We all love a hot shower, but more often than not, we don’t stop to think about what type of hot water system to use until it either breaks or we’re building a new home.

If it breaks the first reaction is to simply purchase a similar unit but what if there is a more cost-effective product for your hot water you have not thought about and is it worth converting to solar hot water?

According to the Australian Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources water heating is the second largest segment of household energy use, ranging from 15 per cent to 27 per cent, depending on location.

It is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (up to 25 per cent) from an average Australian home.

So, when thinking of what type of system to install, consider using a renewable energy source to reduce emissions and help the environment.

There is a massive range of different types of hot water systems on the market with a variety of prices.

Making the right choice for you and your family can seem overwhelming.

Here are a few tips on what to consider when making a cost-effective decision for your hot water system.

Size of household

By the time you’re in need of purchasing a new hot water system your household could have increased with more children or decreased with children moving out of the home, so a significant factor to consider is how many people will be living in the home over the next ten years.

Generally, one person uses about 50 litres of hot water a day and then you will also need to factor in if you use a dishwasher, or wash clothes in hot water.

At North Coast Power & Water we can talk to you about your options on what you will need for the size of your household.

Types of hot water systems

There are generally four types of hot water systems to choose from when considering price factors – electric, gas, solar and heat pump.

Most Australian households use an electric storage system because they are generally the cheapest to buy and install but can be more expensive to run overtime.

Like electric systems, gas systems come in instant or storage varieties, but their cost can vary depending on the number of taps or water outlets.

Increasingly, people are moving to solar hot water for numerous reasons.

These systems are more expensive to install initially but can save more energy and money over the life of the system and decrease your household’s carbon footprint.

Heat Pumps are efficient, but instead of using solar energy, they use air-condition technology to heat the water.

If you are thinking of adapting to solar energy but perhaps are not quite ready to make the switch straight away, a solar-ready electric hot water system is a great solution.

A solar-ready tank works just like a standard electric tank – it will run off-peak like your regular system, and you can easily upgrade to solar when you are ready without replacing the tank.

Government rebates

The Australian government provides incentives and rebates to purchase efficient hot water systems.

Solar hot water systems, in particular, can benefit from government rebates.

Some state governments operate energy-efficiency incentive schemes.

To find out more check out the Australian government site Your Energy Savings (YES) and search the rebate page for “hot water”.

There are also financial incentives from the Federal Government in place for buying a new solar or heat pump hot water system in the form of Small-Scale Technology Certificates.

By replacing your electric water heater with a solar water heater, you can be eligible to receive Government incentives of between $1000 – $1800 on your home solar system.

Check out our rebate calculator to see what rebates you may be able to claim.

Talk to us today to get a quote for the right cost-effective solar hot water tank for you and your family. We keep them in stock in the full range of sizes so we can get you back in your hot shower fast!