EECA has published a list of electric hot water cylinders to help industry identify products that meet energy efficiency standards.
Group Manager Strategy and Regulation Dr Marcos Pelenur says EECA commissioned testing of 12 hot water cylinder models over the past year and six failed to meet energy efficiency requirements. EECA has published test results on its website so consumers and industry know which models have passed check testing. Companies are also being prosecuted for serious breaches of the Regulations.
Dr Pelenur says plumbers have questioned how they can identify electric hot water cylinders that meet Minimum Energy Performance Standards.
He says EECA has responded by publishing a list of electric hot water cylinders that comply with New Zealand Minimum Energy Performance Standards, based on the information provided when the product was registered under the Energy Efficiency (Energy Using Products) Regulations 2002.
View the list of compliant electric hot water cylinders
"More than 60,000 electric hot water cylinders are sold each year in New Zealand and the industry is reliant on claims by importers and manufacturers about the energy efficiency of electric hot water cylinders."
"These failures are important because hot water makes up about 30% amount of the average energy bill - about $600 a year. Failure to meet Standards could cost each household up to $1,240 over the life of the cylinder (about 20 years) at current energy prices," he says.
Dr Pelenur says EECA is interested in hearing from builders, plumbers or others in the industry if they come across cylinders that don’t comply with New Zealand Minimum Energy Performance Standards.