Victoria's 2027 gas heater rules, explained for Warragul
Do you have to replace your gas heater in 2027? What changes for Warragul owner-occupiers, renters, rental providers and new homes, and what stays the same.
If you own and live in your Warragul home, you do not have to replace your gas heater with an electric one in 2027. Owner-occupiers can keep repairing gas heaters and can replace a worn-out one with a new gas model. The 2027 changes apply to new homes from 1 January, and from 1 March to gas hot water at the end of its life and to heating in rental homes.
Where does the confusion come from?
Victoria announced a package of gas and electrification changes in June 2025, and much of the coverage since has blurred the separate rules together. A common version is that every gas heater has to go electric once it fails. That is wrong for owner-occupiers. The Premier’s statement of 24 June 2025 says plainly that there are no changes to heating for owner occupiers. AusNet’s guide to the new rules adds that existing gas appliances can continue to be repaired, and households can replace cooktops and heaters with gas models if they choose.
The rules that do bite are narrower, and each one applies to a particular kind of home or appliance.
What changes, for whom, and when?
| Who | From | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner-occupiers, existing homes, heating | No change | Gas heaters can be repaired, and replaced with gas or electric as you choose | Premier; AusNet |
| Any existing home, gas hot water | 1 March 2027 | A gas hot water system at end of life that cannot be repaired must be replaced with an electric system | Premier; AusNet |
| Rental homes, heating | 1 March 2027 | A failed space heater that is beyond repair gives way to efficient reverse cycle heating, with an outlet serving the main living area | VEU program page; AusNet |
| Rental homes, cooling | 1 March 2027, at the start of a new lease | The main living area must have efficient cooling | VEU program page; Premier |
| New homes | 1 January 2027 | Built all electric, with no gas connection | Premier; AusNet |
| LPG users | No change | Bottled gas can still be used | Premier; AusNet |
| Gas cooking in existing homes | No change | No requirement to remove gas cooktops | Premier; AusNet |
The rental rows are confirmed on the VEU heating and cooling page, which describes the new minimum energy efficiency standards for rented homes.
What does this mean if you own and live in your home?
For heating, nothing is forced on you. If the gas ducted heater in your roof is still running safely, you can keep using it. If it fails, you can have it repaired, or replaced with another gas unit, or swapped for an electric reverse cycle system. The gas ducted heating service and replacement page covers the gas option, and the gas to electric heating upgrade page covers the switch.
The rule that will reach most owner-occupiers is hot water, not heating. A gas hot water unit that reaches end of life after 1 March 2027 has to be replaced with an electric one, although it can still be repaired while it works. That job belongs to a plumber rather than a heating and cooling technician, so it is only mentioned here for completeness.
Whatever you decide, gas heaters still need looking after. Energy Safe Victoria’s Be Sure campaign asks households to have every gas heater serviced at least once every two years by a qualified gasfitter, because any gas heater can spill carbon monoxide without you noticing.
What does this mean if you rent out a property?
Rental providers have the most to plan for. From 1 March 2027:
- When a rental’s space heater fails and a repair is not possible, the replacement has to be an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner, and one of its outlets must be in the main living area. Swapping in another gas heater is no longer an option in that situation.
- At the start of a new lease, the main living area must have efficient cooling. AusNet notes this can include existing evaporative cooling, so a rental with a working evaporative system may already meet the cooling rule. The evaporative cooling page covers servicing those systems.
- Exemptions apply, including where installation costs are too high or there is not enough space, according to the Premier’s statement. The detail of how exemptions are assessed was not set out on the pages checked for this guide, so confirm it with Consumer Affairs Victoria before relying on one.
The same Premier’s release lists further rental standards for insulation and draught sealing. Those are outside the scope of a heating and cooling site, but worth reading if you own a rental.
Rental providers who replace gas heating before it fails can use the state discount program to reduce the cost. The Warragul VEU heating discount guide explains how that discount is arranged. Energy Safe also reminds rental providers that a gas safety check is required every two years while gas appliances remain in the property.
What does this mean if you rent?
You do not have to do anything yourself. When a broken heater in your rental cannot be fixed after 1 March 2027, your rental provider replaces it with efficient reverse cycle heating in the main living area. If you start a new lease from that date, the main living area should already have efficient cooling. Report heater faults to your rental provider or agent in writing as soon as you notice them, and do not use a gas heater you suspect is faulty.
What about new homes being built around Warragul?
From 1 January 2027 new homes must be built all electric. AusNet says building permits will not include gas appliances or piping, but if your permit was approved before 31 December 2026 you may still be able to connect gas. If you knock down and rebuild, the new home must be all electric. If you renovate, you can keep the existing gas connection. People building in the growing estates around Warragul and Drouin should speak to their builder about heating and cooling design early, because a ducted reverse cycle system or a set of splits has to be planned for during construction.
Does any of this affect LPG heaters?
The Premier’s statement says the use of LPG by households and businesses is unchanged, and AusNet lists bottled gas as still allowed for barbecues and for hot water or cooking in regional homes. That matters for any property off the mains network that heats with bottled gas. Owner-occupiers on LPG are in the same position as those on mains gas: no heating change. For a rental heated by LPG, ask Consumer Affairs Victoria how the rental standard applies, since the pages checked here describe space heaters generally without singling out LPG.
What should you check before acting?
- Confirm whether you are an owner-occupier, a rental provider or a tenant, because the rules differ.
- Check the age and condition of your gas heater, and when it was last serviced.
- If you rent out the property, look at what heating and cooling the main living area has now.
- If you plan to switch, check the switchboard can carry a reverse cycle system.
- Read the current government pages rather than relying on second-hand summaries, as rules can be updated before they start.
An independent local provider who quotes on your house can tell you which options suit its layout and gas supply. The Warragul area page has more on the town’s local points, and you can get an assessment of your gas heater options at any time.
Next step: describe your heater and your situation
Send a 2027 gas heater enquiry that says whether you own and live in the home or rent it out, what gas heating you have (ducted, wall furnace, room heater or log fire), its approximate age, whether it is on mains gas or LPG, when it was last serviced, and whether you want it repaired, replaced with gas or replaced with reverse cycle. If it is a rental, mention whether a new lease is coming up so the provider can look at the cooling requirement at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I still buy a new gas heater for my own home after 2027?
Yes, if you own and live in the home. The Victorian Government has said there are no changes to heating for owner occupiers, and AusNet's guide says owners can replace heaters with gas models. The heater still needs installing by a licensed gasfitter.
- My rental's gas heater broke in 2027. What happens?
If it breaks after 1 March 2027 and cannot be repaired, the rental provider must replace it with an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner with an outlet in the main living area, unless an exemption applies. Tell your rental provider or agent about the fault in writing.
- Does the 2027 hot water rule affect my heating?
No. The hot water rule covers gas hot water systems at the end of their life, which must then be replaced with an electric system. Gas heaters in owner-occupied homes are not covered by that rule.
- We are building in a new Warragul estate. Can we have gas heating?
New homes from 1 January 2027 must be built all electric. AusNet says that if your building permit was approved before 31 December 2026 you may still be able to connect gas. Check the permit date with your builder or building surveyor.
- Will my mains gas be cut off in 2027?
Nothing on the government or AusNet pages checked for this guide says existing gas connections will be cut off. AusNet says households can keep using existing gas appliances in good working order, and renovating does not force you off your existing connection.