Should/Can I Turn off My Gas Connection

R081N on 15/08/2025 - 14:30

So, I recently moved into a rental. I connected both electricity and gas. Most things in the new place are electricity, as far as I can see. Only the stovetop is gas.
I've now received two gas bills and they both show zero usage with only the supply charge owing. Previous reading is 0, current reading is 0, on both bills. Meter is easily accessible.
What's going on here? Have they just not read it? I'm reluctant to change providers in case I awaken them. Can I tell them I'm vacating, turn off the gas and not get charged the supply charge then? What would you do?

TLDR
I'm not being charged usage for gas. Can I turn it off so that I don't pay supply charge?

Home & Garden Gas Supply

Comments

  • Brucet on 15/08/2025 - 14:40
    +5

    Yes, turn it off. if you don't need it.

    • R081N on 15/08/2025 - 15:15

      Do need the stove though

      • jjjaar on 15/08/2025 - 15:18
        +14

        Get a portable induction plate or two.

      • joka on 15/08/2025 - 15:34
        +71

        Find a nearby park with free BBQ facilities to do your cooking.

      • Muppet Detector on 15/08/2025 - 19:50

        If your stove is gas and you want to use it, you probably need a supply of gas from somewhere.

      • marcozmitch on 18/08/2025 - 13:52

        No.
        So you require gas for the stove, which yes, uses very little gas.
        Can you check the actual reading of the gas meter yourself?
        You have to pay a supply charge if you live there and can use the gas stove.
        It is that simple.
        Is the potential gas charge a smaller supply charge, because it is only for a stove?
        What energy does the hot water heater use?
        If you are going away for a few weeks, you may want to turn off gas then.
        This is only to stop using the gas in a gas hot water service, which would mean uselessly heating up water, when you don't need to use any hot water…
        (some people have answered this before I finished typing.

    • Dr Phil on 16/08/2025 - 22:17
      +4

      Yes. Op "can" turn off the main gas tap but will still get charged a daily supply fee

      Whats going on here (I think) is that there has not been a meter read and they have no information about OPs usage to estimate.

      If OP wants to stop using gas and thereby stop being charged the daily supply fee they need to contact the gas supplier who will shut off the gas supply.
      But the gas supplier will do a final meter read and OP will still be charged for the gas they have used.

      However Im not sure of OP game here ????
      If OP is trying to avoid being charged, Im sorry but that wont happen as I have pointed out, until you ask the gas company to shut off your gas supply.

      Besides in such circumstances the cost of gas consumed is only a few dollars.
      The daily supply fee is what makes up most of the gas bill.
      Hence look for a gas supplier with the LOWEST DAILY SUPPLY charge.
      OR a supplier with a huge rebate.

      For me AGL is now offering a $150 rebate on new gas accounts and that means I will have 6 months of free gas……..BOOM..there you go OP!!!

  • elgrande on 15/08/2025 - 14:41
    +4

    What if you get hungry?

  • 30year old Camry on 15/08/2025 - 14:44
    +33

    Another unmetered gas cooktop. You could use it to heat your house for free.
    /$

    • Duckie2hh on 15/08/2025 - 14:52
      +1

      Top answer.

    • Caped Baldy on 15/08/2025 - 14:53
      +8

      For the rest of their life too.

    • spackbace on 15/08/2025 - 14:55
      +6

      And use the park bbq instead

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 15/08/2025 - 15:39
      +2

      Just needs some bricks and a fire pit.

    • AustriaBargain on 16/08/2025 - 03:28

      You could buy a gas heater to plug into it, but those heaters aren't cheap if you want a new certified one. Plus I bet the house wasn't designed to vent for gas heating.

      • lgacb08 on 16/08/2025 - 17:39

        OP in Melbourne so those open flue gas heater has been banned for a while.

      • p1 ama on 18/08/2025 - 14:51

        Please do not do this. Aside from being illegal, many deaths from methane poisoning have occured due to people doing this.

