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Marc Daalder reports on Vector's declining gas network and how it is responding to falling customer numbers. As he writes: "Gas in Auckland is formally past its peak in the latest forecasts from Vector, the city’s only gas distribution business, with new connections set to fall to zero in three years ... From 2029, there would be no new residential or commercial connections – with new industrial connections projected to have already ceased this year."
"This particular estimate is more important than usual, because it shows Vector believes its gas network has peaked in size. As disconnections outpace new connections, residential and commercial gas use will ultimately decline."
... Every year, 40,000 gas hot water systems are installed in New Zealand homes, with an expected lifetime of 15 years. A new system installed next year, then, could still be trucking along by the time Vector thinks it might be winding down its network.
We need to make sure there is a managed transition to avoid the gas death spiral, where those who are stuck on the network are burdened with the costs of maintaining it. We laid out this scenario in our explainer, a bad case of gas. And if you're building new or considering an upgrade, don't invest in the wrong tech.
When Mike Casey bought his house near Cromwell, it came with gas bottles on the side of the home for water and an expensive diesel system for the underfloor heating. He replaced both of them with a Steibel Eltron system and it's been saving him money ever since. As technical manager Bhawesh Singh told him at the Electrify Queenstown conference, there has been a big influx in enquiries from homes looking to get off the molecules and onto electrons.
Read moreDownloadConfidence that cutting regulations to make solar power more accessible - won't jeopardise people's safety. A new Regulation Ministry reports laid out a potential blueprint to legalise plug-in solar and reduce the time and cost of panel installation. Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey shares his thoughts with Andrew Dickens.
The burgeoning demand for solar was also a chance to address a mismatch between the numbers of training opportunities available and young people searching for work, Casey said. "The mums of New Zealand are telling me that there's not enough apprenticeships for their kids and the solar installers of New Zealand are telling me there's not enough trained people."
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