Heat pump sales increase squeezing out solid fuel

[muppet]

Heat pump sales increase squeezing out solid fuel
5:00AM Monday January 21, 2008
Gas heaters in the home are becoming a rarer sight as heat pumps gain in popularity.
New research shows heat pumps are quickly becoming the preferred way to heat and cool New Zealand homes.

Initial findings of a report to be released this year by Branz Ltd, a research, testing, consultancy and educational service for the building industry, indicate New Zealanders are moving away from solid fuel heating.

Branz energy scientist Lisa French recently completed a national survey which looked at how heat pumps were used in New Zealand.

She said the increased use of heat pumps could mean higher annual average consumption of electricity but the pumps were highly effective.

"Most users of heat pumps are very happy with their decision, despite the trend towards an increase in the overall use of electricity."

Colder areas had the highest proportion of heat pumps and use in summer had risen throughout the country.

The majority of homes were still heated by solid fuel burners but 40 per cent installed a heat pump to replace a wood burner or gas heater.

Heat pump sales in the past year were more than double those of three years ago and 45 per cent of new homes had a heat pump installed.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10487883

[Davo36]

We installed a heat pump in our house just before last winter.

Prior to that we had been using an old (but flash looking) gas fireplace that ended up costing the earth to run and pumped out about as much heat as a baby's night light, along with oil column heaters.

So we had a 6KW heat pump installed. The salesman and the installers both told us to keep it on 24/7 at say 21 degrees and it would cost bugger all to run. The installer said he had his on the whole time and it cost him $40 per month.

Well that all turned out to be utter rubbish. The heat pump worked really well, heating the whole house but cost as much as the gas fireplace to run. Our electricity bills went to $400 per month from around $120 in the summer.

In hindsight, I should have known this would be the case. I have owned air conditioned offices and when in occupation of them, paid the AC bills. A heat pump is basically the same thing. AC costs lots to run, so does a heat pump.

I think part of the reason is that when you need them, they have to work very hard i.e. you want your house heated when it's cold, so the air the heat pump has to work with outside, is also very cold. This just means it has to be heated up an awful lot and also that the whole efficiency of the system is lowered I think.

So whilst heat pumps are really convenient and really cosy, they come at a huge cost. And if the electricity is from non-renewable sources (I read somewhere recently that we barge coal in from Inonesia to feed the Huntly power station - how f**ked up is that?) they're not clean and green either.

What I may well do is rip out the gas fire and put in a wooden one after all. The output is around 18KW (3 times the heat pump) and I can get the wood for free, so just my time and effort to factor in. I think they're really nice and cosy tho.

David

[PC]

And if you're in Auckland...
Wood fires work well when the power goes off.

[Davo36]

And if you're in Auckland...
Wood fires work well when the power goes off.

We live in Titirangi, last year we had at least 10 power cuts. Unbelievable. One was particularly bad in the middle of winter, with power going off at 4pm just when you want to make tea, put your kids to bed etc. It didn't come back on until 3 or 4 in the morning. The baby's room was freezing and so we were up worrying. Quite stressful really.

And of course there's never any reason given or anyone fronting up saying sorry. Some sort of credit should also be due, but that also never happens. All while the electricity companies make record profits.

So, yes, I'll be quite glad to get a good old fashioned wood fire place that will work anytime.

David

[molly]

Hot house

I've always had a woodburner, although this year was the first time I thought about getting an aircon unit installed, this is our first summer in our house (1890's T&G fully lined cottage) and when it heats up it gets and stays hot inside! Not good on those hot summer days!

[Perry]

Very interesting observations. My Dad had put one in. He got
to an age where toting firewood was an undue challenge. I've
heard that air conditioning (summer) costs more than air warming
(winter). Is that confirmed by the experience of others?

I have a wood burner. A wood boiler, really. It has its faults, but
it heats water and the house and all from home-grown wood fuel.
Like Davo - just some sweat and chainsaw fuel involved. I run it
winter and summer (every 4th day) and it's paid for itself in electricity
savings in six years. (Includes debt servicing costs and was based
on historical per unit electricity charges).

If it uses electricity: it costs. (plus GST and after income tax)
As I grow my own fuel, the considerations are quite different.

Unless or until the bureaucrats ban wood fires. Ho hum.

[Gatekeeper]

I'm the same Perry, woodburner with wetback in winter, and we have solar hot water for summer. It's real nice to have the kettle on the stove throughout the winter though, and doing the firewood is better value than a gym membership!

[Davo36]

Yeah I agree that firewood is good exercise. You don't feel like it at the time. Middle of winter, cold and rainy and bugger, you've gotta get a basket full of wood for the night. But in the long run it's good. We already eliminate most physical work in our lives and so having to do a bit of walking/lifting is good. And of course the cutting and splitting prior to each winter is extremely physical.

David