{"id":89666,"date":"2025-02-27T12:05:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T02:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=89666"},"modified":"2025-07-16T09:13:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T23:43:56","slug":"gas-companies-want-to-charge-you-to-quit-gas-how-to-avoid-1000-fees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/gas-companies-want-to-charge-you-to-quit-gas-how-to-avoid-1000-fees\/","title":{"rendered":"Gas Companies Want To Charge You To Quit Gas: How To Avoid $1000 Fees"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ASwitching from gas to an all-electric home can save hundreds of dollars a year, but if you’re not careful you risk copping some hefty fees. There’s one big decision to make that determines how much you will be out of pocket: should you abolish your gas connection or just disconnect it?<\/p>\n

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If you decide to have your gas connection removed forever, you’ll often be charged over $1,000 to have it abolished. There’s a trick to not paying this heavy fee and that trick is — don’t have your gas abolished in the first place.<\/p>\n

Provided there’s no safety issue, most of the time simply having your gas disconnected will do.\u00a0 The cost can be tiny compared to permanent abolishment and a trivial amount compared to what you’ll save by no longer having to pay gas supply charges.\u00a0 Depending on circumstances, it can be under $10.\u00a0 Here in SA, I’ve even had gas disconnected for free.<\/p>\n

Below in this article, I’ll explain:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The difference between disconnecting gas and abolishing it.<\/li>\n
  2. Disconnection costs by retailer.<\/li>\n
  3. How much you may have to pay to have gas abolished.<\/li>\n
  4. How to maximize savings — including a slightly sneaky way of lowering disconnection costs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What I won’t do is go into how you save money by getting off gas.\u00a0 But trust me, the savings are there<\/a>, and I will write about them in detail soon.<\/p>\n

    1. Disconnection Vs. Abolishment<\/h2>\n

    Disconnection involves plugging or otherwise sealing the gas pipe on your property just before it enters your gas meter.\u00a0 The gas meter is also usually removed, presumably, so you won’t be tempted to taunt it for its impotence.\u00a0 “Did your supply peter, gas meter?\u00a0 Do you have to refrain from methane<\/a>?\u00a0 Is the sauerkraut sandwich I had for lunch causing me to pass more gas than you?”<\/p>\n

    \"A

    This computer-generated image cost the job of the artist I would have otherwise hired to draw googly-eyed sauerkraut sandwiches.<\/p><\/div>\n

    Disconnection leaves a pipe with pressurized gas on your property, but — very importantly — there’s no longer pressurized gas going into your home.\u00a0 Living with a pipe full of explosion gas on your property isn’t ideal, but it’s far safer than having pressurized pipes inside your home, feeding appliances with earth fart.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

    Abolishment is a more severe solution.\u00a0 Your pipe isn’t just blocked; it gets permanently cut off.\u00a0 This often involves ripping up your footpath to reach the street mains, pulling out your pipe, and capping off where it was connected to prevent leaks. The gas pipe to your meter will be removed, along with the meter itself.\u00a0 Ideally, all signs you ever had gas will be gone, but it’s important to check exactly what they’ll do before agreeing to the process.<\/p>\n

    Gas disconnection may only take a few days.\u00a0 If you’ve ever tried not paying your gas bills, you might know it can get done pretty quick.\u00a0 But if you request it, they could keep you waiting a few weeks.<\/p>\n

    Gas abolishment can take months.\u00a0 The gas distributor will typically get the work done within 2-4 weeks of it being approved, but if your local council requires a permit that can add 6 weeks or more, so don’t expect to have gas abolished in a hurry.<\/p>\n

    If I compare the pros and cons of disconnection vs. abolishment on the grounds of cost, safety, speed, and reversibility, I get the following:<\/p>\n