Energy Consumers Australia welcomes the opportunity to provide comments on the Future Gas Strategy Consultation Paper.
We strongly agree that Australia needs an evidence-based, long-term strategy to inform government, business, and consumer decision-making over the coming two to three decades. As we say in our Stepping Up report and submission to the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into Residential Electrification, Australia needs a long-term strategy that aligns all levels of government to provide households and businesses with clear information about what is required from them to decarbonise the economy.
The evidence shows that the least-cost emissions reduction pathway for households and small
business will be through replacing gas-powered appliances with electric ones. The Future Gas
Strategy must make this clear and discuss how this transition is to be done in a safe and orderly way.
As more and more customers leave the gas distribution network, the remaining customers will face increasing risks. The Future Gas Strategy must demonstrate the need for a plan to mitigate the risks that result from declining demand. These risks can be exacerbated by a poor Future Gas Strategy or mitigated by an informed and decisive one.
Our submission makes two main recommendations:
- The Future Gas Strategy must plan for most households and small businesses switching their gas appliances to electric ones over the coming decades.
- The Future Gas Strategy should demonstrate the need for a plan to ensure a safe, equitable and least-cost transition away from the gas distribution network, and identify the entity who will develop this plan.
Read our full submission here.