  • abear on 15/08/2025 - 14:53

    You can contact the supplier and ask to have the connection plugged,(you may have to pay).
    They will tag and plug the line,after which you shouldn't have to pay for a supply charge
    as gas is not available until it is unplugged and tag removed

    • meong on 18/08/2025 - 10:19

      I asked the same question few years ago and it cost me $70 to do that.

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/805623

      • marcozmitch on 18/08/2025 - 13:53

        I don't recommend this unless you want to pay connection and disconnection fees.

        • meong on 18/08/2025 - 15:48

          well, in my case, im the owner so I will not be using gas in the foreseeable future.

          in OP's case it might not be suitable indeed as the landlord then may need to reconnect it in the future.

  • R081N on 15/08/2025 - 15:04

    I'm renting, and I've been using, and want to continue using the stove. I don't want to plug it.
    But, if they think I'm not using gas then can I continue using it without a supplier if was to disconnect?

    • gromit on 16/08/2025 - 15:21
      +4

      At some point they are going to check the meter and this will get corrected.

  • sumyungguy on 15/08/2025 - 15:10

    Any chance you're in an apartment?

    • R081N on 15/08/2025 - 15:14

      No. It's more of a old Victorian house with the meter at the front clearly visible

      • jjjaar on 15/08/2025 - 15:19
        +10

        Take a photo of the meter ASAP so if they come for you for their errors in reading it, you have a reference point.

        • oz-dave on 15/08/2025 - 16:20
          +7

          Take a photo of the meter ASAP

          I second this suggestion: A friend had the Gas company come after him for ongoing estimates under the previous tenant that finally proved wrong when they actually read it (it was for over $10,000).
          A photo I suggested on the day he was connected, with date/time and geolocation metadata, was able to show the actual reading and reduced his bill to under $300.

          • trustnoone on 15/08/2025 - 19:23
            +3

            @oz-dave: Also worth noting for your friend and OP, if the fault is the energy retailer they

            cannot bill you for usage any further than nine months prior to the date you were advised of the undercharge where it was the fault of the retailer – even if that means some of your usage won’t be billed

            https://www.ewon.com.au/page/customer-resources/high-and-dis…

            • mattie on 16/08/2025 - 18:07
              +2

              @trustnoone: That's good to know, since moving in 3 years ago I've only been billed for supply charges on my electricity. Don't know why and definitely not going to inquire

              • R081N on 16/08/2025 - 21:23

                @mattie: Sounds like a solid plan. Don't rock the boat

            • Muppet Detector on 16/08/2025 - 18:34
              +1

              @trustnoone: That link doesn't specify "advised by whom", nor does it address the situation if you already knew about it when you were advised.

              Everybody knows that the energy they are using isn't free.

              If you're not being charged anything, very few people are stupid enough to need somebody to advise them that they are being under charged.

              OP isn't being under charged, he isn't being charged at all.

        • R081N on 15/08/2025 - 20:34
          +2

          Did that! Thanks

  • joka on 15/08/2025 - 15:29

    Does the bill say it is an estimate or a physical reading?

    • R081N on 15/08/2025 - 20:35

      Can't see estimate written anywhere and it says next read is between such and such date. Weird that it says 0 reading before and 0 for the reading now though

      • Ocker on 16/08/2025 - 08:07
        +1

        The bill will show either and A or E next to the current reading. E means it is an estimate

        • R081N on 16/08/2025 - 21:40

          Actually, it does say that it's an actual meter read on the bill.

  • payless69 on 15/08/2025 - 16:26
    +1

    Invest your savings in a HISA.
    Or tie up the dog in the backyard when they come to read it.

    • R081N on 15/08/2025 - 20:45
      +2

      Just opened my Macquarie account after getting upset with ubank! 😉

  • GordonD on 15/08/2025 - 19:15
    +1

    Dodgy tenant neighbour didn't pay his gas bills. And built up the fence so no-one could get in and steal his marijuana plants. So the gas company shut off his supply with an excavator. Dug up the supply pipe at the footpath, and cut and plugged it. After he moved out the owner of the property sold it. Boy were the new owners surprised when they complained the stove and hot water didn't work, and what had to be done to restore the gas supply.

