Switching to solar, a battery or all-electric appliances might feel like a no-brainer—until you look at the price tag. Even though you’ll usually save more in the long run, the up-front costs can be a significant barrier for many households. This article will give a run-down of all the different ways to fund your installation – including some that you’ve …
What is a hot water heat pump?
Before we tell you all about hot water heat pumps, whether or not to get one, and how to pick the right one, let’s go right back to basics. What is a hot water heat pump? This article is part of our series on hot water heat pumps. See all the other articles here. Your hot water system Hot water …
The $33 hot water heat pump, fact or fiction?
Have you come across the promise of a $33 hot water heat pump installation? Here’s the backstory. When the state and federal governments started offering rebates for hot water heat pumps, manufacturers cottoned on quickly. Some decided to produce heat pumps as inexpensively as possible. Unfortunately, this often meant sacrificing quality. Installers then saw an opportunity: if the product was …
Choosing a hot water heat pump
Remember how we said there were 100 brands of hot water heat pumps in Australia? Well, these 100 brands make about 600 different models of heat pumps. Let’s cover some of the key differences between the various models, and go into more detail on how to choose the right model for you. If you’ve just joined us, we highly recommend …
The most important decision when choosing a hot water heat pump: Refrigerant
Please don’t be scared off. I promise this is actually important (and kind of interesting). In fact, it’s one of the most important variables that affects the performance of a hot water heat pump (sometimes more than price). This article is part of our series on hot water heat pumps. See all the other articles here. Dummies guide to refrigerants …
Is a hot water heat pump right for my situation?
If you read about hot water heat pumps on the website of any plumbing company, it goes something like this: Title: Should you get a hot water heat pump? Answer: Yes, you should definitely get a hot water heat pump. The reality is less black and white. In some situations, it’s a blatant no-brainer to get one. In other situations, …
Why are hot water heat pumps controversial?
Hot water heat pumps should have an amazing reputation in Australia, but sometimes you hear scary things. Opinions can range from “hot water heat pumps will save the world” to “As a plumber, I love hot water heat pumps because I get so much work from replacing them”. Ordinary households hear these conflicting messages, feel uncertain, and write off hot …
I’ve been told I can’t get solar. Is that true?
At ZapCat we often hear stories from people who have been told that they can’t get solar. An installer might have been the one to give the advice, other times it comes from a well meaning friend or family member. If you’ve been told you can’t get solar, or it wouldn’t be worth it, then it’s important to get a …
Deep dive: Why is solar such a good deal in Australia?
In the words of Rewiring Australia, even a magic power plant providing free energy would be more expensive than rooftop solar because the cost of sending that energy over powerlines alone is more than the cost of installing solar panels. Since you’re producing your own energy, you don’t need to buy nearly as much energy from the electricity grid. This …
Cheap vs expensive solar: Is there a difference?
You want to get solar, but you aren’t sure if there’s any real difference between cheap and expensive solar. Is the $5k quote the same as the $15k one? It’s a good question. There are a few important differences between cheap solar and more expensive options. In this article we’ll explore how the following things impact the cost and outcome …
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