29 November, 2025
Today, the Smart Energy Council published the report Getting off Gas, outlining how Australian industry is increasingly looking to replace their heat processes with cost-saving, electric alternatives.
Including multi-nationals in Australia with a collective value of over $1 trillion, the report – written by Watson Advisory – presents businesses, community facilities and manufacturing industries switching off increasingly expensive and volatile gas to save money with electric alternatives.
A tripling of gas prices over the last decade is driving the uptake of low cost renewable energy powered green heat technologies, with household names like Electrolux, Mars and Unilever leading the way.
By getting off gas Australian manufacturing and jobs are being protected from ongoing price shocks, regaining energy and cost security, and ensuring they remain globally competitive.
From the manufacturing operations of global conglomerates, to farms and local councils, a wide range of businesses and community facilities are seeing a return on investment in as little as 2 years by replacing gas systems with electric alternatives.
- Mars Petcare Facility saw a 30-40% net reduction in energy costs, with their new system paying itself off in under 4 years.
- Victoria’s Brimbank City Council saves $260,000 via its heat pump and solar PV system, as an alternative to a gas pool heating system.
- $1.4 million is saved annually by Yanderra Chicken Farm in regional NSW with a system ROI of 4-5 years, plus happier hens with increased productivity through stable temperatures and lower humidity.
While gas prices are causing havoc for Australian industry, there are readily deployable switches from gas to green heat available.
Annually, around 32 petajoules of gas are used by the food, beverage and tobacco sector in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania; substituting gas with green heat in this sector alone can remove the need for any changes to the broken domestic gas market.
Connor Price, the Large-Scale and Manufacturing Policy & Engagement Manager for the Smart Energy Council said “households already know how to save hundreds to thousands of dollars by getting off gas, and today this report outlines that businesses know this too.”
“From global manufacturers to local councils, Australian innovation is driving real savings and showing what a clean, competitive future looks like.”
“Happier hens, keeping local manufacturing jobs, and reducing emissions of operations are all excellent by-products of what is predominantly a cost-saving exercise for Australian industry – gas is just too expensive and electric alternatives are doing a better job for business.”
Read the full report here
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Quotes from the report
“At least 1 trillion dollars worth of multinational businesses and their subsidiaries are actively examining or deploying plant upgrades to take advantage of Australia’s abundant renewables, by displacing their gas use with renewable alternatives.”
Report excerpt.
“Australia with its access to low cost renewable energy is at the forefront of MARS’ efforts to reduce its global carbon footprint.”
Craig Sargeant, General Manager, Mars Petcare ANZ
“In my time, what I have learned is that being sustainable doesn’t cost you money, from what I have seen of the zero-waste program and this new furnace, we are saving money.”
Phillip Saloniklis, Manufacturing Head & GM, Adelaide Electrolux Group.
“In January 2020, we switched to 100 per cent renewable electricity to power our Australian factories. In order to reduce our emissions further, we need to transition to 100 per cent renewable heat — This means transitioning away from using gas in our factories, and using renewable energy alternatives instead.”
Katherine Anderson, Head of Nutrition for Australia and New Zealand, Unilever
For interviews and more information, please contact Tim Lamacraft on 0488 972 192.
