Question: Our building has gas for hot water and cooktops. We are under an embedded network. An owner wants to install an induction cooktop. Do they need OC approval? What about the 10 year contract with the energy provider?
I am the chairman of the owners corporation for an apartment building in Victoria. The building was completed in 2018, and there are 20 apartments. There is an embedded gas network system for the hot water service and gas cooktops. The developer entered into a 10 year contract with an energy provider. The OC has received an enquiry from an owner wanting to know if she can change the gas cooktop in her apartment to an induction cooktop.
Due to media around the switch from gas to electricity for new builds in Victoria, I expect we will receive more enquiries from owners. Can an owner make this change without seeking approval, or is OC approval required? The developer initially installed gas because there is concern the electricity substation to the building cannot support the additional electricity required for induction cooktops.
Answer: The OC should review the agreement/s and define who is responsible for what. Go through the Single Line Diagrams.
In Victoria, the rules and regulations governing modifications to individual apartments within a strata or owners corporation complex can vary. Typically, modifications that involve alterations to the common property, shared infrastructure, or utilities may require approval from the owners corporation (OC).
I suggest the OC review the agreement/s and define who is responsible for what. Go through the Single Line Diagrams (SLDs). There are several other things to consider, including OC by-laws, the type of cooktop to be installed, the works involved, the developer agreement with the energy provider, the building’s substation capacity and safety and compliance. The agreements will define if any approval is required from the provider regarding changes to the networks, and the SLD should define what specifications each apartment has connected to their switchboard in the apartment. The SLD may also provide some insight into the building’s electricity substation. A third party can review both of these.
If a customer disconnects their gas supply, it will likely need to be physically capped within the apartment or the common property (which may require some approval); however, a gas cooktop charge certainly wouldn’t be logical.
Concerns about the electricity substation’s capacity can be addressed by consulting a licensed electrician to determine the building’s spare capacity and informing owners of the safe number and power ratings of electric cooktops they can adopt.
This post appears in the October 2023 edition of The VIC Strata Magazine.
Sarah Shevy Energy On E: Sarah@EnergyOn.com.au P: 1300 323 263