Will those in the southern states cope? Could you switch?
I had to replace my hot water system a while back and was interested in changing gas to electric, but plumbers I talked to all tried to disuade me from it. In the end I changed from the existing large storage tank system which was here when I moved in and which was massively innefficient for the usage required. I didn’t want another system that was heating up a big tank of water all the time for no reason, and also was under time pressure with no working hot water, so switched to an instantaneous gas system which has cut gas use by a huge amount (perhaps 25% of what it was), so this at least a more efficient system for now but it’s put off getting rid of gas for a good few years. The only other gas appliance I have is a heater which is rarely used, cooking is electric.
It’s so interesting reading different opinions.
This article posted recently to Lemmy states that a large storage tank is a good thing.
Yep, I have a new shiny gas instantaneous hot water and was originally irritated at myself as, unlike you, I didn’t even consider an electric at the time of replacement (doh!)
But my gas has dropped drastically. My only Irritation with this now is the supply fees don’t change here even if you use less.
another system that was heating up a big tank of water all the time for no reason
Shouldn’t a larger system be, in at least some ways, more efficient? Since volume scales by r^3 and surface area by r^(2), a larger tank loses less of its heat to the environment.
I guess it’s efficient in heating up a certain amount of water but the problem is that it was heating up far more water than I was ever using. The insulation of the tank keeps it warm to an extent, but the massive cut in gas usage suggests it was doing a lot of heating for nothing. The new one is efficient in the sense that it only heats what I need and has cut my gas usage.
In the house that I’m renting it would mean replacing the gas hot water system and the stove.
That’s not going to happen unless a law is passed forcing the owner to do so.Usually these sorts of things have a carrot and stick approach.
The carrot is usually a trade-up program offering rebates on a new/replacement model.
The stick is gas prices - you just turn the dial up until its too hot to bear (pun intended).
Neither the carrot or the stick effects my landlord in this case. 🤷♂️
Eventually it will, when a renter won’t rent a property if it has gas hot water because its $1000/month to turn it on.
I agree they are uniquely insulated from the effects though, especially in this entirely broken rental market.
Here in WA, the focus needs to be on getting the power grid under control. There is currently not enough gas power generation… resulting in dirty diesel generators being spun up.
Given the WA grid can’t handle current power demands, I don’t think we’ll be in a position to disconnect household gas for quite some time ☹
Good point. They are gaslighting us about our home gas lighting habits being the co2 problem instead of their lack of gas lighting on the power grid.
I just hope that it doesn’t become a culture war issue here like it has in America.
You can guarantee it will. In fact I was amazed not to find exactly that kind of response here already.
the cynic in me says this recent ‘abandon gas’ media blitz is more to do with clouding the message so Australians don’t get angry at our natural gas being sold cheaper to Japanese consumers then to us. The LNP/ALP cabal really screwed us on that.
Not only would we need to swap out a gas heater, hot water, and a new stove, we would very likely need an upgraded electricity supply. Our old house has a 35A main breaker, maybe that is what was considered enough 53 years ago. I don’t know what capacity the cable itself has though. Exactly how far would the carrot side of any such program go?
This requires legislations, with the gov officials mainly being self-interest serving (most country), we will all need to be French to make it happen
All I’ve got to get rid of is an old instant gas water heater and a gas cook top that isn’t very good. I would be very happy to. Been waiting for these federal incentives that we were promised last tear part of the greens deal of signing the price caps.
