The gas company Jemena is offering NSW customers a $500 cashback to people who dump electric appliances for new gas ones in a program that flies in the face of state and federal government policies to support the transition from the fossil fuel.

Natural gas is largely methane, which burns more cleanly than coal but remains a devastatingly powerful global warming agent when leaked into the atmosphere, which experts say can happen at every point in the process of extracting, refining and piping the fuel to customers.

“It is like propping up the tobacco industry by giving out free cigarettes,” said Saul Griffith, an advocate for electrification of the grid who has provided advised both the NSW and federal governments and the Biden administration on decarbonisation, of the cashback offer.

Customers who use Jemena’s portal can claim cashbacks for replacing a range of electric appliance with gas ones, including cooktops and ovens, indoor and outdoor heating and even pool and spa heating.

A Jemena spokesperson defended the program, saying, “Short-to-medium term calls to electrify household appliances will simply move customers away from gas, which has a lower carbon footprint than coal, to an electricity grid which is still currently overwhelmingly reliant on coal.

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“Through our biomethane and hydrogen gas demonstration projects we’re testing how our gas network can evolve to transport renewable gases in the future and believe a mixture of renewable gas and renewable electricity – working together – is the best way to decarbonise our energy system.”

Gas has increasingly become a focus of groups seeking to accelerate greenhouse gas reductions.

“Gas is a fossil fuel that is a major contributor to the climate crisis,” Dr Brad Smith, NCC policy and advocacy director said today. “Jemena is locking in carbon pollution by continuing to connect appliances in homes to fossil fuel gas infrastructure.”