magnetic base.
  • Most good quality induction cooktops need more than 15 amps and must be hardwired by an electrician; many need a new dedicated circuit.
  • A licensed gasfitter has to disconnect and cap the old gas cooktop.
  • The Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program offers an indicative $140 discount on an eligible induction cooktop.
  • Nobody has to remove an existing gas cooktop in Victoria. New homes generally can’t be connected to mains gas from 1 January 2027.

On this page

Already decided on induction? Jump to what an electrician checks or get a quote for the electrical work.

Induction vs gas: the quick comparison

InductionGas
Efficiencyaround 3 times more efficient (Victorian Government)the baseline
Heat controlfast and adjustable; zones typically 1,600 W to 3,000 W, and boost on some models over 4,000 Winstant flame, easy to see
Running costuses less energy for the same cooking; drop all gas appliances and the government puts the saving at around $350 to $400 a yeargas usage, plus a daily supply charge while any gas appliance stays connected
Cleaningflat glass: soft cloth and mild detergentburners, trivets and grease
Cookwaremagnetic (ferrous) base onlyalmost anything
Woksflat-bottom wok or a wok zonecurved woks
Indoor airno combustion fumes; cooking itself still releases particlesflames release nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants
Kitchen heatonly the cookware heats up, so the kitchen stays cooler (Victorian Government)the flame heats the air around the pan
Installationusually hardwired by an electrician, often on a dedicated circuitgas fitting
VEU rebateindicative $140 on an eligible modelnone

Is induction better than gas? For most households, yes, on efficiency, cleaning and indoor air: the Victorian Government says induction is around 3 times more efficient than gas and produces no toxic fumes. Gas keeps its edge for flame cooking and curved woks.

What is an induction cooktop, and how does induction cooking work?

An induction cooktop uses an electromagnetic field to heat the pan itself. Coils under the glass-ceramic surface create a magnetic field that induces a current in a pan with an iron-containing (ferrous) base, quickly heating it up. On a gas cooktop, a flame heats the pan from underneath. Solar Victoria notes that an induction cooktop “only heats when the cookware is present”.

The downsides of induction (and what doesn’t cook well)

Induction has real trade-offs, and it is better to know them before you buy:

  • Cookware. Aluminium, copper, glass and ceramic pans won’t work, although some aluminium and copper pans are made with a magnetised base for induction.
  • Woks. Curved woks designed for gas cooktops may not work very well. Some cooktops have a sunken wok zone; otherwise use a flat-bottom wok.
  • The glass top. Don’t drag pots or pans across the cooking zones.
  • Power sharing. On low-current models, using more than one zone switches on power sharing, which one Westinghouse manual says “may restrict the maximum heat level achievable for each zone”.
  • No flame. There is no open flame for charring.
  • Blackouts. An induction cooktop needs mains power, so it won’t work during an outage.
  • The upfront cost. You pay for the cooktop and, often, a new circuit (see the costs below).

Will your pots and pans work?

Hold a fridge magnet to the base of the pan. If it stays on, the pan will work on induction, according to Solar Victoria; if it doesn’t stick, it may not. Cookware needs ferrous metal, at least where it touches the cooktop, and many pans are labelled “Induction Ready”.

One manufacturer’s manual, for a range of Westinghouse induction cooktops, lists cast iron, steel, enamelled steel, stainless steel and multi-layer bases as correct, and aluminium, copper, brass, glass, ceramic and porcelain as not correct.

How to use and clean an induction cooktop

Read the owner’s manual before you first use it: the buyers guide notes that each model is different. If your cooktop has a boost mode, use it to heat a pan or boil water fast; the guide says boost “usually is not intended to be used for long stretches of time due to the very high temperature cookware can reach”, and the other zones may dim or pulse while it runs.

To look after the glass:

  • Clean up spills as soon as possible with a soft cloth and mild detergent (buyers guide). One Westinghouse manual says to use a moist soft cloth and only neutral detergents.
  • Remove melted plastic, plastic foil and sugary food straight away with a glass scraper held at an acute angle; leave limescale rings, water rings and fat stains until the cooktop has cooled (Westinghouse manual).
  • Don’t use abrasive cleaners or pads, solvents, metal objects, a water spray or steam (Westinghouse manual).
  • Don’t drop heavy items or chop food on the cooktop: the buyers guide says it can crack the glass.

