Gas Hot Water Heaters

Gas hot water systems are a popular choice, particularly in new homes where smaller block sizes often make it difficult to fit a 650mm wide storage tank down the side of the house. In Brisbane and nearby suburbs, many areas are connected to natural gas mains, which provide a much more affordable supply compared to bottled LPG cylinders. Instantaneous natural gas and LPG hot water heaters are compact, about the size of a small suitcase, and can be mounted on a wall. These tankless systems are excellent space savers, making them ideal as lot sizes continue to shrink. Most of these units use electronic ignition rather than a continuous pilot light, saving gas over time, but they do require electricity, which means no hot water during a blackout since there is no stored supply.

LPG hot water systems, while common, have become costly due to delivery, handling, and cylinder rental fees, making them more expensive to run than an off-peak electric hot water system. Typically, you’ll need two 45kg gas bottles for reliable operation. In newer estates or planned communities without natural gas, some developments are connected to a central LPG supply with metered distribution. This setup eliminates the cost of renting bottles but usually locks you into a single gas provider.

For homes with natural gas mains, the supply is generally 25–45% cheaper than LPG bottles. However, many providers now add service charges of more than $50 per quarterly bill, on top of the actual gas usage. Unlike gas used for cooking or barbecues, where consumption is minimal, heating water requires a much larger volume of gas, so efficiency and supply costs are important factors to consider.