All electric homes are becoming central to the future of sustainable housing in Australia. Instead of using gas for cooking, hot water or heating, an all electric home uses efficient electric systems that can increasingly be powered by renewable energy.
In a Green Star Homes context, all electric design is not a side issue. The Green Building Council of Australia describes the Positive requirements for Green Star Homes as fully electric, draught sealed, efficient and powered by renewables. This means all electric homes sit directly inside the Green Star Homes vision for healthier, more resilient and lower impact housing. Green Building Council of Australia
All electric homes support Green Star Homes outcomes because they remove gas from the home and use efficient electric systems for cooking, hot water, heating and cooling. When combined with good building fabric, rooftop solar, efficient appliances and renewable energy, all electric design can reduce operational emissions, improve future readiness and support healthier residential living.
An all electric home uses electricity instead of gas or other fossil fuels for the main household services. This usually includes cooking, hot water, heating and cooling. HomeScorecard explains that an all electric home uses efficient electric appliances for cooking, hot water and heating and cooling, and that these appliances can potentially be powered by rooftop solar. HomeScorecard
In practical terms, this may mean an induction cooktop instead of a gas cooktop, a heat pump hot water system instead of gas hot water, reverse cycle air conditioning instead of gas heating and efficient electric appliances supported by solar where suitable.
All electric design is not only a services choice. It is part of a broader shift toward homes that can operate on cleaner electricity, integrate renewable energy and reduce reliance on fossil fuel infrastructure over time.
Green Star Homes is built around the idea of positive, healthy and resilient homes. All electric design supports each of these outcomes.
It supports positive outcomes because efficient electric systems can be powered by renewable energy and can reduce operational emissions as the grid becomes cleaner. It supports healthy outcomes because removing gas from the home can reduce combustion sources inside the living environment. It supports resilience because electric homes can be paired with solar, batteries and better building fabric to improve future readiness.
GBCA’s Green Star Homes guidance makes this connection clear by describing a Positive home as energy efficient, powered by renewables and not using gas. The requirements include thermal performance, window systems, airtightness, hot water, energy efficient appliances, renewable energy and a home user guide. Green Building Council of Australia
A home can be all electric and still perform poorly if it has weak building fabric, poor glazing, little shading, inefficient appliances or badly matched systems. Electrification is important, but it should not be treated as a shortcut around good design.
The best all electric homes reduce demand first. They use good orientation, shading, glazing, insulation, draught sealing and ventilation to reduce heating and cooling loads. Then they use efficient electric systems to meet the remaining demand.
This is why Green Star Homes connects all electric design with thermal performance, window systems and airtightness. The services strategy and the building fabric need to work together.
Cooking is one of the most visible changes in an all electric home. Instead of a gas cooktop, many all electric homes use induction cooking. Induction cooktops are efficient, responsive and avoid combustion inside the kitchen.
From a Green Star Homes perspective, the value is not only energy related. Removing gas cooking can also support the healthy homes conversation by reducing combustion sources inside the home. The kitchen still needs good extraction and ventilation, but all electric cooking can form part of a healthier indoor environment strategy.
For project teams, the practical issues include electrical capacity, kitchen layout, appliance selection, user preference, ventilation and whether the home is also designed for solar and future energy management.
Hot water is often one of the largest household energy uses, so the hot water system is a major decision in an all electric home. Heat pump hot water systems are commonly considered because they use electricity efficiently by moving heat rather than generating it directly in the same way as a conventional electric resistance system.
HomeScorecard lists heat pump hot water systems and electric boosted solar hot water systems as examples of appliances that may be used in an all electric home. HomeScorecard
The best choice depends on household size, climate, location, available space, noise considerations, roof layout, solar strategy, budget and the project’s Whole of Home or BASIX pathway where relevant.
Heating and cooling should not be considered separately from the building fabric. A poorly insulated or badly shaded home may need more heating and cooling, regardless of whether the equipment is electric or gas.
Reverse cycle air conditioning is a common electric heating and cooling option because it can provide efficient heating and cooling from one system. The effectiveness of the system depends on the home’s thermal performance, zoning, layout, climate, installation and how occupants use the home.
For Green Star Homes aligned projects, the aim should be to reduce heating and cooling demand first, then choose efficient systems that are appropriately sized and easy to operate.
All electric homes become more powerful when they can be paired with rooftop solar. Instead of using gas on site, the home can use electricity that is partly generated from its own roof, depending on system size, orientation, roof space, shading, household demand and energy use patterns.
GBCA’s Green Star Homes guidance describes a Positive home as powered by renewables and built to generate sufficient renewable energy to power estimated regulated loads as well as estimated appliances and plug loads. Green Building Council of Australia
This means roof planning matters. Solar should not be treated as an afterthought. Roof orientation, available area, overshadowing, plant location, battery readiness, electrical layout and future electric vehicle charging can all influence the home’s long term performance.
