Case Study
Clare, Nick and their daughter Cece live in Beechworth, with one of them working full-time and the other part-time. Upgrading their hot water heating from gas to an efficient CO2 heat pump unit has reduced their ongoing electricity costs, and provides reliable hot water every day, at any time of the year – yes, even in Beechworth’s winter!
The heat pump unit is set to heat water during the middle of the day using their own solar-generated electricity.
Clare explains, “We live in an old house that we’ve been gradually trying to make more efficient. The gas [water] heater needed replacing when we moved in, which was a great opportunity to upgrade with an electric heat pump. It saves us about $300 a year, means we don’t have to buy bottled gas and our hot water comes through significantly faster – so we’re saving water too!”
How much does it cost to heat water?
Efficient electric heat pumps use 3-4 times less energy than gas hot water systems and can be timed to utilise your rooftop solar production or cheaper time-of-use tariffs.
Heat pumps can save around $400 per year if powered by solar
Check out Rewiring Australia’s analysis of the hot water heating costs over 15 years for a typical Victorian household.
Find out more!
TRY will share electrification information around Yack throughout 2025, with pathways to learn more and where to start. We’ll also put out social media posts about Electrification. If you’re keen to know more now, check out the info here, and keep your eyes peeled for posts, upcoming workshops, or contact us to register your interest.
A nationwide campaign
Availability and pricing have reached a tipping point, with electrification within the reach of many households and financially beneficial to most. This case study is part of the Electrify Everything for Everyone campaign by Rewiring Australia, with TRY and many other community groups around Australia participating.
To see what other communities are doing or to create your own Electrify group, look here.
