Electrifying your commercial kitchen just got easier in Australia

When talking about the recent renovation of his renowned Melbourne restaurant, Vue De Monde, head chef Hugh Allen was clear about the type of kitchen he needed: 

“..everywhere I’ve worked in the last five years around the world has always been induction, so I wouldn’t have gone with anything else.”

These sentiments are increasingly being shared by chefs around the country. For many, the transition away from cooking with gas is inevitable, but it comes with a cost. In the current economic climate, this can be a real barrier.

The first government grants for commercial kitchen electrification

The Global Cooksafe Coalition (GCC) has been working to find solutions to this challenge for hospitality businesses and one of these is government grants. 

In recent years, as the political appetite for a move away from fossil fuels in Australia has gained traction, there has been an increase in energy efficiency and electrification grants at all levels of government. However, converting gas cooking equipment to electric has often been overlooked in these grants because it’s not seen as impactful enough in terms of emissions and cost savings.

Because of this, it’s been really important for the GCC to have ongoing conversations with the government about the importance of this issue for commercial kitchens. We explain that there are real cost savings for these businesses, especially when factors like efficiency and cleaning costs are taken into account. 

So, we were delighted to learn that the federal government has listened and included commercial kitchen equipment in the latest round of energy efficiency grants for small to medium businesses (SMEs). There is $41.241 million available in this round of grants.

Applying for a grant

This means that businesses that employ fewer than 200 people and have been operating for more than 24 months are now eligible to apply for grants of between $10,000 and $25,000. 

For commercial kitchens seeking to electrify their equipment, the grants can be used to:

• Replace a fossil fuel powered commercial kitchen oven, stove/cooktop, char grill, griddle, flat plate grill or deep fryer with an electric powered commercial kitchen equivalent;

• Install power factor correction;

• Install voltage optimisation;

• Replace or expand switchboard or electricity distribution to facilitate electrification of equipment.

The application period will be staggered — and each state has been allocated a percentage of the money based on how many SMEs are operating in that state. Importantly, the grants will be demand-driven and will no longer be available once the money is exhausted, so businesses need to act quickly.

The opening dates are:

VIC - Thursday 22 February 2024 12.00pm AEDT

NT - Friday 23 February 2024 12.00pm ACST

SA – Friday 23 February 2024 12.00pm ACDT

NSW – Monday 26 February 2024 12.00pm AEDT

WA – Tuesday 27 February 2024 12.00pm AWST

TAS, ACT - Tuesday 27 February 2024 12.00pm AEDT

QLD – Wednesday 28 February 2024 12.00pm AEST

Get more information on how to apply here.