How to electrify With The Right Trades
4 mins
May 2026
Overview
Electrifying your home is one of the smartest investments you can make - lowering your bills, improving your comfort, and future‑proofing your home for the long run. But here’s the catch: you can’t do it alone. Getting electrification right starts with choosing the right trades. And that can make all the difference.
In this episode, we break down exactly which trades you need for each stage of electrifying your home. From switching your cooktop or hot water system from gas to electric, you’ll learn who you need and why.
We’ll also cover how to stay in control of the process - including what questions to ask, how to research your options, how to handle pushback, and how to choose the most efficient appliances.
If you’re thinking about going electric - or you’re already on the journey - this episode will give you the clarity you need to do it with confidence.
Watch
Read
0:00
You need tradies, Bindy vets them.
0:03
I'm telling you right now.
0:04
She barks at the one she doesn't like.
0:11
Hi, I'm Sarah Aubrey from Electrify This.
0:14
Welcome to How to Electrify your home with the right tradies.
0:18
I'll be sharing what I've learned from my own electrification journey and how to make yours simpler and easier.
0:25
Electrifying your home is one of the best things you can do with your bills and your comfort, not just for today, but in the long run.
0:33
But here's the truth, you can't just do it yourself.
0:35
Doing it right means working with the right trades, and that can make all the difference.
0:40
By the end of this episode, you'll know exactly how to select the right tradies, what to ask for, and the right approach to electrifying your home confidently and your own terms.
0:51
In terms of my own journey, one of the first things that I did was to get my house assessed by a residential efficiency scorecard assessor.
0:58
It made all the difference.
0:59
I recommend it to anyone because that was my bible.
1:02
It had short- and long-term goals, and I just figured out what order I wanted to do things.
1:06
And I do understand what it's like to have a bit of a disaster with a tradie.
1:10
I trusted a local, not for profit, to find an installer for me for the solar.
1:15
He undersized our system.
1:17
They approved his quote but it wasn't big enough, it was only 1.7 kilowatts.
1:22
We had to get more panels put in, so we spent a lot more than we needed to and it was just a real mess.
1:26
So I do understand it's a big investment to do these things and you don't want to get it wrong.
1:31
So definitely get 3 quotes.
1:34
Research.
1:35
If you're armed and dangerous, you can stand up and go right?
1:39
I'm confident in what I want and you'll know exactly what to ask for, especially as a woman talking to tradies.
1:44
Do as much research as possible.
1:46
A resource I used was the Facebook group My Efficient Electric Home.
1:50
It is absolutely brilliant.
1:52
You'll be able to find a tradie in your area, exactly what appliances, anything you're looking for, you'll be able to find the right model in there and you'll be able to get advice.
2:04
When you start calling up tradies, you can start laying out your plans and explaining exactly what you want to do.
2:10
And it's really important that you feel like that tradies on your side.
2:14
They might try to talk you out of it.
2:16
That's a massive red flag.
2:18
If they do that, walk away.
2:19
Find a different tradie because this is all about you and your ongoing bills.
2:24
Don't be afraid to lay out what your plans are.
2:26
Explain to them you're trying to draught proof the house, you're trying to electrify the house, you're trying to get off gas because ultimately you want your bills to be cheaper.
2:35
They might have a partnership with certain companies and certain models and they might recommend that to you.
2:40
But if you are looking for new appliances, there's a fantastic government website.
2:44
So they're not trying to sell you anything.
2:46
Energyrating.gov.au
2:48
And the great thing about that website is it shows you the 10 year running costs of that particular appliance.
2:53
Go and look up the model they're recommending.
2:55
See those long-term running costs.
2:57
It's not always the case that the most expensive appliance is the most energy efficient.
3:01
Appliances make up about 30% of your energy bill.
3:05
So even if something is slightly more expensive upfront, those long-term running costs can actually wind up being hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.
3:15
Electrifying your house is one part of the journey, but another part is insulation.
3:19
Those two things work hand in hand.
3:21
They're absolutely essential.
3:23
So you might go out and go, OK, I'm going to go and get some new appliances, that's great.
3:27
But if you've got no insulation in your house, they're going to have to work really, really hard.
3:31
So do look at your insulation, especially your roof insulation and your window coverings.
3:36
Something that quite commonly happens is that when a tradie goes up into the roof, they might move an insulation bat to do the work and they don't put them back.
3:44
So before they go up there, it's always good to say, hey, can you make sure you put all the insulation back when you're done or stick your head up there and just check that it's not out of place because that's a very common thing to happen.
