Electric vs Solar Water Heating….

The average household’s electric geyser consumes between 40% & 60% of total household consumption. The electric geyser is the single biggest user of electricity in the household.

Electricity costs have risen rapidly and will only continue to do so. Urban electricity costs per unit equate to approximately R0.77 per kWh if one factors in VAT & service fees (check your receipt next time), in fact 24% of every R1 you spend on purchasing electricity goes to VAT & Service Fees.

 

According to the latest reports (click here) Eskom is requesting 40% hikes in both 2010 and 2011. When this happens it will push electricity to R1.50 per kWh – nearly double the current prices.

 

 

Our system will displace on average around 10 kWh per day, electricity that would have been used from the grid is now being produced in your home. This will result in 2009 daily savings of R7.70, totalling R2818.20 over the entire year.

 

With the anticipated tariff increases in April 2010 of 40%, these figures jump to R10.78 daily and R3945.48 annually. The below table highlights the rapid increase in electricity tariffs and the associated costs of running an electric geyser since 2007.

 

 

SOLAR VS ELECTRIC GEYSER GRAPH

 

So the graph above is based on a R500 per month electricity at current 2009 prices. So the blue bars represents what you are paying now, have paid in the past and will pay in the future with continued use of an electric geyser.

 

The Red Bars highlight what your monthly electricity costs would be if you were using a solar water heating system given the 10 kwh daily displacement discussed above.

 

Have a Solar Day!

 

www.urban-solar.co.za

 

 

We have modelled the expected 40% increases for 2010 & 2011 to give some indication of where electricity costs are headed. At these levels expected system pay back is around 3.5 years.