Heating in Sydney: hydronic, ducted, licences and rebates

Quick answer: boilers are rare in Sydney homes; where they exist it is for hydronic radiators or underfloor heating, and a handful of specialists install them. Any gas work must be done by a gasfitter licensed by NSW Fair Trading, who must give you a certificate of compliance. The NSW Energy Savings Scheme discounts efficient heat pumps, not gas boilers.

A straight answer first: boilers are a niche way to heat a home in Australia. Most homes that have whole-house heating use reverse-cycle air conditioning or ducted gas heating, and many rely on split systems or space heaters. Water-based (hydronic) heating, where a gas boiler or heat pump warms water that runs through radiators or underfloor pipes, is a specialist product; in the public business listings we checked, hydronic specialists cluster in Melbourne, Canberra and Hobart. So this page covers all three: hydronic systems, ducted gas and heat pumps.

Sydney’s milder winters mean many households never install central heating at all. Those that do usually choose ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning, which heats and cools, or ducted gas. Hydronic heating tends to appear in higher-end renovations and new builds where owners want quiet, even radiant warmth. This guide covers what is specific to Sydney: NSW licensing and paperwork, the state’s energy-saving discounts and local installers.

Who may do gas work in NSW

NSW Fair Trading says only licensed gasfitters can undertake repairs or renovations involving gas in NSW. When the work is complete, the gasfitter must give you a certificate of compliance for network (mains) gas, or a certificate of inspection for bottled gas; the certificate must include the licensee’s name and licence number. Fair Trading also says gasfitters may install only certified gas appliances, and you can search certified appliances before buying. You can check a gasfitter’s licence details online through Fair Trading’s licence check.

NSW gas work	What you should get
Work on a mains (network) gas installation	Certificate of compliance with the gasfitter’s name and licence number
Work on a bottled (LP) gas installation	Certificate of inspection
Any new gas appliance	A certified, labelled appliance

If you cannot resolve a problem with the contractor, NSW Fair Trading can help, and the NSW Government says complaints about unlicensed work or licensing matters may be referred to the Building Commission NSW.

NSW energy-saving discounts

Under the NSW Energy Savings Scheme and related incentives, installers partnered with an Accredited Certificate Provider can take a discount off the price of efficient appliances, including heat pump water heaters and air conditioners. The NSW Government gives a typical incentive of $405–$675 for replacing an existing electric water heater with a heat pump. These are upfront discounts in the quote, not rebates paid to you, so compare quotes from several installers. The scheme is administered by IPART.

Two newer consumer protections are worth knowing. NSW has banned unsolicited door-knocking to sell these discounted upgrades, and it requires a minimum five-year warranty against defects for heat pump water heaters with an insulated storage volume of 700 litres or less. If someone knocks on your door offering a discounted heat pump, that is now against the rules.

Nationally, heat pump and solar hot water systems can earn small-scale technology certificates (STCs) under the federal Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme; the installer normally passes their value on as an upfront discount.

Typical prices

We have not found a price survey for this city alone, so these are national figures checked in September 2026. Tempco Energy’s 2026 guides put a complete hydronic system at $12,000–$40,000, a gas boiler for a hydronic system at $3,000–$7,000 supplied and installed, and a ducted gas heating system at $3,000–$10,000. Canstar Blue, citing a Perth installer, puts ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning at roughly $9,000–$20,000 installed, and Tempco puts a heat pump hot water system at $2,500–$4,500 before rebates. We found no Sydney-only figures. See our Australia heating costs guide for the full table.

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How to choose an installer

Check the licence. Use NSW Fair Trading’s online licence check and make sure the licence covers gasfitting.
Get the paperwork. Ask what compliance certificate or notice the gasfitter will give you or lodge when the job is done.
Hydronic or ducted? Ask how many systems of your type the firm has installed, and whether it will size the boiler or heat pump from a heat-loss calculation rather than the old unit’s rating.
Rebates: most discounts are applied only by accredited or participating installers, so confirm eligibility before you sign.
Hydronic in Sydney: ask whether the heat source will be a gas boiler or a heat pump, and compare running costs for your tariff; see underfloor heating, flow temperatures and manifolds.

Our guide to comparing installation quotes like for like has a fuller checklist, and water-based and warm-air heating explains how the two main system types differ.

Hydronic heating installers in Sydney

These businesses appear in public business listings for Sydney, and each has its own website describing hydronic heating work. We have not checked their work, prices, registrations or insurance, and they have not paid to appear.