Gas vs induction: which cooktop costs less to run?
By Sithum Imarsha Last reviewed
Induction uses about 55% less energy than gas (NatHERS). For 3 people at average Australian prices, usage alone saves only about $18 a year. The big saving is the gas supply charge, about $307 a year, if the cooktop is your last gas appliance.
Your result
Saved a year
$325
Induction: $63 a year at 32c/kWh, against $81 on gas at 5.06c/MJ.
- Usage saving
- $18
- Gas supply charge saved
- $307
- Cost to switch
- $2,930
- Pays back in
- 9.0 years
- Gas meter removal
- $654.68
- Break-even electricity rate
- 40.89c/kWh
Switching the cooktop alone does not pay back on running cost within a cooktop's life. The big saving is the gas supply charge, and you only save it by leaving gas.
At these rates the new cooktop does not cost less to run than gas.
Meter removal fee: —. Ask your retailer and type it under Advanced settings.
Gas meter removal: The average of NSW, VIC, WA and ACT, the states that publish a fee. Pick your state for its own fee.
Fix the highlighted field to update.
| Cooktop | Energy | Unit | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas cooktop | 1,600 | MJ | $81 |
| Induction | 198 | kWh | $63 |
| Ceramic | 288 | kWh | $92 |
How we calculated this
Take the government model of household cooking
NatHERS, the national house energy rating scheme, models a year of cooktop use by household size, separately for gas, ceramic and induction (v20250123, 1 to 6 people). Your cook level scales it. Electric MJ ÷ 3.6 = kWh.
1,600 MJ of gas or 198 kWh on induction
Price a year of cooking
MJ × your gas rate, or kWh × your electricity rate. We use the import rate: cooking peaks in the early evening, after the sun has gone (NatHERS).
$81 gas · $63 Induction
Add the supply charge only if gas leaves
The daily gas supply charge is not a cooking cost. You only save it if nothing else in the home uses gas and you have the meter removed.
$18 usage, $325 in total
Divide the cost to switch by the saving
Cooktop + circuit + gas capping + the meter removal fee (only when leaving gas) + a switchboard upgrade if needed, less any rebate. The state rebates are for induction only, so a ceramic cooktop gets none.
$2,930 ÷ $325 a year = 9.0 years
| Cooktop | Formula | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Gas cooktop | 800.13 + 266.67 × people | MJ a year |
| Ceramic | 518.47 + 172.77 × people | MJ a year |
| Induction | 356.47 + 118.77 × people | MJ a year |
| Level | Factor | Checked | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light: we rarely cook | × 0.5 | Estimate | Our estimate: half the NatHERS household, for a home that rarely cooks |
| Average | × 1 | Estimate | The NatHERS household as modelled |
| Heavy: we cook every meal | × 1.5 | Estimate | Our estimate: half as much again, for a home that cooks every meal |
| Cooktop | Efficiency | Checked | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Induction | 85% | Official source | Frontier Energy for SMUD, Jul 2019, Table 4: 83.0 to 86.8% in water heat-up tests (3 models) |
| Ceramic | 75.5% | Official source | Frontier Energy for SMUD, Jul 2019, Table 4: resistance glass top, water heat-up |
| Gas burner | 31.9% | Official source | Frontier Energy for SMUD, Jul 2019, Table 4: 17 kBtu/h burner, water heat-up |
| What | We use | Why | Range | Where the range comes from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Induction cooktop | $1,000 | Estimate: Our estimate inside the VEU and CHOICE ranges | $600 to $6,000 | Official source: Victorian Energy Upgrades induction cooktop buyers guide (Wayback copy, 6 Aug 2026): "from around $600 to over $6000" |
| Dedicated circuit | $900 | Estimate: The middle of the VEU range | $600 to $1,200 | Official source: Victorian Energy Upgrades induction cooktop buyers guide (Wayback copy, 6 Aug 2026): dedicated circuit and hardwiring; CHOICE gives the same range |
| Gas capping | $375 | Estimate: The middle of the VEU range | $250 to $500 | Official source: Victorian Energy Upgrades induction cooktop buyers guide (Wayback copy, 6 Aug 2026): a gasfitter caps the gas line |
| Switchboard upgrade (if needed) | $3,000 | Dated third-party source: The low end of the CHOICE range, used only when you say you need one | $3,000 to $9,000 | Dated third-party source: CHOICE, switching from gas to induction (30 Mar 2026): switchboard or mains upgrade |
| State | Fee | Network | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | $284.97 | Jemena, standard removal (AGN Albury and Wagga $144.58) | Official source |
