If you are replacing an ageing system or heating a Melbourne home for the first time, you will face this choice: gas ducted heating or reverse cycle? Both keep a Melbourne home warm through winter. But they work differently, cost differently to run, and point in very different long-term directions as Victoria’s energy market continues to shift. This guide gives you an honest comparison so you can make the right call for your Melbourne home and your budget, not the call that suits the installer’s margin.
King and Sons Heating and Cooling installs and replaces both gas ducted heating systems and reverse cycle systems across Melbourne. We have no preference between the two. After seeing your property, we will tell you which makes more sense for your specific situation.
How Does Gas Ducted Heating Work?
Gas ducted heating in Melbourne draws air through a central return air grille, heats it over a gas burner and heat exchanger, then distributes warm air through ducts in the roof cavity and into rooms via ceiling vents throughout your home.
The system heats a Melbourne home quickly. Most properties reach set temperature within 10 to 15 minutes of the gas ducted heating starting, well suited to households that turn the heating on when they need it rather than running it continuously.
Gas ducted heating systems in Melbourne are star-rated for efficiency. A 6-star gas ducted heating unit uses up to 35 percent less gas than a 3-star unit for the same heat output. Over 10 years of Melbourne winters, the difference between a 3-star and a 6-star gas ducted heating system is substantial.
Gas ducted heating is heating only. It will not cool your Melbourne home in summer. If you need a separate cooling solution, see our split system air conditioning and evaporative cooling options.
How Does Reverse Cycle Ducted Heating Work?
A reverse cycle ducted system is a refrigerated air conditioner that runs in both directions. In summer it removes heat from inside your Melbourne home and exhausts it outside. In winter it extracts heat energy from the outside air and moves it inside, including on Melbourne’s coldest mornings when temperatures drop near zero.
Moving heat rather than generating it makes reverse cycle heating efficient in a way that gas ducted heating in Melbourne cannot match. A modern reverse cycle system delivers 3 to 5 units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed. One reverse cycle ducted system handles both heating and cooling across all Melbourne seasons from a single installation.
Which Is Cheaper to Run, Gas Ducted Heating or Reverse Cycle in Melbourne?
Reverse cycle is generally cheaper to run than gas ducted heating in Melbourne, even though electricity costs more per unit of energy than gas. The efficiency ratio (3 to 5 units of heat per unit of electricity consumed) is that large.
A Melbourne household with a modern high-star-rating gas ducted heating system and good zoning will be competitive with reverse cycle on running cost. An older 3 or 4-star gas ducted heating system in Melbourne will almost always cost more to run than a current reverse cycle system. If you are comparing replacement options, the star rating of your existing gas ducted heating system matters as much as the technology type.
If you have rooftop solar, reverse cycle heating wins the cost comparison more decisively for Melbourne homeowners. During daylight hours the system can run directly from solar generation at near-zero marginal electricity cost to the household.
We do not publish specific per-hour running cost comparisons because real costs depend on your Melbourne home’s insulation, which zones you heat, your gas tariff, and your electricity tariff. For ducted system running cost data we have published, see our ducted air conditioning cost guide.
What Is the Difference in Installation Cost Between Gas Ducted Heating and Reverse Cycle in Melbourne?
Gas ducted heating costs less to install than a full reverse cycle ducted system in Melbourne. Gas ducted heating is a simpler system: one heat exchanger, one burner, and a duct network. Reverse cycle ducted needs a full refrigerated unit (an outdoor compressor and indoor fan coil) sized to handle both the heating and cooling load for a Melbourne home.
If your existing gas ducted heating ductwork in Melbourne is in good condition, a gas-to-gas replacement can reuse those ducts and reduce cost significantly. A gas-to-reverse-cycle replacement in Melbourne involves more work and higher upfront investment but eliminates the need for a separate cooling system entirely.
For an accurate installation quote for either system in your Melbourne home, King and Sons provides free in-home assessments. Any installer quoting gas ducted heating or reverse cycle in Melbourne without visiting the property first is estimating, not quoting.
What Is Victoria Doing About Gas Ducted Heating?
This is a legitimate factor for any Melbourne homeowner making a new gas ducted heating investment in 2026.
Victoria has restricted new gas connections in new residential builds in certain areas, and the state’s energy roadmap points toward electrification over the coming decade. Existing gas ducted heating connections and appliances in Melbourne are not being removed. If you have gas ducted heating in your Melbourne home, you can continue to use it.
The relevant question is whether you want to invest in new gas ducted heating infrastructure given the policy direction. Reverse cycle systems run on electricity, which can be sourced from rooftop solar and is not subject to gas network policy changes. With gas prices trending upward across Victoria and electricity potentially stabilising as renewable generation grows, the long-term cost trajectory is moving in reverse cycle’s favour.
This does not mean gas ducted heating is the wrong choice for every Melbourne home today. For a household replacing an existing system on budget, with a working gas connection and serviceable ductwork, a high-efficiency gas ducted heating replacement in Melbourne remains a sound decision.
Are There Government Rebates for Gas Ducted Heating Replacement in Melbourne?
Yes. Victoria’s Victorian Energy Upgrades program provides financial incentives for replacing old inefficient heating systems with high-efficiency models. For eligible ducted system upgrades in Melbourne, the rebate typically ranges from $500 to $1,500 depending on system size, star rating, and the equipment being replaced.
To access the VEU rebate, your gas ducted heating installer must be an accredited VEU provider. Not all Melbourne installers hold accreditation. Ask specifically before accepting any quote, as the rebate is applied at installation and reduces what you pay upfront. For more commonly asked questions about heating systems and rebates, visit our FAQs page.
What Happens If My Gas Ducted Heating Has a Cracked Heat Exchanger?
The gas ducted heating system must stop immediately.
The heat exchanger in a gas ducted heating system separates the combustion gases produced by the burner (including carbon monoxide) from the air that circulates through your Melbourne home. A crack means combustion gases can enter the airstream.
Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless. There is no safe level of carbon monoxide in the airstream of a Melbourne home. If a technician identifies a cracked heat exchanger during a gas ducted heating inspection in Melbourne, the system must not operate until the exchanger is replaced or the unit is replaced entirely. This is a safety requirement, not a cost-benefit decision.
If your gas ducted heating system in Melbourne is over 15 years old and has not had a recent heat exchanger inspection, book one through our service and repairs team before winter.
Which System Is Right for Your Melbourne Home?
Gas ducted heating is the better choice when:
- You have an existing gas connection and serviceable ductwork in your Melbourne home
- Your primary need is heating only, with a separate cooling solution already in place
- Budget for upfront installation is a constraint
- You want the fastest warm-up times for Melbourne winter mornings
Reverse cycle ducted is the better choice when:
- You want a single system for heating and cooling across all Melbourne seasons
- You are starting from scratch with no existing ductwork
- You have or plan to install rooftop solar in Melbourne
- You want to future-proof against Victoria’s gas policy direction and rising gas prices
- You are in a new-build area where gas ducted heating connections are restricted
King and Sons installs and replaces gas ducted heating and reverse cycle systems across Melbourne. Contact us or call 03 9124 9916 for a no-obligation site assessment. $0 call-out fee. Upfront pricing before we start any work. 100% workmanship guarantee on all gas ducted heating and reverse cycle installations across Melbourne.