Why is Lane Cove Council Offering Sustainability Grants for Electric Stoves and Banning Gas Appliances in New Developments?

Lane Cove Council is committed to promoting appliance electrification. Two measures it has taken to encourage this are sustainability rebates and banning gas appliances in new developments.

A recent study has shed light on the significant health risks associated with indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure from gas cooking in the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK). The research, conducted by a team of experts, reveals alarming figures regarding the number of premature deaths and the substantial economic burden linked to this often-overlooked issue.  

• Premature Deaths: The study estimates that gas cooking contributes to approximately 40 000 premature deaths annually across Europe. This figure is comparable to the number of deaths caused by antibiotic-resistant infections.   
• Economic Burden: The economic cost of these preventable deaths is staggering, totaling around €143 billion. Italy bears the highest burden, with an estimated cost of €54 billion.   
• Increased Risk of Respiratory Illnesses: Exposure to NO2, a byproduct of gas combustion, has been linked to various respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer. Children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing respiratory conditions are particularly vulnerable.   
• Impact on Children’s Health: The study also highlights the impact of gas cooking on children’s health. Children living in households that use gas stoves have a 24% higher risk of being diagnosed with asthma.   

What Should Governments Do?

In light of these findings, the researchers call for urgent policy actions to address the health and economic consequences of gas cooking. Some of the key recommendations include:

• Promoting Electric Cooking: Encouraging the transition from gas to electric cooking through incentives and regulations.
• Improving Ventilation: Implementing stricter ventilation standards for kitchens to reduce indoor NO2 levels.
• Public Awareness Campaigns: Raising public awareness about the health risks associated with gas cooking and promoting healthier cooking practices.
• Further Research: Conducting additional research to better understand the long-term health impacts of NO2 exposure and to develop effective mitigation strategies.

Lane Cove Council Sustainability Rebates

The Lane Cove Sustainability Rebates Program has been leveraging sustainability investment since April 2023 with rebates for solar panels, solar batteries and EV Chargers.

Following this success, Electrification Rebates are now available, funded by the Sustainability Levy. These new rebates will help to upgrade from gas appliances to:

• induction cooktops,
• hot water heat pumps and
• reverse-cycle air-conditioners,

These rebates will help residents and businesses to use clean, renewable energy.

Designed to incentivise residents and business to install sustainable technologies, there are stronger incentives for those facing larger upfront costs such as apartment complexes.

To access rebates, residents will need to obtain pre-approval, by providing documentation such as a quote and approvals required by a landlord or strata committee. Once the product is installed, a claim can be submitted with documentation such as a tax invoice, receipt, and photos of the installation.  Find out more about the sustainability rebates here.

Changes to the Development Control Plan

The Lane Cove Development Control Plan (DCP) bans the use of gas appliances in all new developments from 1 October 2023. This does noot includes pool heaters.

The DCP now includes the following:

Why Did Lane Cove Council Banned Gas?

Health Reasons

Studies have been conducted highlighting the pollution emitted by stove gas stops.

A 2023 Melbourne University study involved Stanford University and PSE Health Energy researchers measuring the emissions from a gas cooktop in a rental in Camberwell, Melbourne.

This study was built off the previous tests they had conducted in Europe and the US, where they found alarming amounts of health-damaging pollutants from gas stovetops, such as respiratory aggravation gasses like nitrogen dioxide.

The research found that after 30 minutes of burning gas on a stovetop, the nitrogen dioxide levels rose from 11ppb (parts per billion) to 530ppb, with the Australian standard being 99ppb averaging over one hour. Not only that, but they discovered that more than 75% of methane emissions from a stovetop occurred when they were switched off. Read more details about the Australian study here.

Other studies have concluded the same issues linked to gas. According to a 2018 study in the Medical Journal of Australia, cooking with gas in Australia increases the load of asthma by approximately 12 per cent. This is the equivalent of the effects of having a cigarette smoker in the household.

Cost of Living Reasons

Esther Suckling, Research Associate, Grattan Institute, wrote an article for The Conversation where she noted:

“If every Australian household that uses gas went all-electric today, we would “save” more than 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over the next ten years. That’s because there are more than 5 million households on the gas network, and the avoided emissions per home ranges from 5-25 tonnes over the coming decade, depending on the location.

Most people would spend less money on energy, too. Electric appliances use less energy than gas appliances to do the same job, making them cheaper to run.

Our new report shows how much most households can save by switching from gas to electricity for heating, hot water and cooking. The extra cash couldn’t come at a better time: about a quarter of Australian households say they found it difficult to pay their energy bills this year.

But many households face hurdles that stop them or make it hard for them to go all-electric. Governments could make it easier for people and bring emissions-reduction targets closer to reality.”

Read the full article here.