Meet Annie Jefferson — the woman behind New Zealand’s growing uptake of energy-efficient hot water heat pumps
Annie and her husband Anthony Jefferson have a collective 40 years’ experience in the plumbing sector, founding A2W Hot Water Pumps in early 2023, servicing the lower North Island.
Also known as air-to-water (A2W) systems, hot water heat pumps harvest energy from the surrounding air to provide hot water and heating. By moving heat, they use up to 70% less electricity than conventional cylinders, which generate heat directly.
We spoke with Annie, A2W’s General Manager, about her push to spread knowledge and update of this technology.
How did you get involved in the industry?
My dad was a gasfitter so I grew up around the trades. My husband is a plumber and gasfitter and we ran our own business for years. When I worked for a hot water heat pump manufacturer I learnt about the technology, realising it was the future, and convinced my originally very sceptical husband to start A2W!
You’ve been very active on social media, spreading the good word about heat pumps – what made you take this step?
There is a huge amount of conversation around power generation, but not about energy efficiency. While power generation is critical, so is reducing and managing the amount of energy we use, which means lower power bills – something we all need right now.
What’s your customer demographic?
About 90% of our customers are families and the other 10% are retirees, or those about to retire who want to reduce their day-to-day living expenses.
What’s the biggest barrier to purchasing a hot water heat pump system?
Upfront cost and a lack of knowledge about the technology. While the initial setup costs more than conventional methods, like a hot water cylinder or gas califont, running costs can be significantly less. EECA (Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority) research shows that an average family home will save up to $6760 over the lifetime of the unit compared to natural gas.
What’s the average cost of purchase and installation?
Cost varies depending on different requirements. For a small home with low-to-medium hot water usage you’re looking at around $7000 installed, including GST. For a large family home you could budget between $8000 and $11,5000. It's worth noting that if you are moving off gas, the difference between installing a hot water heat pump and a hot water cylinder is around $1500 to $2000, but the ongoing running cost between the two can be significant.
A2W co-founder Anthony Jefferson and Nathan Arnold (Electrical Manager)
What assistance could the government provide to promote uptake?
Educate the public, support the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme (RAS) and make subsidies available for low-income families who would benefit the most from this technology.
How do you measure efficiency over conventional hot water heating?
For 4kW of heat in a standard cylinder you’ll pay for 4kW of power. With an A2W product, for 4kW of heat you’ll pay for 1kW of power.
This aligns with findings from EECA’s Gen Less, which show that hot-water heating accounts for about 30 percent of the average household’s energy bill. It's also worth noting that efficiency for gas systems is generally less than one for one. When paying for 1kW of power, you actually get around 0.8 of output.
What’s the difference between a split and integrated system?
A split system has a separate hot water cylinder, which can be installed inside or outside, with the compressor unit (that looks similar to a normal outdoor heat pump) sitting outside. An integrated system usually has the heat pump compressor sitting on top of the cylinder. Generally, in terms of functionality, a split system will recover faster and is quieter than an integrated system – although there are exceptions.
There’s enamel and stainless steel systems. What's the difference ?
With a split system, enamel cylinders tend to be more cost effective than stainless steel. Enamel cylinders have been used for years, but stainless tends to have a longer service life and no sacrificial anode (which prevents corrosion) is required. We consider individual circumstances and location to determine the best option for a customer.
What are the most common questions homeowners ask when considering installing a hot water heat pump?
Where does it go, is it noisy and will I run out of hot water? Some units are quieter than a gas continuous system and running out of water is unlikely if the system is sized correctly and is the most appropriate choice for circumstances and location.
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