Electric hot water units are being phased out as a national scheme to make households use more energy efficient and greener hot water heating products.
Households that are affected by this new scheme are when the existing electric hot water unit in the dwelling dies or when a new house is built.
The options for these households are as follows:
Install an electric heat pump hot water unit (prices for these start from $3000)
Install a natural gas hot water unit
Install a LPG gas hot water unit
Install a solar hot water system
Unfortunately all options will cost the household thousands to purchase the supply and install of one of these new hot water units.
Gas hot water units are by far the cheapest to install out of the four options, but it can take a while to register with a gas company for delivery of LPG bottles OR organise for a gas meter which can cost the household thousands of dollars too.
We recently helped a client where their 125Lt electric hot water unit died. They decided to get a natural gas meter installed to their property but would have to wait 6 weeks for the meter to be installed, which would mean 6 weeks without any hot water. To help this client and future clients who find themselves in this situation, Jacol Plumbing purchased a standard electric hot water unit that can be hired until the gas supply is connected to their house. Once the new gas system has been installed and is working, we will disconnect this hot water unit and use it again for other clients who find themselves in this situation.
Plumbers can be fined and lose points on their license for installing incorrect hot water units. A form 4 must be lodged to the Plumbing Council for any new hot water unit installations. For more information in regards to the phasing out of electric hot water systems, check out this document here.
