Whether you’re buying for your own home or an investment property, purchasing a gas hot water system in Brisbane comes down to a handful of practical questions.
We are here to help with everything, including current pricing and the regulations that apply across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, and the rest of South East Queensland.
Natural gas is widely available across Brisbane, and for properties already connected, it’s often the cheapest way to run hot water. Gas hot water systems heat water faster than electric systems and keep working during a power outage, which is important if you’re relying on hot water for a household or a rental property. Where natural gas isn’t available, LPG is a workable alternative, though running costs sit higher.
A single person on natural gas typically pays around $235 a year in running costs. A family of four on LPG storage can expect closer to $1,480 annually, which is worth factoring in if your property doesn’t have a natural gas connection and you’re weighing gas against another fuel type.
Several types of gas hot water systems are on the market, and the right one depends on your household’s hot water demand.
Gas storage systems are the most common type installed in Australia. They heat and store water in a tank at a set temperature, ready to use on demand. They suit larger households with multiple bathrooms running at once.
Instant gas hot water systems, also called continuous flow systems, heat water on demand rather than storing it. They’re compact, wall-mounted, and avoid the standby heat loss that comes with keeping a full tank hot around the clock. You also need to understand the flow rate and what you need. Undersize the unit, and water pressure drops the moment a second hot tap opens elsewhere in the house. But, if sized correctly for your household, an instant gas system delivers genuinely endless hot water, no more running out mid-shower with a full house. With proper maintenance, instant gas systems can last well over 10 years.
Gas-solar systems combine gas heating with solar power, using the sun to do most of the work and gas as backup on cloudy days or during high demand. This suits Brisbane’s sunshine hours well, though it’s a bigger upfront investment than a standard gas storage system.
We also recommend spending some time comparing other alternatives. Heat pump systems extract heat from the surrounding ambient air rather than burning gas or drawing continuous electricity, which is why they’ve become popular for their lower running costs. Electric storage systems and electric instantaneous water heaters remain common too, particularly where a property has no gas connection.
Gas storage systems typically cost between $1,300 and $6,400 depending on tank size, brand and efficiency rating. Installation costs for a new gas system generally add another $1,500 to $3,000, depending on whether you’re doing a straight swap or need new gas fittings run to the unit.
When comparing systems, check the Energy Rating Label. A 5-star rated gas system will cost noticeably less to run over its lifetime than a lower rated model, even if the unit itself costs more upfront. That gap in running costs usually outweighs the difference in purchase price within a few years, and it’s one of the simplest ways to save money on energy bills without changing fuel source altogether.
If your existing unit is ageing and inefficient, replacing it with a higher-rated model is often the single biggest lever you have over your household energy bills, more so than most other appliance upgrades around the home.
In Queensland, hot water installation is classified as notifiable work. This means it must be carried out and certified by a licensed professional; a homeowner or unlicensed handyman can’t legally take it on. A compliant installation needs to get a few specific things right:
Beyond the core requirements, a few practical things affect the scope and cost of the job. If you’re replacing an old hot water unit rather than installing a new one, factor in system removal and disposal; most installers quote this in with the install rather than charging separately.
Switching from electric to gas, or upgrading an older gas unit to a compliant modern one, can also involve electrical work alongside the gas fitting, particularly where the old system used a different power source. And if your property hasn’t been touched in years, it’s worth asking your installer whether any compliance upgrades are needed elsewhere on the system while they’re already on site.
All gas fitters operating in Australia must be licensed, but licensing alone doesn’t guarantee a good experience. Before committing, it’s worth doing a few basic checks:
A good installer should also offer expert advice on system type and sizing before you commit, rather than simply quoting whatever you ask for. If your household’s hot water usage has changed- more people in the house, a new bathroom added- that’s worth raising before locking in a like-for-like replacement, since the old system’s sizing may no longer suit the property.
No one wants to be stuck with cold water on a Brisbane winter morning while you wait on a callback. Same Day Hot Water Service supplies and installs gas hot water systems across Brisbane and South East Queensland, backed by licensed gas fitters and same-day service where needed. Whether you’re replacing an old system or fitting out a new hot water system for an investment property, our team can help you choose the right system and provide professional installation from start to finish, with your Compliance Certificate issued on completion.
Yes. Gas hot water systems remain fully available for purchase and installation in Queensland. Some southern states have introduced restrictions on gas system replacements in coming years, but no equivalent restriction currently applies in Queensland.
For a gas system, expect to pay between $1,300 and $6,400 for the unit itself, plus $1,500 to $3,000 for installation. The total depends on tank size, system type, and whether any additional gas fitting work is needed.
It depends on your household. Gas storage suits larger households running multiple bathrooms at once. Instant gas, or continuous flow, suits smaller households or properties with limited outdoor space, since the units are compact and only heat water as it’s used. A gas-solar system is worth considering if you want to minimise gas usage without moving away from gas entirely.
For properties with an existing natural gas connection, gas remains one of the most cost-effective options in Brisbane’s climate. For properties without gas, heat pump systems tend to perform particularly well given Brisbane’s mild winters, since they draw on ambient air more efficiently here than in colder states.