Electrifying a home means replacing gas appliances and petrol driving with electric alternatives powered, as far as practical, by rooftop solar. The order matters because each step changes the size and shape of the loads the next step has to serve. Reducing waste first makes every later piece smaller, installing solar early gives new appliances low-cost daytime energy, and choosing a battery last means it is sized on how the home actually uses electricity after the change. The sequence below is a sensible default, not a rigid rule.

Before the first purchase: plan the whole journey

The most expensive electrification decisions tend to be made in a hurry, when a gas hot water unit fails on a cold morning and a like-for-like replacement is the quickest option. A simple written plan avoids that. It lists each gas appliance, its approximate age, its planned electric replacement and rough timing.

The plan also needs an early check of electrical capacity. An EV charger, induction cooktop and heat pumps together can push a home's maximum demand beyond what the existing service fuse, consumer mains or switchboard can handle. Knowing that at the start means an upgrade can be done once, ideally alongside the first major installation, instead of being discovered halfway through.

The recommended sequence at a glance

Step 1: efficiency first

Every kilowatt-hour a home does not need is one that solar, heat pumps and batteries do not have to supply. Draught sealing, ceiling insulation, window coverings and LED lighting are usually modest in cost, and they directly reduce the size of the heating and cooling equipment required later. A home that holds its temperature well can also pre-cool or pre-heat using afternoon solar and coast into the evening.

Step 2: solar sized for the future home

Solar comes early because it lowers the running cost of everything that follows. The key is sizing for the electrified home rather than today's bills, which still reflect gas doing much of the work. A household planning a heat pump, reverse-cycle heating and an EV will use considerably more electricity than it does now, so a larger array, or a design that leaves room to expand, usually makes sense. Published indicative Sydney prices for 2026, after STCs, are $4,500-$6,500 for 6.6 kW, $7,000-$9,500 for 10 kW and $9,500-$13,000 for 13.3 kW, confirmed after a site assessment. The STC discount, roughly $1,700-$1,800 off a typical 6.6 kW system in 2026, steps down each 1 January.

Steps 3 to 5: hot water, heating and cooking

These three steps remove gas from the home, and their timing often follows the age of the existing appliances.

• Hot water. A heat pump moves heat from the air into the water, commonly delivering three to four units of heat for each unit of electricity. Its tank acts as a thermal store that a timer can heat during solar hours.
• Heating and cooling. Reverse-cycle air conditioning uses the same heat pump principle and replaces gas space heating. Running it in the afternoon, while solar is available, can carry comfort into the evening.
• Cooking. An induction cooktop heats the pan directly through a magnetic field, and it is often the final gas appliance to go.

There is a financial reason to cluster the last gas removals. A gas connection usually carries a daily supply charge however little gas is used, and that charge only disappears when the final gas appliance is gone and the account is closed. Keeping one small gas appliance can therefore keep a surprisingly large fixed cost in place. Gas disconnection must be done by a licensed gasfitter, and new circuits by a licensed electrician.

Step 6: the electric vehicle

An EV is usually the largest new electrical load in the home, but also one of the most flexible. Charging while the car is parked at home in sunny hours, or during cheaper periods on a time-of-use tariff, keeps costs down; the effect of tariff windows is explained in understanding time-of-use tariffs. A charger with load management adjusts its rate so it does not overload the supply when other appliances are running.

Step 7: the battery, sized on real data

By this stage the home's evening load is known, because heating, cooking and some EV charging all show up in monitoring data. A battery sized on that profile is more likely to be the right capacity than one chosen before electrification. The federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program provides roughly 30% off the installed cost of an eligible battery installed with solar, tiered at approximately $272 per kWh for the first 14 kWh, $163 per kWh from 14 to 28 kWh and $41 per kWh from 28 to 50 kWh. Those values step down every 1 January and 1 July, which can justify bringing the battery forward for some households. Confirm current values on the Clean Energy Regulator program page before signing. How solar, batteries and EVs work as a system is covered in the smart home energy ecosystem.

Next steps

A written plan with capacity checks makes each later decision easier. The energy market lists a Residential Energy Assessment from $99, an Induction & Electrification Assessment at $199 and Heat-Pump Hot Water from $3,490; prices are indicative and confirmed after a site assessment. To size solar for your future all-electric home and plan a battery at the right time, request a free assessment from Blue Energy Solar.

Frequently asked questions

Is it worth replacing a gas appliance that still works?

It depends on the appliance's age, how much gas it uses and whether it is the last thing keeping the gas connection open. Replacing an old, inefficient gas hot water unit early can make sense, while a newer cooktop might reasonably wait. Compare ongoing gas usage and supply charges with the upfront cost of the electric alternative, and check any incentives before deciding.

Will my electricity bill go up after electrifying?

Electricity use will rise because it takes over the work gas used to do, but the gas bill and its supply charge eventually disappear. Whether total energy costs fall depends on the efficiency of the new appliances, how much of the load runs on solar, the tariff and household habits. Planning loads around solar hours and tariff windows gives the best chance of a lower combined cost.

Can apartment owners follow the same order?

Partly. Apartment owners usually cannot install rooftop solar on their own, and hot water or car park charging may be shared systems controlled by the owners corporation. Efficiency upgrades, induction cooking and reverse-cycle air conditioning are often achievable within a unit, subject to by-laws. Solar, batteries and EV charging typically need a building-wide plan, so raising electrification with the strata committee early is worthwhile.