    The lesson is that if you are absolutely sure you'll never need gas again, get it shut off properly. Simply turning it off at the valve won't mean the gas supply charges will stop. They've got to turn the gas off for that to happen. And before you do that be sure you won't ever need it again.

    The new owners have left the fence as it was, so their gas bills have been based on their readings because the meter reader can't get in Don't know how honest they are.

    • kiitos on 16/08/2025 - 08:13
      +1

      Simply turning it off at the valve won't mean the gas supply charges will stop

      Is this true? If you cancelled your connection with your supplier (as you would do for an electricity supplier) why do they continue charging you for supply?

      • Brick50 on 16/08/2025 - 20:12

        Simply turning it off at the valve won't mean the gas supply charges will stop

        Exactly

        Is this true?

        Of course, if you turn your main switch off do you expect your electricity company won't charge you the daily fee?
        If you want to stop paying the daily fee, contact the retailer you are moving out/want to disconnect/want to abolish the meter

  • Banks on 15/08/2025 - 19:51

    Boil some water on the cooktop, go outside and find the meter. Is it making a clicking sound? If so, that's probably the sound of free gas.

    • R081N on 15/08/2025 - 20:58
      -1

      I did as you said. Boiled water for a while. Meter is not moving. Seems like free gas?
      Bigger question is, therefore, can I tell them to disconnect me (I'm renting so I could say that I'm moving) and then continue to use the gas but not pay a supply charge. If they check the meter they can see my usage is zero? Need to ask a plumber perhaps

      • skid on 16/08/2025 - 11:46
        +3

        If you disconnect, the gas supply will stop.

        You're either checking the wrong meter or the meter is broken. If you contact the company, they'll investigate and fix the meter so that you'll pay for both supply and usage from then on.

        https://fairytales.love/the-dog-and-his-reflection

        • R081N on 16/08/2025 - 19:57

          I'm definitely reading the right meter because it has a number attached that corresponds with my bill.
          I was wondering what would happen if I say that I'm moving out, for example. They would give me a final read but would they turn off the gas?

      • freefall101 on 16/08/2025 - 16:23

        If you ask to disconnect the gas they will come out and physically disable it.

      • marcozmitch on 18/08/2025 - 13:58

        So the hot water is not on gas?

  • Master Bates on 15/08/2025 - 22:16
    +4

    Bottle it, sell it, quit working the day job for this side hustle, buy mansion.

    • Ciderfizz44 on 17/08/2025 - 13:01

      This is the way, ship to Germany in winter.

  • Muppet Detector on 16/08/2025 - 14:57
    +1

    Anybody considered that what OP is suggesting could be fraud?

    At a basic level, fraud is intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly.

    Might even be a type of theft or stealing.

    To permanently deprive the true owner of a thing.

    You can't just go around taking stuff off other people that doesn't belong to you.

    The latter argument will turn on whether they are giving you the gas or you are taking the gas.

    Giving implies a human is directly giving you something (as in a bank teller handing you money),

    Whereas taking implies a machine is involved in which case you are taking without human intervention (as in taking money from ATM machine).

  • [Deactivated] on 16/08/2025 - 15:41

    lol this thread reminds me of my old roommate back in the day.. he got cold during winter and turned on the oven and opened it up from time to time to warm up. I put on a jumper.

    • p1 ama on 16/08/2025 - 18:13

      Why?

      It's very, very uncommon for electric ovens to be unmetered - why not just get a $20 electric heater?

      If it was an unmetered gas oven, then I'm surprised you didn't move out immediately due to the risk of methane poisoning.

      • [Deactivated] on 16/08/2025 - 18:58

        Electric oven.
        We also didn’t pay for electricity (all included).
        I wore a jumper.

        • p1 ama on 16/08/2025 - 19:29

          Electric oven. We also didn’t pay for electricity (all included).

