Makes sense to get more homes going with gas

Makes sense to get more homes going with gas

A recent Gas Industry Company (GIS) report: ‘Recommendation to the Associate Minister on the Direct Use of Gas’ says increasing gas use in homes will help New Zealand to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase security of energy supply and lead to healthier homes.

The report also found instantaneous gas water heating could provide savings for homeowners in both new build and existing homes - $3200 on average for a new build saved and $2900 if replacing an existing electric water cylinder – both supplying a large heating load.

In addition, the report said replacing all of New Zealand’s electric hot water heating with instantaneous gas would also reduce New Zealand’s C02 emissions by 0.6 per cent or 430,000 tonnes per annum.

Gas Association Executive Director Stephen Parker says this report backs up the Government’s goal to get New Zealand’s carbon emissions down to 10-20 per cent of 1990 levels by 2020 and their commitment to tackling unhealthy cold, damp homes that lead to asthma and poor health.

“I urge the government to formally recognise the benefits of using gas more widely in homes and have it offered on a par with other energy options presented by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority,” Stephen Parker said.
“The Government has said that gas will be a big part of New Zealand’s energy mix in the future and this report backs up their reasoning and we’d like to see steps taken to really make this happen.”

Natural gas is considered a clean, environmentally friendly fuel, as it doesn’t produce any ash, dust or smoke. The use of electricity for space and water heating produces more than four times the emissions than gas, particularly in larger households.

LPG Association executive director Peter Gilbert said the benefits of gas when used for water heating for consumers and New Zealand Inc was clear, however, it should be considered as an option for a suite of in-home uses.

The GIC report endorsed this position, stating instantaneous gas water heating was “clearly favoured” where gas is used for other purposes within a household.

“For this reason the report also recommended that EECA add instantaneous gas heating to its water heating incentive scheme, making gas eligible for $1000 funding,” Peter Gilbert said.

“We would like to see EECA recognise all of the benefits of direct use of gas and properly reflect those advantages when it comes to providing consumers with accurate and up to date information about the various energy sources. We look forward to working with government to further encourage direct use of gas,” he said.

The GIC report is the second such study to endorse direct use of gas; a Centre for Advanced Engineering report commissioned by the industry last year reached the same conclusions.

http://www.gasindustry.co.nz/sites/default/files/u12/DUoG_-_Final_Recommendation_to_the_Associate_Minister_Dec_09_Website_152277.1.pdf

ENDS

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