Source: Ecobulb
Consumers are responding to soaring electricity prices by turning to modern energy-efficient technologies, says energy efficiency expert Dr Chris Mardon, Managing Director of Christchurch-based company Ecobulb.
According to Statistics New Zealand, electricity costs rose by 11% in the year to September, the steepest annual increase since 1989.
“These increases are significant, and more are expected as Transpower and lines companies continue to invest heavily in upgrading the electricity network,” says Dr Mardon. “As a result we’re seeing a surge in interest from households wanting to take control of their energy use.”
Dr Mardon says the Canterbury Home Show over the weekend saw a marked uptick in inquiries from people keen to cut their electricity and gas bills using modern, efficient technology.
“One of the most common questions we received was how much a household could save by replacing traditional hot water cylinders with high-performance hot water heat pumps,” he says. “The answer is – a lot.”
Hot water heat pumps use electricity to transfer heat rather than generate it, making them significantly more efficient than conventional electric elements. “They can reduce energy use by up to 75% for water heating,” says Dr Mardon. “That translates into thousands of dollars in savings over the life of the system, with many households able to recover the extra upfront cost in just a few years.”
Ecobulb received 60 inquiries about hot water heat pumps at the home show, triple the number of inquiries at a similar sized Canterbury home show in August.
“Based on past experience, we expect around two-thirds of those inquiries to convert into installations — so around 40 new systems from one weekend,” says Dr Mardon. “That’s promising, but with over two million households in New Zealand, we’ve only scratched the surface.”
Dr Mardon says while rising power prices are prompting more people to consider energy-efficient options, further support is needed to accelerate adoption. “We’d like to see greater investment in programmes like Warmer Kiwi Homes, which could subsidise hot water heat pumps. We also support the introduction of a Ratings Assistance Scheme to help homeowners better understand and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.”
He adds that broadening access to efficient technologies like hot water heat pumps would reduce emissions, modernise New Zealand’s residential energy systems, and lower long-term costs for Kiwi households.
“Hot water heat pumps are one of the most efficient solutions available for residential and commercial water heating,” says Dr Mardon. “They’re good for the environment—and even better for the power bill.”
