ACT Government moves to shut gas network and ban new gas appliances

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government released a discussion paper outlining a plan to phase out gas appliances and decommission its gas network by 2045. The paper warns that sections of the network could become economically unviable and be shut down from the mid‑2030s, as household gas use has fallen 44% since 2010 and total gas emissions dropped 22% in the past two years. About 40,000 customers – roughly a third of the network’s users – may stop using gas by 2031, prompting Evoenergy to anticipate a 24% decline in total gas consumption. Rather than banning new gas appliances outright, the government will encourage a shift to electric alternatives, supported by information at the point of sale, to help the ACT reach net‑zero emissions by 2045 and reduce household energy costs.