I’m looking to get some air-conditioning and I understand that the VEU will pay to decommission my gas heater and replace it with a “heat pump” air conditioning system. The company I’ve spoken to said they will not remove the heater, only cap it off. Does anybody have experience getting a gas fitter in to recommission equipment decommissioned under the VEU program?
VEU and Recommissioning Gas Heater
CommuterPolluter on 28/11/2024 - 13:07
Comments
the relative costs of sources of energy can result in gas heating being more cost effective
Costs to the home owner or energy producers?
Sir, this is a bargain forum.
@CommuterPolluter: Yes, and you sound like someone who wears a tin foil hat, so I just want to make sure what you mean about the costs of sourcing the energy and who pays.
@geekcohen: The costs are 7.6c/MJ for electricity and <3c/MJ for gas. Even considering an efficiency of 80% for the heater (conservative) and a COP of 2 for the Midae unit (per their own literature), gas is cheaper.
@CommuterPolluter: My 20 year old Fujita from Dimmeys has a COP of 3. I suspect you're bullshitting to suit your own tin foil hat wearing narrative.
@CommuterPolluter: Have you looked at the cost of defrauding the Victorian government just to cash in on a rebate?
@freefall101: Is it defrauding the Government? I haven’t been asked to sign anything agreeing not to recommission it.
@CommuterPolluter: It's pretty rare that you need to sign a form saying you won't commit fraud, it's kind of assumed.
Obtaining a benefit by deception is the basics. You were paid to decommission it and are undoing that. Unlikely the government would do anything about it, but arguing that you didn't say you wouldn't recommission it won't go far when you took the money.
@freefall101: It’s not fraud because I am making no representations. The fraud is usually on the part of the dodgy installers (just had one tell me that Govt is shutting the gas off LOL).
If the organisation participating in the program chooses not to properly dispose of the equipment which they decommission, to enrich themselves at the expense of the tax payer, I don’t see why people shouldn’t reuse that equipment. It’s a basic principle of environmentalism: reduce, reuse, recycle.
I come up with similar numbers. Per kwh gas costs ~$0.08-$0.10, electricity $0.25. Given aircon is ~ 3 times efficiency vs gas, you are likely not saving much with an aircon.
That said, if there's solar + battery the equation changes.
Also for comfort and safety, ducted aircon is better than gas imo
Yeah I was expecting the prices to be fairly similar. Given our usage probably unlikely worth the cost of getting it reconnected (if possible). Just exploring options.
Burning gas directly for heat is very wasteful. You'd get far more heat if you used that gas to generate electricity, then used the electricity to power a reverse cycle aircon.
Yeah and it would cost more because it’s cheaper for me to buy that gas than the electricity made with it.
@CommuterPolluter: $1 worth of electricity into a reverse cycle air conditioner will give you far more heat than $1 of gas into a gas heater. Unless of course you're making your own gas.
Me thinks most people still believe that gas heaters are the best way to go.
Normally when a gas system is decommissioned they're required to physically cut the power cable driving the fan. Most licensed electricians won't go near reattaching a new power cable to an old appliance with a 10 foot pole.
Interesting. Thanks for your feedback.
Some even insist they drill through the circuit boards.
Contrary to popular belief you can pretty much diy a plug for appliance in most states legally if the device is designed to be plugged in.
Why would you want to run a gas heater? I leave the split system running 24/7 during winter and it cost less to run than the old gas heater did running 6 hours a day. As a bonus the house is always warm which makes it much easier to get out of bed in the morning.
Can be possible with a good Mitsubishi unit. Not possible with the Midea’s offered under VEU.
The mechanical and physical principles are exactly the same. The efficiency difference between those brands will be negligible if any. Same as with white goods, the difference between brands is usually in quality, durability, maintenance cost after warranty etc.
Not exactly. The design and equipment has a non-negligible impact on overall efficiency of a unit.
@CommuterPolluter: It may not be a negligible amount, but it would be highly unlikely to be more than about 10% difference in efficiency. Same basic principles, similar efficiency.
@CommuterPolluter: Just got a Mitsi Electric ducted system installed with the rebate in VIC. They have updated the requirements & eligibility.
I’ve spoken to said they will not remove the heater, only cap it off.
How do they plan to claim the VEECs without taking away the old equipment?
The whole point is to get rid of Gas Appliances (inc Heaters) and use Electric Split Systems which are more cost effective for heating.
Why do you want to reconnect the gas heater?