Heat your home and water with electricity
How much energy each household uses differs, but space and water heating usually make up the biggest proportion of energy bills. Making the switch from gas to electricity could help you lower your emissions and potentially the cost of power bills in your household.
Keeping our homes warm in winter months is essential, and Kiwis have been great adopters of heat pumps. According to Rewiring Aotearoa, heat pumps are 3 to 4 times more efficient compared to gas heaters, meaning they are cheaper to run. However, there are still plenty of New Zealand homes using gas heaters to stay warm.
Many New Zealand homes have gas or electric resistance water heating systems, but newer electric water heat pumps are more efficient technology. While the upfront cost to buy and install these systems can be high, they use less energy than their counterparts and can be significantly cheaper to run over time.
Cooking without gas: should I make the switch and install a new system?
A wide range of electric induction cooktops are more energy efficient than gas cooktops, meaning they are cheaper to run. Cooking contributes a small amount towards energy use, so it might only be worth making the switch when doing a kitchen renovation or when your existing cooktop reaches the end of its product life.
See what you could save
If you're wishing for cheaper bills, then you're not alone. Rewiring Aotearoa has built a useful tool to show what you could save by utilising electric energy or solar power in your household, as well as what changing over could cost.
Interested to know how much money you could save by making the switch to electricity? Answer the following questions about your household, and you'll get an assessment showing:
- What you could save on your energy bills
- What upfront costs you may have to pay
*The calculator provides an estimate of cost savings for the average household and should not be used as financial advice. We recommend carrying out further due diligence and consulting with professionals before making any decisions or carrying out installation work.
Switch to electric energy with the ASB Better Homes Top Up
You could access up to $80,000 at 1.00% p.a. interest, fixed for 3 years (minimum 20% equity), to make electric upgrades to your home.
Put it towards the installation of solar panels, an EV and charger, or a range of other appliance updates aimed at improving the efficiency of your home.
ASB Bank Limited's lending criteria, terms and exclusions apply. Rate, offer and fees may change. Refer to asb.co.nz for eligibility criteria and other fees and charges. At the end of the fixed rate period our Housing Variable Rate will apply. See asb.co.nz for details. An early repayment adjustment may apply if you break a fixed rate term.
Learn more about electric appliances
Rewiring Aotearoa has done all the hard work when it comes to making the switch to electricity to help you save on bills and protect New Zealand and the wider planet. Learn more about space heating, water heating and cooking and a range of other cost-saving appliances at Rewiring Aotearoa.
Staying warm in your home is essential and if you don't have a heat pump, you could be eligible for a grant to cover some of the costs of getting one. Visit EECA to find out if you're eligible.
Always do your research when making large purchases (Consumer NZ is a great resource) and engage a qualified tradesperson to carry out installations. You can check the Electrical Workers Registration Board to verify that the tradesperson you choose to carry out your install is qualified. You can also choose to engage a tradesperson that is a member of a professional trade organisation such as Master Electricians.