Current Trends
Flame Effect Gas Fires
There is an increasing trend in gas fires with that romantic flame effect. They are efficient now too. More convient than chopping wood or waiting for coal to heat up. They output 5 to 8Kw. Some are inbuilt and some are freestanding. There are models that rear vent to outside instead of requiring a vertical flue. If you would like a measure and price make an enquiry here. Job Enquiry.
Daily Line Charges
Daily charges from the service providers have been rising rapidly and so has the price of the energy providers.
Appliance Trend to avoid Line Charges
Currently building owners are continuing to install continuous flow gas water heaters.
Gas users who do not have water heating and use gas for heating and cooking are considering transfuring to LPG to avoid the line charges. Eg people who have only a gas stove or gas fire are paying over $30-50 each month for the daily charge and a few dollars for the gas. A great way to save is to go electric in this case or convert to LPG.
There is now a small but noticable trend occuring where existing gas water heating users are also disconnecting and changing to heat pumps or solar in order to get rid of that line charge and lower the energy cost as well. Eg if they are having to replace the water heater they may as well add solar and get rid of gas deleting the line charge.
Existing electric water heater customers are considering solar before replacing. The savings are not as much as the gas customers.
The gas daily charge has gone up in recent months and this adds up to over $5000 over ten years. This can pay for significant capital invenstment in other forms of heating not involving gas. Eg heat pumps or solar.
Solar heating of water costs in round figures $6000 installed at the low end and the engery to heat the water is free. Heat pump water heaters cost around $8000 to install with two thirds of the heat free. Hey presto no gas meter to worry about.
Option 1
Heatpump space heating with Solar Water heating on your existing electric water heater.
Option 2
LPG for the gas hob and gas fire
Solar panels for the water heater.
