Energy bills will rise yet again for many Queenslanders in the second half of 2022. Ignoring the hikes is no longer an option.
You need to stop your salary from getting chipped away because soon there may be little left. It matters: some estimates put Australia at number 7 in the pecking order of the world’s most expensive countries to live in.
Read on to find out why you could be wasting valuable cash on your energy bills and how to make life-changing savings with solar products in Brisbane and Redlands.
1. Only Powering Your Home Using the Grid
If you meet all your energy needs from the grid, there’s no question you’re going to take a big hit in further rises in the cost of electricity. Heating and cooling are likely to account for upwards of 40 percent of your bill. You could reduce this by harnessing a free power source.
If you have kids, ask them what matters most to them. The environment is likely to be right up there at the number one slot. Investing in solar products in Brisbane and Redlands is going to help you make savings and secure your future well-being.
Queenslanders have been the solar power trailblazers with more than 800,000 systems now in operation. That’s well over a quarter of the rooftop solar systems in the entire country. It’s an eyewatering figure compared with where we were 20 years ago.
The state boasts more solar systems than any other and has 6 of the top 10 solar postcodes in Australia. For every person, you’ll find around 4 solar panels.
Only recently, estimates suggested an average family, with a 6kW solar power system, could benefit from savings of up to $,1,500 every year on their energy bills. Compared to households with no solar, bills would be around a 5th lower. The gap is widening as grid prices rise.
Find out more about how you make solar power work for you and your family here.
2. You’re Heating Water With an Out-Dated Gas or Electric Heater
Around a quarter of the energy that many households consume will go on heating water. That’s mainly to wash clothes, take showers and do the dishes. By switching to hot water heated by solar power, you could make a significant dent in your energy bills.
Switching to more efficient solar hot water, a new PowerStore system or a heat pump makes sense as it will lower your energy consumption as you won’t need to use so much grid energy. Here’s the lowdown:
Solar Hot Water
Solar hot water has long been our bread and butter: Solahart’s original and proven solar product that uses the heat from the sun to create water that’s piping hot.
According to the Solahart Solar Index Report, installing a solar hot water system can lower your hot water energy usage by almost two-thirds. And you’ll be doing your bit for the planet because a solar hot water system can help you lower your own greenhouse gas emissions by 1.6 to 2.7 tonnes. That’s the equivalent of taking an average family car off the road.
Discover more about solar hot water here.
Solahart PowerStore
You may already be using solar energy to power part of your home or be considering a switch to solar. Whatever your situation, you should check out Solahart PowerStore. This is Australia’s first ever solar-smart electric water heater.
A Solahart PowerStore system vacuums up excess energy from your solar power system and uses it to gently heat water rather than allowing it to get fed back into the grid. Similar to a battery, it stores energy but is more affordable.
Combining a Solahart PowerStore® system with a compatible Home Energy Management System (HEMS) will give you even more substantial savings.
Learn more about PowerStore here.
Heat Pump Water Heater
Heat pumps use the air around them to warm up your water. This is yet another clever, and efficient way to help you lower your energy consumption. We’ll typically be able to install heat pumps in the same place as your outdoor storage water heater. And, we can usually connect them to any existing plumbing and electrical system.
Replacing your regular water heater with a Solahart-Atmos-Frost Heat PumpSolahart Atmos-Frost Heat Pump could save you more than two-thirds on the current hot water energy you consume.
Both solar hot water and heat pump systems qualify for Small-Scale Technology Certificates (STCs). That could help you lower the initial outlay for your investment.
3. How You Use Your Appliances
Using solar energy is an excellent way to bring your energy bills down. But, it’s only part of the story. You can also make significant savings by installing appliances that are more energy efficient.
The cheaper or older the appliance or model, the more likely it is that it’ll cost you more to run. If you’re going to power it from the grid that could make or break the affordability of your bills.
In order to get you some bigger savings in the bag, track the energy usage of your appliances using Solahart’s Energy Management Unit. This clever device, that we can add to any solar system, enables you to bring together your appliances and energy-generating devices under one monitoring and control platform.
It puts you in the driving seat giving you total control. Using our atHome App lets you analyse all the information about your energy 24/7, even remotely.
The Energy Management Unit can even automatically shunt controllable loads away from pricier peak times. That’s going to help you use more of your own solar power, saving you yet more on the energy you consume. Get in touch with us now to find out more.
Brisbane Solar Power Savings
Solar technology has come on in leaps and bounds over the past few years. Because we’ve been in the business for so long, we’re across all the latest developments.
We’d love to help you become part of the growing band of Brisbane residents making huge solar savings with our range of efficient and easy-to-install solar products in Redlands and beyond. Talks to your local Solahart team today.
Increase in energy bills 2022:
https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/energy/minimising-energy-bills
7th most expensive country:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-expensive-countries-to-live-in
800,000 systems:
https://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/Infohub/case-studies/Pages/ret-case-studies/Rooftop-solar-passion.aspx
Queensland postcodes and 4 panels per Queensland resident:
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/90598#:~:text=We%20have%20more%20solar%20systems,systems%20were%20connected%20across%20Queensland.
$1,500 savings and 20 per cent off bills:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19U5nhop6H-vR2RTke9geHOkUsw6r7qzA/view [Accessed 30 November 2020].
what matters most to young people (the environment):
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/1779937/What_Matters_to_Young_Australians.pdf ]