Saul Griffith's home goes fully electric
Dr Saul Griffith has spent years helping Australians understand a simple idea: when something reaches the end of its life, replace it with an efficient electric alternative.
As an engineer, inventor, author and co-founder of Rewiring Australia, Saul has become one of the country’s most recognised advocates for household electrification. Through his work, he has helped demonstrate how everyday Australians can reduce energy bills, improve comfort and lower emissions by transitioning away from fossil fuels.
But for Saul, electrification isn’t just something he talks about. It’s something he lives.
At his family home on the NSW South Coast, the transition has been underway since he moved in. Solar panels, home batteries, electric vehicles and EV chargers all form part of a household designed to run on clean electricity rather than fossil fuels.
In June, that journey reached an important milestone.
The home’s gas hot water system, the last remaining gas appliance on the property, was disconnected and replaced with an Emerald 320L E hot water heat pump.
By the time the installation team packed up their tools, the unit was quietly heating its first tank of water, completing the household’s transition away from gas.
For Saul, the appeal isn’t complicated technology or endless monitoring apps.
Saul’s philosophy has always been that good technology should quietly do its job in the background: install it, let it work efficiently and get on with life.
A hot water heat pump fits neatly into that approach. Once installed, it simply provides hot water while using significantly less energy than many conventional gas and electric hot water systems.
Electrification beyond one home
Saul’s home is just one of many participating in a broader movement taking place across Australia’s south coast.
As one of the driving forces behind Electrify 2515, Saul has helped inspire a community-led initiative designed to show what happens when an entire postcode works together to electrify their homes.
Named after the northern Illawarra postcode it serves, Electrify 2515 helps residents navigate what can often feel like an overwhelming process. Rather than leaving households to decipher technology options, quotes and government incentives on their own, the project provides trusted advice, education and support.
Through his work with Electrify 2515, John Buchelin has seen how a simple message can help cut through the complexity.
“It’s the simple message of: the next time it breaks, make it electric. Knowing that’s the right thing to do for your hot water, your cooking, your heating. I think that is changing slowly. As more people do it, it creates a snowball effect.”
That snowball effect is already visible throughout the community, where neighbours are sharing experiences, local tradespeople are building trust and more households are seeing electrification as a practical next step rather than a daunting undertaking.
The desire is there. In fact, climate change and cost-of-living savings remain the two biggest motivations for households participating in the program. What many people need is trusted guidance to help them make informed decisions.
That’s where the strength of a community-based approach becomes clear.
Neighbours share experiences. Local tradespeople build trust. Community events create conversations. Households can see electrification happening around them rather than feeling like they’re taking a risk on something unfamiliar.
Electrification doesn’t need to be complicated. It doesn’t require people to become energy experts. It simply means making practical choices over time that leave households cheaper to run, more comfortable and less reliant on fossil fuels.
And sometimes, that journey is complete with replacing the last gas appliance in the house.
Saul Griffith and Emerald’s Head of Research & Development Edward Schmidt
No more gas for Saul!