Whole of Home is important because it considers the performance of major household systems, not only the building fabric. Heating, cooling, hot water, cooking, pool pumps, solar and batteries can all influence the overall residential energy outcome.
This makes Whole of Home highly relevant to all electric design. A project may need to compare different electric systems, understand how solar affects the result and coordinate appliance selections with BASIX or NatHERS documentation where relevant.
For Green Star Homes thinking, Whole of Home helps turn the idea of an efficient, fossil fuel free home into a more practical assessment of the systems that will actually be installed and used.
All electric design can support healthier indoor environments by reducing combustion sources inside the home. This is especially relevant for cooking and heating, where gas or other combustion sources can affect indoor air if ventilation is poor or equipment is not well managed.
However, all electric design does not remove the need for good ventilation. Kitchens still need effective extraction. Bathrooms and laundries still need moisture control. Bedrooms and living spaces still need fresh air. A healthier home needs both clean energy systems and a considered indoor air quality strategy.
This is why all electric homes should be considered alongside ventilation, airtightness, materials, moisture control and thermal comfort.
All electric homes are easier to coordinate when the strategy is considered early. Common issues include:
All electric design is one of the clearest ways a home can align with the Green Star Homes direction. It supports fossil fuel free operation, renewable energy use and lower operational emissions, especially when paired with solar and strong building fabric performance.
It also helps connect the Positive, Healthy and Resilient themes. Efficient electric systems can reduce environmental impact. Removing combustion sources can support healthier indoor living. Renewable energy and future ready services can support resilience as energy systems and climate conditions change.
The strongest outcome comes when all electric design is not isolated from the rest of the home. It should sit alongside NatHERS, Whole of Home, solar strategy, insulation, glazing, shading, ventilation and user guidance.
For NSW residential projects, all electric design can influence BASIX, NatHERS and Whole of Home outcomes. NatHERS helps assess the thermal performance of the home. BASIX considers water, energy and thermal performance. Whole of Home considers major household services such as hot water, heating, cooling, cooking, solar and batteries where relevant.
This means all electric decisions should be coordinated with the assessment pathway. Hot water, cooking, heating, cooling, solar and battery assumptions need to match the project documentation and the systems intended for construction.
Early coordination helps avoid late changes to services, energy commitments or ratings. It also helps the project team understand whether the home is simply compliant or genuinely moving toward a stronger sustainable housing outcome.
For architects, builders and developers, all electric design should be considered before the services strategy is fixed. It affects planning, specification, electrical capacity, equipment locations, roof design, solar readiness and Whole of Home performance.
A good all electric home starts with thermal performance. Improve orientation, glazing, shading, insulation, airtightness and ventilation before relying on equipment to solve comfort problems.
Hot water can be a major energy use. Heat pump or electric boosted solar hot water options should be reviewed in relation to household demand, climate, noise, location, maintenance and assessment requirements.
Induction cooking may reduce combustion sources inside the home, but kitchens still need good extraction and ventilation. Electrical capacity, appliance selection and user expectations should also be considered.
Solar performance depends on roof area, orientation, tilt, shading, plant layout and future battery or electric vehicle readiness. The roof should support the energy strategy, not limit it late in the project.
The systems used in Whole of Home, BASIX or other residential energy assessments should match the project specifications. Late service changes may affect the assessment outcome and documentation.
Certified Energy helps residential project teams understand how all electric design relates to BASIX, NatHERS, Whole of Home and Green Star Homes principles.
For all electric and Green Star Homes aligned projects, our team can help review the thermal performance pathway, major household systems, hot water, heating, cooling, cooking, solar assumptions and documentation consistency. This helps connect the services strategy with the building fabric and broader sustainability goals.
The aim is to help the project team move from a collection of electric appliances toward a coherent all electric home performance strategy.
Send your residential plans to Certified Energy and our team can help review the BASIX, NatHERS, Whole of Home and broader sustainability pathway for your all electric home.
Get a QuoteAn all electric home uses electricity instead of gas for major household services such as cooking, hot water, heating and cooling. These systems can increasingly be powered by rooftop solar and renewable electricity.
All electric homes are important because Green Star Homes aims for homes that are fully electric, efficient and powered by renewables. All electric design can support lower operational emissions, healthier indoor living and future ready residential performance.
Yes. In an all electric home, major household services are powered by electricity rather than gas. This may include induction cooking, heat pump hot water and electric heating and cooling.
No. All electric homes still need good thermal performance, efficient appliances, appropriate ventilation, solar readiness, water efficiency and careful documentation. Electrification works best when it is part of a whole home performance strategy.
Whole of Home considers major household systems such as hot water, heating, cooling, cooking, solar and batteries. All electric design can affect the Whole of Home outcome because those systems are central to residential energy performance.
All electric design should be considered early, before services, roof layout, solar, electrical capacity and BASIX or Whole of Home assumptions are finalised. Early planning helps avoid late changes and improves the overall performance strategy.