What does it cost to switch from gas to induction?
By Sithum Imarsha Last reviewed
About $2,403 for this home: a $1,000 cooktop, a $900 circuit, $375 to cap the gas and the $268.40 abolishment fee, less the $140 VEU discount. At $338 a year saved, that pays back in about 7.1 years.
Your result
Saved a year
$338
Induction: $63 a year at 27.2c/kWh, against $71 on gas at 3.82c/MJ.
- Usage saving
- $8
- Gas supply charge saved
- $330
- Cost to switch
- $2,403
- Pays back in
- 7.1 years
- Gas meter removal
- $268.40
- Break-even electricity rate
- 30.87c/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.
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| Cooktop | Energy | Unit | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas cooktop | 1,867 | MJ | $71 |
| Induction | 231 | kWh | $63 |
| Ceramic | 336 | kWh | $91 |
How we calculated this
- A year of cooking energy comes from the NatHERS model of household cooking, scaled by how much you cook.
- It is priced at your gas and electricity rates.
- The gas supply charge counts only if gas leaves the home. Payback divides the cost to switch by the yearly saving.
Take the government model of household cooking
1,867 MJ of gas or 231 kWh on induction
Price a year of cooking
$71 gas · $63 Induction
Add the supply charge only if gas leaves
$8 usage, $338 in total
Divide the cost to switch by the saving
$2,403 ÷ $338 a year = 7.1 years
The cooktop is only part of the bill. Most homes need a new circuit and a gasfitter, and leaving gas for good means paying the network to remove the meter. This version starts with a 4-person home in Victoria where the cooktop is the last gas appliance.
What we found
Official source
- Induction cooktops cost $600 to $6,000. Victorian Energy Upgrades induction cooktop buyers guide (Wayback copy, 6 Aug 2026): "from around $600 to over $6000".
- A dedicated circuit costs $600 to $1,200. Victorian Energy Upgrades induction cooktop buyers guide (Wayback copy, 6 Aug 2026): dedicated circuit and hardwiring; CHOICE gives the same range. Capping the gas costs $250 to $500. Victorian Energy Upgrades induction cooktop buyers guide (Wayback copy, 6 Aug 2026): a gasfitter caps the gas line.
- Removing the gas meter in Victoria costs $268.40 on AGN (Multinet the same; AusNet $270.39). A disconnection only locks the meter, and supply charges can keep coming.
- Victorian Energy Upgrades, induction cooktop discount: $140. 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.
Dated third-party source
- A switchboard or mains upgrade costs $3,000 to $9,000. CHOICE, switching from gas to induction (30 Mar 2026): switchboard or mains upgrade.
Want the running costs for every cooktop? See the gas vs induction cooktop calculator.
Questions
Do I need a new circuit?
Most full-size induction cooktops need their own circuit from the switchboard (Victorian Energy Upgrades buyers guide). Ask an electrician to check your switchboard too.
Is there a plug-in induction cooktop?
Yes, portable ones plug into a normal power point. They are a cheap way to try induction, but they do not replace the gas cooktop or end the supply charge.
Is there a rebate outside Victoria?
In NSW, Queensland, SA, WA and Tasmania: none found when we looked on 26 September 2026. In the ACT (Not yet checked): Sustainable Household Scheme loans are $2,000 to $20,000 at 3% interest over up to 10 years. An older page of the scheme lists a swap from a gas stovetop to induction or ceramic. We could not check that the swap is still on the product list. A loan, not a rebate.
Does switching the cooktop alone pay back?
Only if it lets you cancel gas. If this home kept gas for the oven or hot water, only the usage saving would be left: $8 a year, so the switch does not pay back within a cooktop's life.