The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Anyone who upgrades their gas hot water system to a hot water heat pump is a Bright Spark in our eyes and that's what Kingston resident Jason Roberts has just done - with an assist from the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator's group discount scheme.
Roberts says he has always been conscious of where the money is going at home and, after looking through his energy bills, he found he was spending around $1,000 a year on gas, with prices expected to keep rising given the issues around supply.
After hearing about the hot water heat pump group discount scheme, which offered a good chunk off the upfront cost, he registered his interest and had his Emerald model installed recently by Morgan Ford and the Laser Electrical Queenstown team.
Like many other electric machines, hot water heat pumps are a bit more expensive upfront but are far more efficient and therefore much cheaper to run than traditional electric hot water cylinders or gas systems.
As Ford says, while they are still relatively uncommon in the region, they are becoming more popular - especially in new builds and retrofits - and word is spreading about how good they are. They work particularly well for those with solar as the water can be heated during the day with the cheapest electricity available.
There are big benefits if we can shift away from peak use. Ripple control has traditionally been used to reduce strain on the grid and avoid using electricity for hot water, but it's a blunt instrument. Those on time-of-use plans can now set their system through an app (or use simple timers) to heat at certain off-peak times and save.
Batteries are great, but if you're not ready to make that investment just yet, Ford says the cylinder can also act as a 'thermal battery' and make the most of that cheap energy to get the water ready for the morning and night rushes.
'Twas the night before Chris-mas, and all through the house, all the voters were stirring, the pundits showing their nous … the election will soon be over, but the energy crisis won't, so we'll be there to pester whoever is in power about the need to run more of the economy on New Zealand-made energy; can Ethiopia's aggressive push for EVs work and how does New Zealand compare in terms of adoption rates?; a two-way charging trial from Genesis shows promise in Auckland, but there's still a way to go before it's mainstream; small electric vehicles are often overlooked when it comes to electrifying transport, but it's hard to miss this weird French one; a solar-powered cafe (and some electric coffee); and we endorse the political vandalism of Keith of All Trades.
Read moreDownloadPoliticians are being urged to adopt stronger electric vehicle incentives ahead of the election. Climate and energy advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa is arguing that EVs are one of the most effective long-term solutions for rising transport and energy costs. They're promoting an EV Salary Boost proposal, which would allow workers to access EVs through pre-tax salary arrangements – similarly to already existing schemes in the UK and Australia. Policy and Government Relations Spokesperson Ngaio Neumegen told Kerre Woodham that even with the rising cost of power, it's still cheaper to run an EV than a car running on imported fuel.
A proposal that would let New Zealanders lease an electric car using their before-tax pay has not won a commitment from either National or Labour, with the 7 November election days away. Under the EV Salary Boost, put forward by Rewiring Aotearoa and Drive Electric, an employee would lease a new or used EV for three to five years. The payments would come out of their pay before tax, lowering the cost of running the car. The idea is based on Australia’s novated leasing system, though the groups say they are not proposing a direct copy.
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