At Southern Plumbing Plus, we recognise that choosing a hot water system to suit you and your family – and perhaps your growing family – is not easy.
There are the energy bills to consider—they’re rising all the time. There’s the environment to consider—we all want to save energy and reduce our carbon footprint. And there’s the security of mind—there’s nothing worse than running out of hot water when the relatives are visiting!
With government rebate incentives to reduce carbon emissions, the choice is somewhat easier. But there are still many things to consider when selecting the right hot water system. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to assist customers on the best options for you—options that will not only save you money now, but save on running costs for years to come.
The guide is not exhaustive, but it is designed to answer most of the questions you will have. More technical issues can be answered by our sales staff.

After motor vehicles, hot water units are among the largest producers of greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, the average Australian household produces almost 12 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year. About one third of that is caused by travel, but 16% of the total is due to water heating:*

We can all do more to reduce vehicle emissions—driving more fuel efficient cars is the simplest solution. But it’s even easier to cut emissions from water heating. There are government rebates available which mean you can replace your existing electric storage hot water unit for next to nothing. Or, with a small investment now in solar or gas hot water systems, you can reduce your energy bills way into the future. Indeed, you could be up to 70% better off than you are now.
Let’s look at some of the easiest and most cost-effective solutions.

There are Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), a federal government rebate and—in some states—a state government rebate. Combined, these could mean that the cost of replacing the electric storage unit is as low as $500, plus the cost of installation.

SO WE’VE MADE THE DECISION TO CHANGE OVER, BUT WHAT DO WE INSTALL?

If you really want to save on greenhouse emissions and ongoing energy running costs, you’ll choose a solar hot water system, either with flat panel collector plates or with evacuated tubes. These units can have boosters (typically gas) which ensure you never run out of hot water during the winter months, or during prolonged wet periods when sunlight is reduced.
After rebates, these units could cost between $800 and $2,000 (plus installation), but the ongoing running costs will be so significantly reduced that the units could be paid off within a couple of years. (Your exact savings will vary considerably. They depend on your current electricity tariff, the cost of the new solar system, the cost of installation, and the number of people in the household. But after taking all these things into consideration, it is an undisputed fact that changing to a solar hot water system will bring considerable savings in the long term.)

There could be a number of reasons why solar is not suitable for your particular area. Your home or unit might not face north or there could be too much shade from trees or adjoining buildings. So the best solution in these cases is a heat pump, which converts air into heat in much the same way as an air conditioner or refrigerator.
As with solar systems, heat pumps are least effective in cold winter months, but they can be boosted by electric or gas systems to ensure hot water is always available. Also like solar systems, heat pumps attract big rebates, ensuring the cost of the unit is often no more than $800-$1600. Running costs are minimal – up to 70% less than for an electric storage hot water unit.

NATURAL GAS (NOT LPG)

If you don’t have room for a solar system or a heat pump, the next most efficient and economical form of water heating is using natural gas. Gas continuous flow water heaters only heat the water as you need it. And gas storage heaters are best suited for large families where the demand for hot water is higher and recovery needs to be quicker.

NOW THAT I HAVE CHOSEN THE BEST WATER HEATER IN TERMS OF ONGOING ENERGY COSTS AND LOW CO2 EMISSIONS, WHAT SIZE DO I NEED?

After efficiency and ongoing running costs, the most important consideration is sizing. How many people will rely on hot water each day for baths and showers? How much washing will be done? Dishwasher use? The following table is a rough guide to the size of unit required for the anticipated daily usage. Where a bath or spa is used every day, or the washing machine is used more than once a day, the next size of unit should be selected.

Warranty information.