Retirees Bill and Mary ditched their old gas water heater for a heat pump and they couldn’t be happier.

“I was talking to a friend about our water heating costs” and he said, “Get rid of gas’,” says Mary.

Their journey to a more sustainable future led them to Energy Rating Systems. Their experienced technicians looked at Bill and Mary’s situation and all agreed on an appropriate solution.

A 170-litre Midea heat pump hotwater system was installed and, two years later, the couple is still counting the savings.

“You can say we are quite satisfied with it,” says Mary.

Older electric and gas-powered systems are the most expensive way to heat water. Typical annual running costs can be as high as $1700. The latest heat pumps cost less than one third as much to run plus can earn rebates from various authorities.

A heat pump operates in the reverse to a refrigerator. It transfers the heat in the air outside the unit to the water stored inside through an exchange system. Basically it moves heat rather than generates heat and that is where the cost savings lie.

Heat pumps are also an excellent replacement for old electric water heaters as they can often be fitted to existing plumbing. They are compatible with rooftop solar, which can reduce running costs to a minimum.

With Australia’s wholesale price of gas nearly trebling in the past decade and expected to double again by 2030, many households are making the move to affordable and practical solar-based alternatives.

In the past year Bill and Mary have added solar panels and a battery storage system to their property.

“We consider it an environmental decision,” says Bill.