3:54
And that's your guide to electrifying your home with the right tradies.
3:57
Remember, do your research, trust your instincts and work with people who actually support your electrification journey, not try to talk you out of it.
4:06
Thanks for watching.
4:10
Don't forget to check out our other videos and it's How to Electrify series to help you on your journey.
4:15
If you'd like more information or handy resources on electrification, visit goodenergy.ausgrid.com.au.
You need tradies, Bindy vets them.
0:03
I'm telling you right now.
0:04
She barks at the one she doesn't like.
0:11
Hi, I'm Sarah Aubrey from Electrify This.
0:14
Welcome to How to Electrify your home with the right tradies.
0:18
I'll be sharing what I've learned from my own electrification journey and how to make yours simpler and easier.
0:25
Electrifying your home is one of the best things you can do with your bills and your comfort, not just for today, but in the long run.
0:33
But here's the truth, you can't just do it yourself.
0:35
Doing it right means working with the right trades, and that can make all the difference.
0:40
By the end of this episode, you'll know exactly how to select the right tradies, what to ask for, and the right approach to electrifying your home confidently and your own terms.
0:51
In terms of my own journey, one of the first things that I did was to get my house assessed by a residential efficiency scorecard assessor.
0:58
It made all the difference.
0:59
I recommend it to anyone because that was my bible.
1:02
It had short- and long-term goals, and I just figured out what order I wanted to do things.
1:06
And I do understand what it's like to have a bit of a disaster with a tradie.
1:10
I trusted a local, not for profit, to find an installer for me for the solar.
1:15
He undersized our system.
1:17
They approved his quote but it wasn't big enough, it was only 1.7 kilowatts.
1:22
We had to get more panels put in, so we spent a lot more than we needed to and it was just a real mess.
1:26
So I do understand it's a big investment to do these things and you don't want to get it wrong.
1:31
So definitely get 3 quotes.
1:34
Research.
1:35
If you're armed and dangerous, you can stand up and go right?
1:39
I'm confident in what I want and you'll know exactly what to ask for, especially as a woman talking to tradies.
1:44
Do as much research as possible.
1:46
A resource I used was the Facebook group My Efficient Electric Home.
1:50
It is absolutely brilliant.
1:52
You'll be able to find a tradie in your area, exactly what appliances, anything you're looking for, you'll be able to find the right model in there and you'll be able to get advice.
2:04
When you start calling up tradies, you can start laying out your plans and explaining exactly what you want to do.
2:10
And it's really important that you feel like that tradies on your side.
2:14
They might try to talk you out of it.
2:16
That's a massive red flag.
2:18
If they do that, walk away.
2:19
Find a different tradie because this is all about you and your ongoing bills.
2:24
Don't be afraid to lay out what your plans are.
2:26
Explain to them you're trying to draught proof the house, you're trying to electrify the house, you're trying to get off gas because ultimately you want your bills to be cheaper.
2:35
They might have a partnership with certain companies and certain models and they might recommend that to you.
2:40
But if you are looking for new appliances, there's a fantastic government website.
2:44
So they're not trying to sell you anything.
2:46
Energyrating.gov.au
2:48
And the great thing about that website is it shows you the 10 year running costs of that particular appliance.
2:53
Go and look up the model they're recommending.
2:55
See those long-term running costs.
2:57
It's not always the case that the most expensive appliance is the most energy efficient.
3:01
Appliances make up about 30% of your energy bill.
3:05
So even if something is slightly more expensive upfront, those long-term running costs can actually wind up being hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.
3:15
Electrifying your house is one part of the journey, but another part is insulation.
3:19
Those two things work hand in hand.
3:21
They're absolutely essential.
3:23
So you might go out and go, OK, I'm going to go and get some new appliances, that's great.
3:27
But if you've got no insulation in your house, they're going to have to work really, really hard.
3:31
So do look at your insulation, especially your roof insulation and your window coverings.
3:36
Something that quite commonly happens is that when a tradie goes up into the roof, they might move an insulation bat to do the work and they don't put them back.
3:44
So before they go up there, it's always good to say, hey, can you make sure you put all the insulation back when you're done or stick your head up there and just check that it's not out of place because that's a very common thing to happen.
3:54
And that's your guide to electrifying your home with the right tradies.
3:57
Remember, do your research, trust your instincts and work with people who actually support your electrification journey, not try to talk you out of it.
4:06
Thanks for watching.
4:10
Don't forget to check out our other videos and it's How to Electrify series to help you on your journey.
4:15
If you'd like more information or handy resources on electrification, visit goodenergy.ausgrid.com.au.