| Victoria | $268.40 | AGN (Multinet the same; AusNet $270.39) | Official source |
| Queensland | By quote | Allgas and AGN | Official source |
| South Australia | By quote | AGN | Official source |
| Western Australia | $1,243.64 | ATCO, plus a meter deregistration fee from your retailer | Official source |
| Tasmania | Not found | Tas Gas Networks | No published fee found when we looked on 26 September 2026 |
| Australian Capital Territory | $821.70 | Evoenergy, standard | Official source |
| Australian average | $654.68 | The average of NSW, VIC, WA and ACT, the states that publish a fee | Derived |
| State | Rebate | Scheme | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | — | No state rebate | None found when we looked on 26 September 2026 |
| Victoria | $140 | Victorian Energy Upgrades, induction cooktop discount | Official source |
| Queensland | — | No state rebate | None found when we looked on 26 September 2026 |
| South Australia | — | No state rebate | None found when we looked on 26 September 2026 |
| Western Australia | — | No state rebate | None found when we looked on 26 September 2026 |
| Tasmania | — | No state rebate | None found when we looked on 26 September 2026 |
| Australian Capital Territory | — | No rebate (Sustainable Household Scheme loans) | Not yet checked |
Victoria: Based on a certificate price of $70, so it moves. VIC household replacing a gas cooktop, home at least 2 years old, one claim per household. Built-in or freestanding induction only (not portable), at least 550 × 380 mm, 3 or more zones each with its own controls, 2-year warranty. Buy first, then give the invoice and a recent gas bill to an accredited provider. The old VEU cooktop offer covered purchases up to 30 June 2026. Newer rules apply after that, so check them with an accredited provider. Source: Victorian Energy Upgrades induction cooktop discounts, read in a browser on 26 Sep 2026 (no page date shown).
NatHERS is a model, not a meter: a home that wok-fries on high every night will use more. We use the first gas price block, the one a cooktop alone stays in. A disconnection only locks the meter and supply charges can keep coming; abolishment removes it for good. A portable induction plate is a cheap trial, but it does not end the supply charge. Victoria's 2027 rules for new homes do not make existing homes change their cooktop (DEECA). Some people switch for indoor air quality too; that is not a money question, so it is not in the sums.
Sources
- NatHERS: Whole of Home Calculations Method v20250123
- Frontier Energy: Residential Cooktop Performance and Energy Comparison Study (Jul 2019)
- ENERGY STAR: residential induction cooking tops (2021 to 2022)
- Victorian Energy Upgrades: induction cooktop discounts
- Victorian Energy Upgrades: induction cooktop buyers guide
- CHOICE: switching from gas to induction (30 Mar 2026)
- Red Energy: additional service charges (Victoria, 1 Jul 2026)
- ActewAGL: remove my meter
- Evoenergy: natural gas connections
- ATCO: permanent disconnections service
- DEECA: Building electrification for residential buildings in Victoria (Aug 2025)
- ACT Climate Choices: cooking with electricity, a guide to electric stove tops
- Victoria Government Gazette S280 (Origin gas standing offer, 1 Jul 2026)
- ActewAGL: ACT standard gas prices from 1 July 2026
- Energy Policy WA: household gas pricing
- Finder: average cost of gas (Sep 2026)
- Canstar: electricity cost per kWh
- EnergyPlans: solar feed-in tariffs July 2026
- OTTER: Tasmanian feed-in tariffs
- WA legislation: Synergy A1 tariff, charges amendment by-laws 2026 (SL 2026/140)
Questions
Is induction cheaper than gas?
Usually, but only just, on usage. In Victoria for 3 people it saves about $7 a year. Induction costs the same as gas at an electricity rate of about 30.87c/kWh there.
How much energy does a gas cooktop use?
1,333 MJ a year for 2 people and 1,867 MJ for 4 (NatHERS model).
Is ceramic cheaper than gas?
Not in most states. Ceramic needs more energy than induction, and at our default rates it only costs less to run than gas in Tasmania and the ACT. It only saves real money if switching lets you cancel gas.
How efficient is a gas cooktop?
About 32% of the heat reaches the pot in lab tests, against about 85% for induction (Frontier Energy, 2019).
Do I have to replace my gas cooktop in Victoria?
No. New homes must be all-electric, but existing homes do not have to change their gas cooktop (DEECA).
Can solar power my induction cooktop?
Rarely for dinner. Cooking peaks in the early evening, after the sun has gone (NatHERS), so we price it at your import rate.