A short history of IWCE and ot water heat pumps
8 June 2026
By Peter Lawson
During 2023, IWCE was hearing a groundswell of interest from people interested in installing hot water heat pumps (HWHP). Concurrently, the federal and state governments announced rebates for the replacement of old electric hot water units, and a lesser rebate for gas hot water units.
So we decided to jump in and use our expertise and trusted name to help people with the process of getting a HWHP installed. First step was to find an installer to partner with. Thanks to the research of our member Sarah Aubrey, we found and linked up with Tye Clark and his thirty-year-old business Same Day Hot Water.
Tye Clark (right) speaking with a member of the public last year at the IWCE Battery and Hot Water Expo in Marrickville.
To make sense of a market offering hundreds of models of HWHPs, we used the criteria of:
A brand backed by a reputable company
Low decibel rating
A less environmentally harmful refrigerant.
We eventually recommended two models: a premium and a mid-range HWHP.
Our first installation took place on November 13th, 2023. The next day our second device was installed in Carmen’s house in Leichhardt. She loves the fact that the stainless steel tank is made in Australia and has a 25yr warranty. She has had two and a half years of seamless operation, with free hot water heated by her solar panels. Carmen is planning to get off the gas this year whilst undertaking a kitchen upgrade.
Leichhardt resident Carmen with her hot water heat pump.
Sue, also from Leichhardt was another of our first installs.
“One of the real benefits for me was going all electric; the gas supply charge was about 70% of every bill, so that was a straight-up cost saving!”
She also said the process of installation was easy.
“Knowing that both the models and the installer had been vetted was huge, I would probably still be researching different models trying to work out the best option without that guidance. Install took less than a day, the rebate was organised for me, and the pump sits in the garden reliably making hot water.”
In June 2024, we added a third model: this was the plug-in Aquatech model that required no addition wiring simply plugging into an existing power point, plug’n’heat!
STOP THE PRESSES!!
All HWHP aficionados are looking forward with eager anticipation to the 1st of July 2026!
On that day, energy retailers will begin offering households with smart meters at least three hours of free electricity under the Federal Government’s Solar Sharer Offer. It will be scheduled for the middle of the day when solar generation is at its peak. The free solar power will be available to households with or without rooftop solar, whether they rent or own their home. So you can heat a full tank of hot water for free with or without solar.
Read the details here: https://www.energy.gov.au/news/solar-sharer-offer-cut-electricity-bills