Up to 1,000 households in Banks and Canberra’s southern suburbs can now register to convert their homes to all-electric power under a pilot program announced today by the Australian federal government.
The Go Electric program is being delivered through a partnership between community group Electrify Canberra, energy services company Electric Future, technical delivery partner enX Consulting and Rewiring Australia.
The pilot will run from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2028, beginning in Banks before expanding to neighbouring suburbs.
The program is backed by $8.2 million from the Australian government through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, part of a total $40 million investment that also includes funding from the ACT government.
Participating households will receive tailored rebates and coordinated support to install rooftop solar, home batteries, efficient electric heating, heat pump hot water systems and induction cooktops, replacing gas and older electric appliances.
Support will be tiered according to household circumstances.
Most eligible households will receive a 20 per cent installation rebate, with concessional finance available at 3 per cent on the first $20,000 of work.
Eligible concession card holders may access a zero per cent interest rate on the first $10,000 of work plus product rebates.
Households in severe financial hardship may qualify for upgrades fully funded by the ACT government.
Final participation criteria and support levels will be confirmed as the program progresses.
Households register through Electrify Canberra and are then referred to Electric Future, which acts as a single point of contact for quotes, rebate applications and trade coordination.
Once installation is complete, Electric Future will provide an app allowing homeowners and renters to monitor their electricity use in real time.
Registering does not commit a household to taking part, and installations are expected to begin around the end of this year.
Local electricians, plumbers, solar and battery installers and HVAC trades are also being invited to register for the two-year program of work.
Conder couple Jack and Taylah have already registered for the pilot and have begun converting their home from gas to electric appliances.
Jack said the household had removed a gas heater, gas stove top and gas hot water system, and was working through the remaining changes needed to go fully electric, including switching their hot water and stove top.
Electric Future Managing Director Nathan Brown said the technology required for electrification was already well established, and that the difficulty for most households lay in navigating quotes, trades and rebate eligibility.
He said the program was designed to remove that complexity by giving households a single point of contact.
“The real test of the energy transition is not whether the technology exists,” said Brown.
“It is whether ordinary households can access it, afford it and feel confident using it. That is what we are here to solve.”
The ACT government has restricted new gas connections across most residential, commercial and community facility areas since December 2023, and has committed to moving away from fossil fuel gas by 2045.
Households taking part in the pilot may also be eligible for existing ACT government rebates and finance schemes, and the Territory government is contributing to program governance and data sharing.
Organisers say Canberra’s cold climate and high reliance on gas heating mean local households have more to gain from switching than those in other parts of the country.
The pilot is also intended to test whether entire suburbs can electrify without straining the local electricity network, with findings from the trial to be published as the program progresses.
Households and trades interested in taking part can register at www.electrifycanberra.org.au/goelectric.
