With cold weather rolling across Melbourne and the country, more people are looking at ways to heat their homes. Many houses have conventional water heating systems, which can be costly regarding finances and environmental impact.
That’s why the Victorian Government is helping more Victorians invest in a wide range of renewable technologies, including hot water heat pumps, to achieve cheaper power bills and an all-electric home.
Since water heating accounts for about 18 per cent of an average home’s energy bill, installing a hot water heat pump can reduce electricity costs by 60 to 70 per cent.
Local councils and the State Government are working together through the Residential Electrification Grants program. This program seeks to help households switch to all-electric houses and slash their energy bills.
By phasing out expensive fossil gas and going all-electric, households can slash around $1,400 per year off their energy bills or up to $2,700 if paired with solar panels.
More than $4 million will be delivered to seven approved providers to deliver 1,875 solar and 1,545 hot water rebates, which will reduce the upfront costs of installing solar and energy-efficient heat pumps.
Successful projects will help provide more comfortable, cheaper all-electric homes across the state, including for first home-owners, aged care residents and vulnerable customers.
The program also supports local manufacturing and technologies that back Victorian workers and manufacturing jobs.
More Victorians are starting the journey to making their homes all-electric. In Solar Victoria’s recent customer surveys, 69 per cent of respondents said that they are keen to or have been thinking about transitioning to an all-electric home. In comparison, 13 per cent have already fully transitioned thanks to Solar Victoria’s rebates and loans.
Since 2018, Solar Victoria has provided more than 350,000 rebates and loans to households across the state to install solar panels, energy-efficient hot water systems, and solar battery systems.
Image: fotografiecor/stock.adobe.com
