This message first appeared in our April 2026 newsletter. To stay up to date with the latest news and research on energy issues that impact consumers, sign up to receive our monthly newsletter below.
Sixty years ago, Australia transitioned from pounds sterling to dollars. All coins, notes and cash registers had to convert nearly overnight from one system to another.
For the more than 5 million households and small businesses that are connected to Australia’s gas network, the shift to all-electric appliances will be a more herculean transition.
This is the focus of a new report we launched today, Power Move: Fair and affordable electrification for Australian households and small businesses. It highlights the imperative for governments to clearly communicate the need to go all-electric and to provide practical support for consumers to make the change.
To educate the public for the change in currency, the Australian government created cartoon character “Dollar Bill” who, on TV and radio, sang the surprisingly catchy jingle:
“In come the dollars, and in come the cents.
To replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence.”
Retail stores were staffed by “Dollar Jills” who explained the change to shoppers. The currency conversion was widely heralded as a success and became a blueprint for other nations.
Electrification offers clear advantages to Australians. Electric appliances are cheaper to operate and better for health and the environment than gas ones. But the transition has many challenges, particularly for renters and those in apartment buildings, who typically do not choose their appliances.
If governments can clearly communicate the benefits of going all-electric and provide practical support, most people can replace their gas appliances when they reach end of life, which will reduce the cost and complexity of getting off gas.
In doing so, households and small businesses can enjoy cheaper energy and share in the gains of the energy transition.
Who knows, we might even get a new jingle stuck in our heads.
