Grattan Institute report backs Wagga deputy mayor Jenny McKinnon calls to ban new gas connections

Getting off gas: Why, how, and who should pay? provides supporting evidence for a proposal by Wagga deputy mayor Jenny McKinnon, who wants to ban gas connections to newly built houses.

Cr McKinnon raised a motion earlier this year to have gas connections to new properties banned by Wagga City Council, which did not receive support from any other councillors.

The report, written by thinktank The Grattan Institute, calls on governments to set an end date for gas.

It proposes in addition to the ban, governments incentivise homeowners and landlords to switch from gas to electric.

Grattan proposes governments financially support this transition by paying for public, community and Indigenous housing to be upgraded to all-electric.

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Cr McKinnon welcomed the report, saying Wagga needed to do its part in phasing out gas appliances.

"Wagga has got new developments, new subdivisions happening quite regularly, and I'm really worried about leaving people with stranded assets," she said.

"I've heard stories about people in different states and territories having to pay really large amounts to have gas disconnected from the property, so if we can stop them from being connected to gas in the first place, I think we're doing the community a favour.

"I really hope the entire council thinks about this ... it would be great if, as a local government, we could move along with this."

While there is growing awareness of the role natural gas plays in global heating, the conventional wisdom remains that gas is a cheaper alternative to electricity in cooking, water heaters and home heating.

This has been historically true in some areas but the rising cost of gas means people can save money in the long run by switching to electric appliances. The problem for many is the upfront investment of converting appliances can be prohibitive.

Neither Cr McKinnon or Grattan are suggesting anyone replace their gas stove tomorrow - both favour "grandfathering" gas, starting with a ban on new connections, with others replacing their appliances when they reach the end of their natural lives.

"We obviously need to bring the community with us - for people to understand the health and financial benefits of moving away from gas to a fully electric household, and that it's really good for the planet too," Cr McKinnon said.

"Cost of living at the moment is terrible for so many people, and the thought of buying new electric appliances and getting out of gas is really difficult for people.

"I'm really pleased to see the Grattan Institute report recommending government assistance for people in social and affordable housing, for Indigenous communities, and low interest loans for other people, as well as tax incentives for landlords."

The report goes beyond discussing the negative environmental impacts of natural gas, discussing the health risks posed by natural gas in the home - something it says most Australians are unaware of.

Gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and tiny particles called PM2.5. These particles irritate the lungs, and have been linked with increased risks of respiratory illnesses like asthma.

"Health regulators in the US are considering banning gas stoves in homes, despite political objections," the report said.

"On balance, the health concerns would seem real enough to add to the climate and financial benefits of getting off gas."

One of the other barriers to the transition is a widely-held belief switching to an electric stove will make people's cooking worse. Cr McKinnon said this understanding is dated and needs to be challenged.

Celebrity chefs from Neil Perry to Jon Kung are using electric induction cooktops because they offer greater temperature precision and safety. Cr McKinnon said she is a reformed gas cook too.

"I lived in a house where I paid a lot of money to have gas connected because I was so committed to cooking with it," she said.

"I've moved into an all electric household now, and use an induction cooktop - I can guarantee it is very fast to heat up.

"There's a big worldwide movements of Chinese chefs moving over to induction. It's amazing that so many commercial applications are moving over, largely because of the health impacts of it being so much easier to clean."

Cr McKinnon said she would "give serious consideration" to raising another motion to ban new gas connections in Wagga.

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