A message from Mike Underhill, Chief Executive of EECA.
Heat pumps are pumping!
With the onset of cooler evenings, most of us start to think about how to stay warm over the winter months. In recent years heat pumps have become a preferred choice for many Kiwi homes with sales in New Zealand having increased markedly. Between 2004 and 2007 sales figures more than doubled from around 35,500 to 79,000, and we expect to see further significant increases in 2008.
EECA is delighted to see these sales figures – heat pumps are the most efficient type of electric heating you can get for your home. But the increasing popularity means an increase in electricity use, which is justified if people are using the extra power to warm their homes to a healthy, comfortable level – but not if the electricity is being wasted unnecessarily.
Smarter use from heat pumps
EECA recommends four key ways to make sure you get the most from your heat pump:
- Firstly, don’t leave it running 24 hours a day. We have heard that some customers have been told by installers to leave heat pumps on all the time, set to a certain temperature. Instead, learn to use the timer and don’t set the temperature higher than you need it – 18-22°C is a comfortable working temperature and, if required, 16°C overnight.
- Secondly, think before using the heat pump as an air-conditioner to cool the house as this results in increased power bills at a time of year when you least expect it! Most heat pumps offer a cooling option and EECA has become aware that some people are using them in the summer months.
This is of course a matter of personal choice, but generally, New Zealand really doesn’t have high enough summer temperatures to justify using air-conditioning at home. As simple as it sounds, opening windows and doors to create a cross-draft is one of the most effective ways to cool a house. An alternative, which may be a better option at night, is a low-power ceiling fan which can be left on overnight.
If you have to use your heat pump to cool the space, close windows and doors otherwise the heat pump will have to work harder to keep the temperature down and end up costing you more.
- Thirdly, choose an efficient model. Some heat pumps are much more efficient than others and the differences in running costs and performance can be significant. A quality heat pump can provide approximately four and a half times the amount of heat for the same price as running a conventional heater. And an ENERGY STAR® heat pump – which shows it is one of the most efficient models on the market – can save a household an extra $150 a year on power bills over a less efficient model.
- And a final point - insulate! If you don’t have insulation you could be wasting up to one-third of your heat undoing some of the gains you get from choosing an efficient heater in the first place. Make sure the ceiling, underfloors and, if you can get to them, walls, are well insulated. You will really notice the difference this winter.
Working with the industry
EECA is working with the heat pump industry to educate consumers about heat pump technology and smart usage, so that this energy efficient form of heating continues to be so and remains a popular heating option.
And remember there are other non-electric, efficient and clean heating options for your home such as wood pellet burners.
Mike Underhill
Chief Executive of EECA.
