Solar heating savings earn plaudits | Northland News | Local News in Northland

Tikipunga's Bruce and Judy Bartle installed solar water heating three years ago and recently added an air circulation system.

They are more than pleased with their decisions.

"When you retire, you want to put yourself in the position where you've got the least expenses and even though we had to pay it off, we are getting the benefits now," Mr Bartle said.

He estimates he's more than halved his water heating bill. In March, he only paid $5 for electricity for water heating and during the height of winter that figure was about $25. "We are more than happy with it and would recommend anyone get one," he said.

Two months ago, the Bartles installed a heat circulation system which is reducing their heating bill by transferring hot air from the roof around the house.

Aside from the immediate savings, Mr Bartle said, the energy efficiency measures would pay dividends when they sold the home.

The Government's new energy strategy includes a raft of measures to combat climate change which include encouraging homeowners to be more energy efficient.

Much policy detail is yet to be revealed but one suggestion is to introduce minimum energy standards for homes, particularly rental properties.

Robert Brinsden, franchise owner of Solar 60 Northland, said he had noticed a huge increase new installations in recent years.

He said about 60 percent of his business involved fitting new systems to older houses and making them more efficient.

"We used to be busy in the summer and very slow in the winter.

"Now we are very steady throughout the year," Mr Brinsden said.

Some landlords are critical of moves to force homes to be energy efficient saying they will leave them with no choice but to hike rents.

However, one Whangarei landlord disagreed, saying he thought the move would help retain tenants saving money in the long run.

The landlord, who asked not to be named, said he was in the process of insulating all his properties with the help of a Government subsidy of 50 percent.