Electric Shock: How many Aussies REALLY want to flick the switch off gas?

Aussie households may be turning a corner when it comes to the age-old debate of electricity versus natural gas, after a new national survey revealed more than half of them are now open to the idea of electrifying their homes and/or vehicles.

Survey results from research think-tank The Australia Institute found that at least 55% of households had somewhat or very positive feelings towards the move to electrify more homes in the country.

The biggest driver behind households’ interest to switch to electricity from gas was environmental factors, with 30% expressing that they felt electricity was cleaner and better for the environment. Other key incentives included lower energy bills (18%), reduced carbon footprint (15%) and easier access to renewable energy (15%).

Unsurprisingly it was the younger generation that were more likely to feel positive about electrifying their homes and vehicles, while male respondents showed more interest compared to female respondents.

Additionally, Aussies aged under 35 were more likely to believe that reducing gas usage and switching to electric appliances would help reduce carbon emissions, compared to those in older age groups. Aussies aged 65+ were also less likely to believe that using an electric car would help to reduce carbon emissions compared to those under 65.

As for states and territories, it was Western Australians that held the most positive sentiments towards household electrification (59%), followed by Victorians (56%) and South Australians (54%).

Director of the Australia Institute in South Australia, Noah Schultz-Byard, said despite the growing interest in electrification becoming imminent, the overall uptake may continue to be hindered as a result of costs.

“This data shines a light on the policy pathway forward,” he said. “Electric homes, cars and appliances underpinned by clean energy and battery storage will play a key role in confronting our economic and environmental concerns.

“With electric technology now readily available, the biggest barrier to making that switch is the upfront cost of transition. This is where the government could come in and support those families who want to go electric.”

Those that felt negatively towards electrifying homes – currently sitting at more than one in ten households (13%) – cited upfront costs as their biggest concern (19%).

Other hinderances included a belief that the grid would become overloaded if all appliances were switched to electric (15%) and a preference for gas cooking, heating and hot water (12%).

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Why are Aussies still keen to keep cooking with gas?

In the same survey conducted by The Australia Institute, a whopping 43% of Australians admitted to gas still being their preferred fuel source when it came to stovetops, while 25% said they preferred a gas oven.

The biggest reason behind this preference, in both instances, was that they believed it performed better than electricity or any other alternative, with 40% choosing this option for ovens and 35% for stovetops.

The love for gas however, appears to stop short at cooking appliances, with electricity taking the cake for heating and hot water systems for most households.

More than half of the households surveyed said that they prefer using electricity for their heating appliances (58%) and hot water systems (54%).

Households that used gas for these appliances were also found, in most cases, to not have a strong preference for gas. In fact, the biggest reason for using gas for heating or hot water was that it would be too much hassle to change from one to the other, as indicated by 39% and 38% of respondents respectively.

Currently, about 50% of Australians are believed to have access to a gas mains connection in their home. Victoria was pinned as the state with the highest percentage of homes connected to gas (78%) while Queensland had the lowest (22%).

As a result of this, Victorians were found to hold the most concerns about the cost of gas in comparison to other states and territories.

How do households feel about electric vehicles?

When it comes to electric vehicles (EV) it seems households are the most positive about hybrid vehicles – those that use a combination of electricity and petrol – as opposed to just EVs alone, with opinions on both vehicle types scoring positive reviews of 58% and 52% respectively.

Again, it was the younger generation and males that held the most positive views when it came to ditching petrol vehicles, while those over the age of 65, non-workers and homeowners were more likely to hold negative sentiments.

Costs were the biggest factor impacting those who negatively viewed EVs (59%) while the environmental benefits were what drove both current and potential EV owners – 41% and 69% respectively.

Much like electrical appliances however, the garnering interest doesn’t yet appear to be translating into actual switching behaviour for EVs, with only 4% having purchased one and 6% stating they have one currently in their home.

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Image credit: Lenar Nigmatullin/Shutterstock.com