Kambah resident Allan Sharp is no stranger to the cold.
But when his wood heater became too difficult to manage, he decided to remove it in favour of an electric reverse-cycle system.
"On a cold winter's night, everybody loves a fire," Mr Sharp said.
"In the end all the work that was involved in maintaining it became too much."
Mr Sharp made the switch using a rebate from the ACT government's wood heater removal program.
After a January 2023 report from ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment Sophie Lewis raised concerns about the health and environmental impacts of wood heaters, the government announced its decision to phase them out by 2045.
On Friday, the rebates doubled to $500.
The concession rebate will increase to $1250.
A concession card holder, Mr Sharp said all costs for removal - chimney removal, plastering, tiling and breaking of the hearth - were covered by the payment.
His is now one of 1300 households to make the switch under the scheme since it was first introduced in 2004.
Thirty-three households have received the rebate in the last 12 months.
Mr Sharp said his age, the rising cost of wood and his environmental concerns also factored in his decision.
"The valley gets pretty smokey on a winter's night," he said.
"We were conscious of the need for air purity".
But questions about the efficacy of electric heating remain.
Mr Sharp still relied on a gas heater to heat his home in the early mornings and before bed.
ACT Environment, Parks and Land Management Minister Rebecca Vassarotti said while it was a big undertaking to remove a wood heater, there was a "bit of a cultural shift".
"There is something quite lovely about a wood heater but there's increasing understanding of the impacts both to the environment and health," she said.
Ms Vassarotti said it was important to provide householders with a "little extra incentive" to make the switch.
"It's not going to cover the full costs of that process but it is a recognition of the cost," she said.
"Particularly in a cost-of-living crisis, every little bit helps."
