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Although the gas vs electric hot water debate has raged on for decades, determining which is the better choice will often boil down to a number of factors.
Did you know that the average electricity bill in Queensland is around $140 to $150 per month, and varies depending on the number of people per household? In addition, many homes in Australia are also powered by gas for hot water, cooking, and home heating. If an abode uses all three, homeowners can expect a gas bill of roughly $90 a month in addition to their electricity expenses, with hot water systems being one of the primary power suckers.
As such, many homeowners often fall into the same conundrum – when it comes to choosing a heating source, who is the clear winner between gas vs electric hot water systems? Well, that’s a big question with a lot of variables to consider. Determining the answer is usually linked to what type of appliances you’re looking to power, whether your home has an existing connection, and even where you live.
While the average air conditioner unit consumes around 3833 kWh per year, it pales in comparison to an average six star efficiency water heating unit, which clocks in at 5164 kWH per year. In real terms, hot water systems equate to roughly 21% of the average Australian’s annual power bill.
Of course, nobody wants to spend more on their electricity expenses than absolutely necessary, but determining whether gas or electric hot water systems cost less in the long term is often fraught with much debate.
As a general rule, electric hot water systems are the most common type of water heating unit found in Australia, primarily because the units themselves are cheap to purchase and relatively easy to install. While they’re quiet and cost effective up front, the downside of electric units is that they’re not generally praised for their efficiency and ongoing affordability as they need to work harder to get the job done.
However, time-of-use tariffs also mean that heating your water overnight is cheaper than in the day. There are also newer models that instantly heat up, but homeowners do normally need to have access to three phase power to give them enough juice to function. Most homes have single phase power, so these units are more suited to commercial or industrial premises.
In comparison, gas hot water systems are embraced thanks to their long term affordability and their ability to heat water faster. Depending on where you live in Australia, gas is a much cheaper resource than electricity, so the running costs are often much lower. Although the unit is about the same price as an electric system, if not slightly more, switching from electric supply to gas can get very expensive if your dwelling doesn’t have the infrastructure already in place.
If you’re debating whether to opt for gas vs electric hot water, the right solution will usually boil down to what energy sources are already available to your home, what type of hot water system you currently have, how many people reside in the home, and how much space you have to work with.
If you can’t afford the investment of a green energy option like solar power, paying attention to energy efficiency labels offer unique insights into how much power your household consumes. Older appliances can be big energy suckers when it comes time to pay your power bill, so be sure to read the fine print of your new hot water system, or ask the professionals before you go shopping.
Here at Shield Electrical, we are a Brisbane based electrical contracting company, and pride ourselves on being shockingly good at watt we do. For us, friendly and reliable customer service isn’t just a nice add on – it’s how we do business. Don’t take our word for it though, just ask our clients.
Established in 2015, Shield Electrical is lighting the way when it comes to providing electrical work with world class customer service. With our headquarters based in the central suburban pocket of Coorparoo, our team of qualified industry professionals are readily available to deliver quality workmanship, fast quotes, and affordable pricing.
Whether you’re on the hunt for an electrician for domestic services, residential, commercial and industrial construction, security systems or even just further energy saving tips, get in touch with us at Shield today to source practical solutions that don’t break the bank.
