Why whole-home installs come up in Geelong
Gas is still everywhere in Victoria. Environment Victoria and Renew put mains gas connections at 83% of Victorian households, and say three quarters of the gas used in Victorian homes goes on space heating. AusNet's network serves Geelong.
Two things are nudging Geelong households off it. From 1 January 2027, buildings under construction and existing buildings without gas can't be connected to mains gas, so new homes will be all electric. And Renew's 2021 modelling of a 200m2 Geelong house found the all-electric version, heated and cooled by reverse cycle, significantly cheaper to run than the ones using gas for heating, cooking and hot water.
Nobody's forced to move: DEECA says owners of existing homes face no requirement to swap gas heating for electric. But if your gas heater or evaporative cooler is near the end, this is the moment to compare.
Geelong facts an installer should work from
Hot-day capacity
The records cited for Geelong reach 47.4 degrees (7 February 2009). ActronAir gives the example of a 14kW system dropping to 10 or 12kW above 35 degrees, so a heat load built on average summer weather can leave a west-facing living area short.
Winter evenings
Breakwater averages a July low of 6.4 degrees. A whole-home system's heating capacity deserves the same scrutiny as its cooling.
Old gas ducts
Replacing gas ducted heating with ducted reverse cycle? The ACT Government's guide says the old gas ducts can't be reused, because they're too narrow and may have age-related issues. Expect new ducting in the quote.
Power supply
The same guide says a ducted or multi-head system in a large house may need 3-phase power. Your installer can confirm whether yours does.
Rentals
28.0% of Greater Geelong homes are rented. From 1 March 2027, a ducted electric system counts as an energy efficient rental heater with a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor of 3.2 or more, and as an efficient cooler with a Total Cooling Seasonal Performance Factor of 3.8 or more.
Split, multi-split or ducted for a Geelong house?
| Splits | Multi-split | Ducted reverse cycle | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suits | One room, or an open area up to 80 square metres (ACT Government) | Two to five rooms, each controlled separately (Rinnai) | Larger homes, with vents in several rooms (Solar Victoria) |
| House size | Below 180sqm, or homes needing only some rooms done (ACT) | Part or all of a house, without ducts | Above 180sqm (ACT) |
| Zoning | Switch on only the rooms you use | Each head at its own temperature, but all in heating or all in cooling (Mitsubishi Electric) | Zone dampers in the ductwork (ActronAir) |
| In the roof | Nothing | Pipes only | A heat exchanger and insulated ducts |
What makes a Geelong install bigger or smaller
Taking out the old system is often the hidden half of the job. A gas ducted heater needs a gasfitter to disconnect it safely, an evaporative cooler has to come off the roof with its opening made good, and an old air conditioner's refrigerant must be recovered by an ARC-licensed technician.
After that it's the house: one storey or two, how easy the roof space is to work in, where the outdoor unit can sit, and whether the switchboard can take the load. Ask for duct insulation of at least R1.5, which the ACT Government's guide recommends and says suppliers may not include by default.
VEU discounts and the paperwork
Victorian Energy Upgrades discounts can apply to some systems that both heat and cool, through accredited private providers, and the program is voluntary. From 30 September 2026, ducted systems and multi-splits of 10 kW or more carry a minimum consumer co-payment of $3,000, and that co-payment can't be handed back to you as cash, goods or services.
At handover, Victoria requires two documents: the Energy Safe Victoria Certificate of Electrical Safety and a plumbing compliance certificate. And if a ducted system is signed at your kitchen table after you asked for a quote, it can still be an unsolicited agreement with a 10 business day cooling-off period.
Questions to ask before you sign in Geelong
- What heat load did you use, and does it allow for days over 35 degrees?
- What happens to my old gas heater or evaporative cooler, and who disconnects it?
- Are you reusing any ducts, and what insulation rating will the new ones have?
- Does my house need 3-phase power or a switchboard upgrade for this system?
- Is a VEU discount part of this quote, and who is the accredited person?
What we'd do
Our take for Geelong homes
We'd decide how much of the house really needs heating and cooling before looking at any brand. For a family home on gas ducted and evaporative, we'd compare ducted reverse cycle with two or three well-placed splits, both quoted with the old gear's removal included. And we'd have a ducted specialist look at the roof space in person, because the hot-day sizing and the new ductwork are the two things a phone quote can't judge.
