Tuesday’s announcement by the Federal Government of the end of the Solar Photovoltaic Rebate program has thrown the solar hot water industry into chaos with confused homeowners mistakenly assuming that the solar hot water rebate has been abolished.
EcoSmart Hot Water, part of Australia’s largest locally owned solar hot water manufacturer, has been inundated with calls from panicked solar hot water customers confused by the announcement, and under the impression that they are no longer entitled to the solar hot water rebate.
The $8,000 Solar Photovoltaic Rebate from the Federal Government was cut short three weeks ahead of schedule. The announcement does not apply to solar hot water, and the current Federal Government Solar Hot Water rebate of $1,600 plus some additional State based rebates and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) incentives will still apply.
Commenting on the issue, Romano Bolzon, National Business Manager for Ecosmart said, “Our EcoSmart Hot Water dealers across the country have been receiving thousands of phone calls from customers who do not understand the difference between solar photovoltaic and solar hot water, and whether or not they can still receive the rebate following the government’s announcement.
“Homeowners will in fact be pleased to know that they can still ride the wave of the solar hot water rebate for another couple of years, and this announcement will not affect them at all. Solar Hot Water customers can be assured that they will still receive solar hot water rebates from the government to help reduce the cost of switching to environmental hot water.”
With the combination of (RECs), the Federal rebate and some State rebates, the cost of installing solar water heating is dramatically reduced. This price varies between states according to the various incentives and rebates available.
To be eligible for the government’s solar hot water rebates, the new hot water system must replace an existing electric storage hot water system.
Water heating is one of the most energy intensive activities in the home and is responsible for around 35 per cent of total household energy bills. It is also one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases.
By installing a solar hot water system, households can expect to substantially reduce energy bills, while producing up to 65 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions per year than traditional electric water heaters – an overall saving of three tonnes of carbon.
EcoSmart Hot Water manufactures a comprehensive range of environmental hot water systems for the home, and is a part of the GWA International Ltd group of companies.
GWA is committed to providing environmentally friendly solutions to Australian homes with their famous family of brands including household names like Caroma, Dorf, Gainsborough and Sebel.
For further information on EcoSmart’s energy-efficient range of hot water heaters please visit www.ecosmart.com.au or call 133 326.
For media enquiries contact:
Diana Bauer
City Public Relations
(02) 9267 4511
dbauer@citypublicrelations.com.au
