Recently I found out the government plans to ban installation of electric hot water units by 2012. See
here
This is going down a very dangerous and expensive path for just about everyone.
Quote:
Will I have to replace my currently
working electric hot water system
when the program commences?
No. There will be no requirement to replace a
working electric hot water system. You will
only have to purchase a low emission hot
water system when your current one needs
to be replaced.
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I mention this as just today we had to have our electric hot water system replaced, (Rheem 80 litre) at a cost of just over $800. Last night the old one's tank failed, sending water all over the laundry. Even WITH government rebates, alternatives are much more costly.
What would happen when the new unit eventually fails? If we chose Solar, it would mean running pipes through the roof, and other installation hassles. The tradies who installed our new Rheem today told us that if we had solar when we once had cricket ball sized hail, it would have destroyed the solar heating panels.
If we chose gas, then all new gas piping needs to be run, and new water piping as well as the gas unit would have to be relocated outside.
If we chose Electric heat pump, it, too would have to go outside due to limited space in the laundry, and then we whould have the noisy compressor running through the night, needless to mention the much greater complexity over a simple insulated steel cylinder with a heating element and thermostat, which is what our new electric unit is.
By the time the new unit needs replacing (average life 8 years or so) one can bet the government rebates would long have vanished, meaning an $800 water heater would have to be replaced by something costing many thousands. Id have no choice but to go without hot water and get one of those camping showers and put it in the bathroom and use the jug to heat enough water for a shower.
Then theres people in flats and units. No space for alternatives, they need electric hot water units. Though the government says such dwellings will be exempt, if the majority of buildings have electric water heaters banned, manufacturers may stop making them due to lesser demand.
The tradies who installed our new unit also oppose the laws, they say it hasnt been thought through.
The availability of affordable running hot water is a pretty basic right we can expect in western society. It for me will be a major election issue. I dont want to be boiling jugs all the time in the future every time I need hot water, and of course that would surely generate much more greenhouse gas then the electric off peak hot water system we now have. Our hot water bill for last quaterly bill was a measely $83,and thats for mum, dad and I. If I was living here by myself it would be even lower, meaning even less greenhouse gas.
Electric hot water MUST remain available to all.