Induction cooktop installation: what an electrician checks

This is the part that decides your installation cost. According to the Victorian Government’s induction cooktop buyers guide, most good quality induction cooktops require more than 15 amps of current, which is above what standard household circuits commonly supply. That is why an induction cooktop will need to be hardwired by an electrician.

Helcro Electrical electrician wiring a main switchboard and meter box on a brick wall
New circuits start at the switchboard, so that is where an induction job begins.

Do you need a new circuit? Often. The guide says you will likely need a new dedicated circuit back to the switchboard when the cooktop needs more than your existing circuits can supply. If no new circuits can be added, that can mean a switchboard upgrade. As an example, one Westinghouse 60 cm model is rated at 6,500 W, and its manual says all electrical connections must be made by a qualified electrician, with an isolating switch that disconnects all poles under AS/NZS 3000.

Can it plug into a power point? Some induction cooktops can be plugged into a standard power socket, according to the buyers guide, which says to work with an electrician to check what other appliances draw power from that socket’s circuit; too much load and the circuit may trip.

Is there a lower-powered option? Yes, but it is still wired in. Westinghouse’s manual describes its PowerLite models as a way to move from an existing electric cooktop to induction without upgrading the wiring, if that wiring supports 15 amps (3.5 kW) or 20 amps (4.6 kW). A kitchen that has only had gas may have no cooktop circuit to reuse, so an electrician still needs to check.

Do you need three-phase power? Unlikely. The guide says a typical single-phase connection is adequate for most all-electric households.

Here is the order Helcro Electrical works in:

  1. Read the chosen model’s manual for its rated current and connection.
  2. Check the switchboard has room for a new circuit, or whether it needs a switchboard upgrade.
  3. Run the dedicated circuit and fit the isolating switch.
  4. A licensed gasfitter disconnects and caps the gas.
  5. Connect the cooktop, test it and issue the Certificate of Electrical Safety.

Not sure your switchboard has room for a new circuit? We check before we quote: written quotes follow a $50 site assessment (including GST). Get a Quote or call 1300 201 358.

The gas side and the benchtop

Can you cap the gas yourself? No. To decommission and cap an existing gas cooktop, you will require a licensed gasfitter, according to the buyers guide.

Will it fit the cut-out? Measure your benchtop cut-out and check the new cooktop’s manual for its cut-out size and clearances. A model that fits the existing hole avoids cutting the bench.

If your benchtop is engineered stone, take care. Engineered stone has been banned in Victoria since 1 July 2024, but WorkSafe Victoria allows the modification of previously installed engineered stone, such as cutting into a benchtop to make room for a larger cooktop, with controls such as water suppression and dust extraction. Uncontrolled dry cutting is not permitted, so leave it to a qualified tradesperson who follows the WorkSafe rules.

Induction cooktop installation cost and the VEU rebate

Helcro Electrical prices an induction job after a $50 site assessment, once we have seen the switchboard and the cable run to the kitchen. As a guide, the Victorian Government indicates that hardwiring a cooktop to a dedicated circuit costs between $600 and $1,200, and capping the gas line between $250 and $500, with complex installations costing more. Cooktops themselves range from around $600 to over $6,000, according to the buyers guide; Solar Victoria puts entry-level cooktops at $300 to $750. These are the government’s figures, not our prices.

The VEU induction rebate. The Victorian Energy Upgrades program offers an indicative discount of $140 per induction cooktop, based on a certificate price of $70; the final amount is up to the accredited provider. Under the program’s minimum co-payment you will still pay at least $200 (including GST) for the cooktop after all discounts.

To be eligible, you need to:

  • be a Victorian household with a current gas cooktop to replace
  • have a gas or LPG connection
  • live in a home built at least 2 years ago
  • not have claimed an induction cooktop discount before (the limit is one per home; private rentals are eligible)
  • buy a built-in induction cooktop or a freestanding stove with an induction cooktop, electric only, at least 550 mm wide and 380 mm deep, with 3 or more zones each with its own controls and at least a 2-year warranty

On-bench and portable plug-in models are not eligible. You keep your invoice, and an accredited provider on the energy.vic.gov.au induction cooktop page processes the discount. Not every listed provider offers the induction discount at any given time, and the government recommends checking with one that a product is eligible before you buy. Installation can be organised separately with a licensed tradesperson. Helcro Electrical isn’t registered for the VEU induction cooktop activity, so we can’t apply this discount, but we can install a cooktop you have bought through a provider that does.