          Then your mate should have just bought a cheap portable electric heater…

  • TrumpisKing on 16/08/2025 - 17:51
    +1

    Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all. Keeping your mouth shut will always benifit you

    • R081N on 16/08/2025 - 20:00
      +1

      I hear ya! I think I'll just accept my good luck for now and hope it continues. I won't try to push my luck by changing provider, or telling them I'm moving, or trying to benefit even further.

    • Brick50 on 16/08/2025 - 20:09

      Kinda pointless though, OP will be using <$5 a month of actual usage and most likely $30+ daily charge. So once the usage gets added in the next few months he will only be up for a few extra dollars

      • R081N on 16/08/2025 - 21:48

        Definitely seems like the supply charge is a big part of my bill. That's why I was inquiring about ways to get out of paying it, while still being able to use gas. When I estimate my yearly cost through the government website it says around $800 per year for gas. That's after saying that I don't use it for water heating or heating the home. So maybe it's a dollar a day I'm saving?

        • Brick50 on 16/08/2025 - 22:20
          +1

          Well using/taking something without paying for it is called theft normally.

          I can tell you my gas bill when it was just my stove remaining was about $2-3 a month for the actual gas and then around $1 per day daily charge.

  • Leanne59 on 16/08/2025 - 22:31
    +1

    Is your gas supplied via a gas bottle/propane tank or a natural gas line?

  • Save 50 Cent on 16/08/2025 - 23:35

    I would say take a gamble and disconnect it. Sometime these companies don’t bother to send someone as it costs them a lot of money to send a contractor to disconnect then another to connect.

    Worst case they shut it and you sign up with a new provider (with a cashback offer). You will still be better off as you are currently only saving a few dollars a month.

  • Muppet Detector on 16/08/2025 - 23:46
    +2

    You will still be better off as you are currently only saving a few dollars a month.

    He is not saving. He is stealing.

    • serpserpserp on 17/08/2025 - 22:02

      This is the ozbargain way.

  • Water Bearer on 17/08/2025 - 15:20

    Eventually you will be caught and have to pay. The meter gets an actual read when you close the account or after a certain time. So if its found to be broken then it will be estimated costs. They can still charge you whatever you used, even years later. You have 0% chance of not paying it at some point. I've had similar instances at my business and home, through different companies.

  • serpserpserp on 17/08/2025 - 22:01

    Why don't you tap the mains and start filling LPG bottles for people at $10 a pop?

    • Cluster on 18/08/2025 - 17:05

      LPG is propane and butane. Natural gas is methane.

      • serpserpserp on 18/08/2025 - 20:18

        The won't know any difference! You get $10 and they get splosions later

  • abuch47 on 17/08/2025 - 22:31

    I would get a portable induction cooktop or 2. save on the gas bill and better for the environment. please make sure your water is electric heated and not gas first.

  • surfingedge on 18/08/2025 - 07:58
    +1

    Many apartment blocks have unmetered gas to the stove, but that raises the question about why there is a meter in the first place.

    I used to live in an apartment with two gas meters. One was for hot water and the other was for cooking. Obviously the gas company knew this and they read both meters for every bill.

    I used the gas to cook for about 5 minutes on most days. The cooktop meter moved extremely slowly. It measured in m³. On some bills it would say I used 0m³ and on other bills it would say I used 1m³. Probably about 0.8m³ every bill. 1m³ is about 37MJ and about $1.

    If yours is actually unmetered and you pretend to move out, nobody knows whether the network will actually turn off the gas. They may not turn it off because when someone moves out, that is frequently followed by someone else moving in. They may turn it off when there is still zero usage after two regular meter readings and nobody has signed up to pay for the supply.

    If you pretend to move out, they will likely charge you a fee for the final meter read. Suppose the fee is $20 and your daily charge is $1. You would need to get 20 days of free gas to break even, and hope that they don't turn it off for at least 40 days or else you may have to pay another $20 to get it back on (or maybe even the higher reconnection fee which can be $100+).

    You could switch to the supplier with the cheapest daily charge.

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