31/01/26
Whether you’re a retiree, single or a just a family struggling with the cost of living crises, you want to make sure every cent is being used wisely.
New Zealand households spend around 15% of their household income on electricity. The actual cost varies considerably depending on house size and where you live in the country. The more remote, the higher your line charges are likely to be.
Powerswitch data shows the average 4 bedroom home, that’s insulated and with a heat pump pays around $250 a month in electricity in the month of April. Obviously, that cost is going to rise in winter and as mentioned, if you’re living in Buller – the cost is closer to $325 a month, compared to $225 a month for Wellington.
Unfortunately, these costs are set to rise from April 1, 2026, as the Commerce Commission has allowed local power companies to add between $10-25 a month to your power bill to pay for the upgrade of the transmission infrastructure.
If you have invested or are thinking of investing in a heat pump, then you’ll be pleased to know that heat pump running costs are the lowest form of heating – bar solar or passive home heating. Heat pumps move ambient heat from the outdoors and can turn one unit of energy used into up to five units of heat energy. Unless you want to go to the expense of installing solar or building a new passive home, a heat pump is the answer.
Your heat pump running costs will depend on several factors – your house size, your electricity provider and location as mentioned above, the insulation in your home, the size of the unit and finally – just how good you are operating it.
The technical experts at Oxygen Air calculate the costs to run a heat pump are around 26c an hour. Of course, that all depends on the above factors, and a very important number called the Coefficient of Performance or COP. This is the figure that shows much energy out is achieved per unit used. It’s usually displayed on the product spec sheet, and you should be aiming for a COP of over 4.0 which would equate to a 3 Star Rating. The higher the figure the better.
Everyone’s different – we’ve all got relatives who like to sit in an oven or an ice box! According to the World Health Organisation, a minimum of 18°C is considered to be a safe and well-balanced indoor temperature. Vulnerable people like the elderly or infants and those with respiratory issues may require a higher room temperature. And if you’re wondering, women do like it hotter!
Setting your heat pump for between 18-20°C will create a comfortable environment for most people and remember…for every degree you increase your heat pump running costs rise between 5-10%. So best hide that remote!
This is a popular question and the simple answer is, if you are not in the room for more than a few hours, then turn it off.
According to the Oxygen Air engineers, today’s modern heat pumps are most efficient when they are maintaining a set temperature. Rather than surging up or down. Newer models are smart, too and have sensors that can detect human activity. So, they can switch to an economy mode when no one is in the room, saving you electricity.
You can also set on and off times on your remote, and many heat pumps can be controlled by an app on your phone, giving you even greater control over the comfort level of your home – and your electricity bill!
Keeping your heat pump performing as efficiently as possible calls for regular servicing. Oxygen Air recommend you book in an annual service – just as you would your car. By cleaning all the filters, checking refrigerant levels, cleaning drain lines and inspecting the electrical connections and finally performance testing, engineers can ensure your heat pump runs super efficiently, quietly and will last far longer. It’s part of the cost of clean, comfortable, economical heating.
If you need help working out the running costs of your heat pump or one you are looking to install, just give the experts at Oxygen Air a call or drop them a message.
oxyair
oxyair
oxyair
oxyair
oxyair
oxyair
oxyair
oxyair
oxyair
