In short:
An Albany architect spent tens of thousands of dollars on gas appliances for his new home only to find out the city's reticulated gas network would soon shut down.
asserted
network → spend → home
Eight thousand of ATCO Australia's Albany customers will need to change their appliances to electricity, or convert to using gas bottles.
asserted
thousand → need → bottles
The WA government is offering up to $2,000 for conversions, but experts say that will barely cover the cost of switching to electric.
asserted
that → offer → electric
After years designing dozens of buildings in the coastal city of Albany, architect Michael Roberts finally built his dream home.
asserted
Roberts → design → home
The avant-garde house in Middelton Beach, about 450 kilometres south of Perth, was built connected to the city's reticulate liquid petroleum gas network, with gas appliances for heating and cooking plumbed in.
asserted
appliances → build → heating
But Mr Roberts is now facing a bill in the tens of thousands to refit the home after ATCO Australia announced it would decommission its Albany gas network over the next three years.
asserted
it → face → years
"I've had a look at the compensation packages that have been put on the table," he said.
asserted
he → have → table
"I don't know whether they've all been agreed or signed off yet, but the whole thing has come as a surprise."
asserted
thing → know → surprise
The $31 million package, which includes $5 million from ATCO, will cover the cost for customers moving to bottled gas, while those going electric will be compensated up to $2,000.
asserted
those → include → 2,000
Mr Roberts said the compensation would only cover a fraction of the $10,000 to $12,000 he estimated it would cost to swap his appliances from gas to electric.
asserted
it → say → electric
"We'll probably tough it out with bottles, but had I known earlier I would have made the decision and gone straight to electric," he said.
asserted
he → tough → electric
'We weren't told'
asserted
We → tell → ?
The architect said ATCO's decision, and the timing of its announcement, had impacted several of his firm's clients.
asserted
decision → say → clients
"It's disgraceful that as design professionals, as architects, we were designing projects for people and they're making selections to use gas in good faith … that we weren't told; they weren't told," he said.
asserted
he → design → faith
ATCO and the state government faced renewed criticism last month after documents obtained by the ABC found they discussed the decommissioning of the network eight months before customers were told.
asserted
customers → face → network
Energy Minister Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said following unsuccessful discussions to keep ATCO in Albany, it was her preference residents move off gas entirely.
asserted
residents → say → gas
"It's not going to be the long-term fuel for Western Australia," she said.
"
asserted
she → go → Australia
It's a transition fuel, and ultimately, we want the residents of Albany to electrify."
asserted
residents → want → Albany
More cash for electricity
Energy analyst Ray Wills said the transition from gas to electric was the right move, but the package needed to be larger to entice people away from gas bottles.
asserted
package → say → bottles
"No longer burning gas should be an incentive in itself," he said.
asserted
he → burn → itself
"However, if you've got to spend six or eight or ten grand to convert your house … it's still reasonably dear."
asserted
it → get → house
Professor Wills said a business case should determine the exact price, with the government subsidising 50 per cent of the cost.
asserted
government → say → cost
He said the main concern with the package was that customers would stay on gas as the rest of the state electrified.
asserted
rest → say → state
"We can draw a metaphor …
asserted
We → draw → metaphor
the Rio Tinto board tried to electrify, it didn't quite get there because they were getting free money from government for their diesel, so they stuck with it," he said.
asserted
he → try → it
It's about having a lower cost option being the one that's still burning stuff, and the higher cost option is going electric, which is what the state is trying to achieve."
asserted
state → have → what
City of Albany Mayor Greg Stocks said the package was not enough to achieve the state government's goal of electrification.
asserted
package → say → electrification
"This transition package is about gas bottle, reticulated gas to gas bottle, the budget's not big enough for electrification," he said.
asserted
he → reticulate → electrification
"I would think by the time you buy a heat pump and perhaps go to reverse cycle air conditioning you're well over the $10,000 mark."
asserted
you → think → mark
The Aporia
