Reverse cycle and the Melbourne climate
Frosty, damp mornings
July nights average 5.0 degrees at Laverton and 3.6 at Mount Dandenong on Bureau of Meteorology figures. When it's cold and humid, Mitsubishi Electric says heating can stop for up to 10 minutes while the outdoor unit defrosts, and the white vapour you see outside is part of it.
There's usually a gas heater in the picture
The JWS report for the Victorian Government says Victoria has Australia's highest share of homes on mains gas. A Melbourne reverse cycle job often means deciding what happens to the gas heater already in the house.
New homes are electric
From 1 January 2027, new Victorian homes are built all electric, so a Melbourne new build or knock-down rebuild will heat with electricity, and reverse cycle is the obvious candidate.
One system for a rental
An efficient reverse cycle unit that meets the required ratings covers both the rental heating and cooling standards. For a split, that's at least 2 stars for heating in the property's climate area and 3 stars for cooling.
Will it keep a Melbourne house warm?
Yes, if it's sized for heating. Melbourne's coldest averages are far milder than the minus 10 degrees that the ACT Government's guide says good systems still work at, and the ACT Government says reverse cycle turns each unit of electricity into 3 to 6 units of heat.
Ask for the heating capacity at 2 degrees outside. The energy label shows heating at 7 and at 2 degrees, and on the coldest Melbourne mornings the 2 degree figure is closer to what you'll get. For running costs, multiply the input power in kW by your hours of use and your own electricity rate, or use the running cost tool. The national reverse cycle page explains how the heat pump works.
Keeping gas heating or going reverse cycle in Melbourne
| Keep gas heating | Go reverse cycle | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner occupiers | Allowed: DEECA says existing homes needn't switch | Your choice, any time |
| New homes from 1 January 2027 | No new gas connections | Built all electric |
| Rentals from 1 March 2027 | A working heater can stay | Meets the rule when the main heater permanently fails |
| Summer | Needs add-on cooling or a separate system | Cools from the same system |
| VEU discount | Not available for gas heaters | Possible through an accredited provider |
| Servicing | Gasfitter at least every two years (Energy Safe Victoria) | Once a year, Mitsubishi Electric recommends |
VEU in Melbourne, without the hype
VEU's air conditioner categories cover systems that both heat and cool, so reverse cycle can qualify through an accredited provider. The program is voluntary, and nobody can promise your job qualifies until the provider has looked at it.
The rules set minimum co-payments that include GST. From 30 September 2026, the minimum co-payment is $200 for a single split under 10 kW, and $3,000 for ducted systems and for multi-splits of 10 kW or more. Paying any of it back to you, in cash or extras, is prohibited.
Anyone marketing VEU must take reasonable steps to make sure you understand they don't work for the Victorian Government, and must name the accredited person who'll create the certificate. Our VEU guide goes further.
Questions for a Melbourne reverse cycle installer
- What's the heating capacity at 2 degrees outside, not just the rated kW?
- Is it sized for our coldest room in July?
- If we're coming off gas ducted, are the ducts new, and who disconnects the gas heater?
- Do you work with a VEU accredited provider, and who is it?
- Where will the outdoor unit go, given heating noise mustn't reach a neighbour's bedroom after 10pm?
What's yours, and what's the installer's
You can
- List the rooms you heat in July and cool in January. They're often different.
- Set it sensibly: Solar Victoria suggests 18 to 20 degrees in winter and 25 to 27 in summer.
- Let a defrost pause finish on frosty mornings instead of switching it off and on.
Leave to a licensed installer
- A heat load for heating and cooling.
- Refrigerant and electrical work.
- Disconnecting a gas heater, which is a gasfitter's job.
- Arranging any VEU discount with the accredited provider.
What we'd do
If it were our Melbourne home
We'd keep a gas heater that's working and plan reverse cycle for the day it fails, rather than rushing. When that day came, we'd choose on the heating capacity at 2 degrees, have a reverse cycle specialist size it for July, and only talk VEU with an installer who names their accredited provider up front.
