Building an all-electric home in Perth

The cheapest time to go all-electric is before the house exists. If you're building or doing a major renovation in Perth, the question isn't when to switch off gas but whether to connect it at all. For most new homes the answer is no. You skip the gas plumbing, never start paying a fixed daily gas charge, and wire the electric appliances in while the walls are open.

This guide covers what goes into an all-electric new build, how it runs on solar, and what to raise with your builder. Planning solar for the build itself has its own guides: solar on new builds in Perth and what to specify before you break ground.

Should a new Perth home have a gas connection?

Usually not. A gas connection means gas pipework through the house and a fixed daily charge on every bill from the day you move in, however little gas you use. An all-electric home avoids both. Its appliances use less energy than gas ones, and they can run on power from your own roof.

The evidence points the same way. Renew, the sustainable-living magazine, modelled fuel choices for new homes and found all-electric came out ahead of gas in every Australian location it tested, with the widest margin when paired with rooftop solar. That study dates from 2018, before current prices, but the direction hasn't changed.

The main reason to keep gas is personal preference, usually for cooking on a flame. That's a fair choice, as long as you make it knowing the fixed charge comes with it.

What goes into an all-electric new build?

The same four appliances as any all-electric home, specified from the start. A heat pump heats the water, an induction cooktop does the cooking, and reverse-cycle air conditioning handles heating and cooling. Rooftop solar powers them in daylight. The difference in a new build is that the wiring and plumbing for each go in once.

Each one suits the build stage:

• Heat pump hot water. Place it where it has airflow and isn't under a bedroom window, and ask for a timer so it heats at midday. A typical unit earns about 23 federal small-scale technology certificates, worth roughly $850 to $870 at October 2026 prices, usually taken off the installer's price.
• Induction cooktop. It usually needs its own circuit from the switchboard. Running it during the build avoids a separate electrician visit later.
• Reverse-cycle air conditioning. One system both heats and cools the house, which suits Perth's mild winters. Ducted or split systems both work. Our split system vs ducted guide compares them.
• Rooftop solar. Size it from what the house will use, with every appliance on electricity, rather than from a standard package.

How does an all-electric new build run on solar?

Best when the big loads run in daylight. A heat pump on a midday timer, a dishwasher and washing machine set to run before 3pm, and an EV charging at home can all draw on your own panels. Each kWh you use yourself saves the full grid rate, instead of earning a small export credit.

Under DEBS, Synergy's export scheme, midday exports earn 2c/kWh. On the Midday Saver plan, grid power costs 8.85c/kWh from 9am to 3pm and 55.33c/kWh from 3pm to 9pm. Designing the home so its flexible loads can run at midday is worth more than any single appliance choice.

Evening cooking and winter heating still fall in the peak. A battery can store midday solar for those hours, and a new build is the easiest time to prepare for one, even if you add it later.

What should you ask your builder?

Ask for the all-electric version to be priced as part of the plan, or as a variation if gas is already drawn in. Then check the details that are cheap now and dear later: switchboard capacity, dedicated circuits for the cooktop and hot water, and space and cable routes for a future battery and EV charger.

A few questions cover most of it:

• Is the switchboard sized for an all-electric load, with spare room for a battery and an EV charger?
• Where will the heat pump sit, and can it be set to run on a midday timer?
• Is the roof layout planned around solar, with the main roof faces kept clear?
• If gas is in the current plans, what does removing it save on the plumbing and the variation?

Building requirements, including energy-efficiency rules, change over time and depend on the plan and block. Your builder and building surveyor confirm what applies to your home.

What if gas is already in your plans?

Ask your builder to price the electric version as a variation before work starts. Removing gas pipework from the plans is far simpler on paper than after the slab is poured. Compare the variation against the gas option plus the fixed daily charge you'd pay for as long as gas stays connected.

If you'd still like gas for one thing, usually the cooktop, weigh that against keeping a whole connection for a single appliance. Our all-electric home guide covers what each swap involves, and whole-home electrification costs covers the running-cost side.

To see how an all-electric setup would look on bills for a household like yours, the BillWise calculator works through usage, solar and tariff for your home.

Frequently asked questions

Should I connect gas to a new home in Perth?

For most new builds there's little reason to. Without a gas connection you never start paying the fixed daily gas charge, and the electric appliances that replace gas use less energy and can run on your own solar. The main reason to connect is a strong personal preference for cooking on gas.

Can I add a battery or EV charger later?

Yes, and a new build is the cheapest time to prepare for them. Ask your electrician to leave room on the switchboard and plan cable routes to where a battery and charger would go. Adding them later is then a smaller job than retrofitting a finished house.

Sources

• Renew, "Gas versus electricity", https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/efficient-homes/gas-versus-electricity/.
• Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, "Electrification", https://www.energy.gov.au/households/electrification.
• Clean Energy Regulator, "Solar water heaters and air source heat pumps", https://cer.gov.au/schemes/renewable-energy-target/small-scale-renewable-energy-scheme/small-scale-renewable-energy-systems/solar-water-heaters-and-air-source-heat-pumps.
• Synergy, "Midday Saver", https://www.synergy.net.au/Your-home/Energy-plans/Midday-Saver.