Three things you need to know about hot water heat pumps

In 2023, Australian households installed over 128,000 hot water heat pumps – almost 50% more than in 2022. 

 

Many people would already be familiar with the concept. They’re just a reverse-fridge that pumps heat from the ambient air into a hot water tank. But why the rapid growth?

Source: Clean energy regulator

 

Jimmy Li from local social enterprise ZapCat recently presented to the NSW branch of the AEVA recently to share some insights. 

Here are three key takeaways from the talk:

 

Hot water heat pumps save money

Along with solar hot water systems, hot water heat pumps are among the most affordable ways to heat water in your home. Given that approximately 25% of your appliance energy usage comes from water heating, this can translate into hundreds of dollars each year. 



Refrigerant choice matters

Many people already have a hot water heat pump and aren’t sold on their ability to deliver enough hot water, consistently. 

 

If this is you, the chances are that your hot water heat pump has the wrong refrigerant for your climate. 

 

In addition to affecting low-temperature performance, refrigerant choice also a bunch of other things, making it one of the most important things you can look out for when choosing a hot water heat pump.



 

Rebates are available

Most NSW households are eligible for two government schemes when replacing their existing hot water system with a hot water heat pump. 

 

Usually, your plumber will process the rebate on your behalf and offer a discount on your invoice.

 

 

Interested in learning more?

ZapCat has written a whole guide on hot water heat pumps, including:



ZapCat is a social enterprise whose mission is to make it as easy as possible for households to switch to clean energy. As part of their free consumer service, they provide instant cost, savings, and rebate estimates for a bunch of clean energy products including solar, batteries, EV chargers, and getting off gas.