Reverse-Cycle vs Gas Heating in Canberra Winters: Running Costs, Comfort and the ACT Rebate

Sam Mahboobi25 Aug, 2025Home & Garden

Canberra’s winter bite is legendary. With overnight lows often below zero, heating is more than a comfort feature; it is a survival tool that consumes most of a household’s energy budget. Two options dominate the market—reverse-cycle air-conditioning (heat pumps) and ducted or space natural-gas heaters. A closer look at efficiency, bills, liveability, and the Territory’s rebate stack shows why electricity now outmuscles methane in nearly every home.