Archive for August, 2009

Environment Minister Peter Garrett recently launched a new website aimed at helping householders further along the green path.

LivingGreener.gov.au is a web portal that contains straightforward information for homes on how to reduce consumption, emissions and waste in the areas of  energy, waste, water and transport. It also gives a comprehensive rundown of Federal Government rebates available to green up your home, but not any State or Local government initiatives.

The bad news for Victoria is that the Victorian government is reducing the Solar Hot Water Rebate for regional communities. The good news for bushfire-affected communities is that they are able to access the rebate when rebuilding their homes – previously the rebate was only available for upgrading hot water systems in existing homes.

More good news is that Victorian regional communities can still get the old, higher rebate if they apply before 4 September and install by 3 October 2009.

Reductions across the regional rebates vary considerably, depending on the type of hot water system: the rebate for electric boosted solar hot water drops by $300-500; for heat pumps it drops by $400. The maximum rebate available under the scheme is now $1600, down from $2350.

Other rebates are also available to Victorian households wanting to install solar hot water. For a summary go to the ResourceSmart website.

SolarPay is delighted to announce that on 7 August we joined forces with Ingenero, a Brisbane-based solar power company. The merger will open up many opportunities in the Australian solar market.

The coming together of these two young and energetic Australian companies strengthens our ability to put solar power and solar hot water within the reach of every Australian householder. Under the new brand of Ingenero, the former SolarPay team will continue to provide high quality systems to householders, as while Ingenero’s strengths lie in the commercial and government sectors.

To discuss the financial and greenhouse gas emission savings your household can make by switching to solar hot water, solar power or heat pump, please call us on Freecall 1800 993 334.

An hour ago the Senate has approved the legislation for the Renewable Energy Target. This ends 10 weeks of uncertainty about the replacement of the federal solar rebate that was canned on 9 June. In that time of uncertainty, REC prices have dropped. That means that the original government promise to receive up to $7,500 through REC’s are currently not achieveable.  Chances are that REC prices will be on the rise as Australia is now committed to 20% renewable energy by 2020 (up from 9%).

Details of how to apply for the solar credits are yet to be published. And we’ll let you know as soon as they are available.

Leaking hot water systems can be expensive if they are not fixed. It could be that the leak is from a simple connection that is easily repaired. The sooner this is done the better because leaking water can be immensely damaging to floors, cupboards and floorcoverings. Furthermore, even small leaks can waste surprising quantities of water if left untended.

As leaks don’t stop by themselves, you will need to call a plumber to fix the problem, however it is worth considering the following so you know what to expect.

If the leak is coming from the tank itself, you really don’t have much choice except to replace the tank. This is because the pressure and heat inside a hot water tank means it has to be engineered to a certain standard. Repairing a hot water tank will never restore its earlier strength and durability.

If your tank has sprung a leak, rather than calling a plumber to fix it, we suggest first searching around for the best replacement hot water system and saving yourself the cost of a plumber’s visit.

Another important consideration is the age of your system. Electric hot water systems have a life expectancy of around 10 years. If yours is getting towards the end of its life, you need to weigh up the cost of a plumber’s visit to repair a leak, compared to putting the money towards a new system that should be trouble-free for many years.

Choosing the best replacement hot water system for you means taking account of a number of factors. We try to make your decision a straightforward one. Our obligation free online proposal simplifies the process for you and takes into account all available government rebates.