By Dominic Bayley
SYDNEY: The NSW state government today announced rebates for households who change to energy efficient hot water systems, which could save families up to $1,500 when upgrading their homes.
The rebates, announced by NSW Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water, Phil Koperberg, have been implemented to tackle climate change and are also available for home insulation.
Koperberg said families replacing an electric hot water system with an approved solar or heat pump hot water system, will be eligible to receive a $1200 rebate.
Additionally, homes that convert from an electric to a five star gas hot water system will receive a $300 rebate.
A further $300 will be available to families to cover some of the costs of installing insulation in their homes.
“The two most energy intensive activities in NSW homes are hot water heating and either keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer,” said Koperberg.
“Together these account for more than half of all household energy use and therefore are large contributors to greenhouse emissions,” he said.
EnergyAustralia efficiency expert, Paul Myors, said the rebates will go a long way to reducing greenhouse emissions produced by household electricity use.
“The single biggest factor a household can do to save energy is switch to a greener form of hot water system. We estimate that an electric hot water heater alone accounts for up to 35 per cent of a households’ electricity use,” Myors told Current.com.au.
“A household that switches to a five star gas approved solar, or heat pump hot water system will save tonnes of carbon gas emissions each year,” he said.
The hot water system rebate will be in addition to the $1000 rebate for solar hot water and heat pump systems recently announced by the Federal Government.
To be eligible for a rebate, households must replace only electric hot water systems and the system must be purchased and installed after October 1, 2007.