Since 30 June 2026 a model no longer has to be on the government’s product list; if you bought before then, you may only be eligible for a retrospective rebate if the model was on that earlier list.

Need the switch done? Helcro Electrical supplies and installs induction cooktops, or installs one you’ve already bought. We run the dedicated circuit, check the switchboard and connect the cooktop, and our licensed plumber disconnects and caps the gas. Get a Quote or call 1300 201 358. We respond within 2 business hours.

Is it cheaper to use induction or gas?

For the cooking itself, usually yes: induction is around 3 times more efficient, and the Victorian Government says using less energy helps reduce energy bills; how much depends on your gas and electricity rates. The bigger saving comes from the gas connection itself. The Victorian Government says you could save around $350 to $400 a year by removing all gas appliances and avoiding ongoing gas supply charges. The condition matters: if gas still runs your hot water or heater, you keep paying the daily supply charge.

From 1 March 2027, a gas hot water system that breaks and can’t be repaired, or needs to be replaced for any other reason, must be replaced with an electric one. That can leave the cooktop, or the cooktop and a gas heater, as your last gas appliances, and the supply charge stops only when they go too. Our heat pump vs gas hot water comparison covers the hot water side.

Try before you buy. Some local councils lend portable induction cooktops through their libraries, according to Solar Victoria. A portable plate is a good way to test your pans and your cooking style before committing.

Is gas cooking bad for your health?

Gas flames release nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and fine particles, according to a 2022 peer-reviewed article in the Australian Journal of General Practice. A 2018 modelling study in the Medical Journal of Australia estimated that gas stoves account for 12.3% of the childhood asthma burden in Australia, falling to 3.4% if every gas stove had a high-efficiency rangehood venting outdoors.

The MJA researchers are careful about the limits: swapping gas for another energy source assumes the new one produces no indoor emissions, which they call unlikely, because cooking itself can be a major source of emissions. The AJGP article adds that frying or wok cooking releases fine particles regardless of the heat source. The Victorian Government says induction cooking produces no harmful indoor air pollution and can reduce the risk of respiratory problems, including asthma, especially for children.

What lowers exposure today, whatever you cook on:

  • Turn on the rangehood every time you cook. The buyers guide recommends an efficient, weather-sealed rangehood that vents moisture and cooking particulates outside.
  • Open a window or door when you can.
  • If you have an open-flued gas heater, the buyers guide strongly recommends not running the rangehood or other exhaust fans while it is on: the negative pressure can draw poisonous gases out of the flue and into living areas.

Do you have to give up your gas cooktop in Victoria?

No. There is no requirement to replace an existing gas cooktop, whether you own the home or rent it, and existing gas appliances can continue to be used, maintained and repaired as usual. From 1 January 2027, new homes generally can’t get a building permit with a mains gas connection. The 1 March 2027 rule is about gas hot water, not cooktops.

What our customers say

If you want to convert to induction cook top, I definitely recommend Helcro Electrical.

Chris Vellios, Google review

Induction vs gas cooktop questions

Do chefs prefer induction or gas?

It depends on what you cook. The Victorian Government says induction cooktops “allow you to cook with more control as they heat up quickly”, and that high-power models “heat faster than gas and may offer better temperature control”. Gas keeps its edge for cooking over a flame and for curved woks, which the buyers guide says “may not work very well” on induction.

Is induction safe with a pacemaker?

Speak to your doctor before using an induction cooktop if you have a pacemaker or another implanted device. The Victorian Government says there is a small risk that the cooktop’s electromagnetic field may interfere with certain devices.

I live in an apartment. Can I switch?

Often, yes. VEU eligibility depends on having a gas or LPG connection and a gas cooktop to replace, not on owning the home. The electrical side depends on your unit’s switchboard and circuits, so have them checked first, and ask your owners corporation about any rules for work in the building.

Switching to induction? Get a quote for the electrical work

We connect induction cooktops, run the dedicated circuit and check the switchboard behind it. If the board needs replacing, our home switchboard upgrades are typically $1,250 to $2,500 including GST. Helcro Electrical is a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC 35448, on the Energy Safe Victoria register) based in Cheltenham, working across Melbourne South East.

Get a Quote or call 1300 201 358. We respond within 2 business hours. Written quotes follow a $50 site assessment (including GST).

How we checked this page

The figures on this page come from these sources, checked on 27 October 2026:

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