Gas heating costs: What one Hamilton family paid in 2026

Gas heating costs can creep up on you. One Hamilton family of four found that out this year. With their ducted gas heater going most days and gas prices rising, they decided it was time to switch to ducted reverse cycle.

They’ve shared their real 2026 gas bills so you can see what heating their home was costing them, and how that compares with running reverse cycle.

Why we’re sharing this

This is one household’s comparison, not a promise of savings. Every home is different. Your heating costs depend on the size and age of your home, its insulation, how many people live there, how often you run the heater, the temperature you set it to, your existing system and your energy plan.

We’re sharing these numbers to show how you can look at your own bills and work out what your heating is really costing you.

The household

• • A family of four in a four-bedroom home in Hamilton

• • An old ducted gas heater that heated the whole house, running most days from autumn to spring

• • A split system in the living room, used for cooling

• • Gas hot water and a gas stovetop, which they’re keeping for now

• • Now heating and cooling the whole house with a Mitsubishi Electric ducted reverse-cycle system, installed by Finchetts in late October 2026

What their gas heating costs looked like

In summer, with the heater off, their gas bill covered hot water and cooking, at about $3 a day. Through winter, that jumped to around $12 a day.

Across five bills, they paid $2,235 for gas. Around $1,300 of that went on running the heater.

And gas prices kept going up

It wasn’t just how much they used. The price went up too.

During 2026, their gas usage rate rose twice, in June and again in August. By the end of winter they were paying about 10% more for every unit of gas than they were in summer. Their daily supply charge went up by about 7% as well.

For a heater that runs most days, that adds up quickly. That’s what made them start looking at other options.

How reverse cycle compares

A gas heater burns fuel to make heat. A reverse-cycle system works differently: it moves heat from outside to inside. For every unit of electricity it uses, it can deliver around three to four units of heat.

Based on their bills and their current electricity rates, we estimate that heating the whole house with their new ducted reverse-cycle system could cost them around $800 a year, compared to about $1,300 on gas.

They’ll still use gas for hot water and cooking, but the biggest part of their gas bill is gone. And instead of one split system cooling the living room, the whole house can now be kept cool in summer too.

How we worked this out: We took the extra gas used in the cooler months and allowed a little for the hot water system working harder in winter. We assumed the old ducted gas heater was about 75% efficient, and that the new system delivers about 3.5 units of heat for every unit of power. We then used the family’s actual electricity rates.

This is an estimate, not a measured result, and it compares heating only. Summer cooling costs aren’t included. Real costs will depend on the weather, how the system is used and the family’s energy plan. We’ll update this post with their real electricity costs after their first winter on reverse cycle.

What are your gas heating costs?

Grab your last few gas bills and compare your summer and winter amounts. If you also have gas hot water or cooking, your summer bill is a good baseline. The jump in winter is roughly what your heater is costing you.

Your numbers won’t be the same as this family’s, and that’s the point. Every home is different.

If you’re thinking about making the switch, we’ll look at your home, your current system and how you use it, and give you the full picture before you commit. If you’re replacing an eligible gas heater, VEU support may also apply.

Related reading: Ducted vs split system: which suits your home? · Mitsubishi Electric split systems in Hamilton · Replace your gas heater with a split system: 3 real Hamilton jobs