Electric hot water cylinders

Features

• Relatively low upfront cost.
• Some have smart controllers which vary when and/or to what temperature the hot water is being re-heated according to your household’s needs. By not keeping the cylinder constantly full of hot water when it’s not needed, these controllers are primarily designed to reduce a cylinder’s heat loss through its insulated walls. With a conventional modern electric cylinder, this heat loss costs about $90 to $150 per year. A smart controller can cut a portion off of this – by how much depends primarily on how much “spare capacity” your cylinder has, and the effectiveness of the smart controller.
• You can buy cylinders with additional connections suitable for having a solar water heater, heat pump water heater or wetback added in the future.
• Can be put on a controlled or night-rate electricity supply to get a lower electricity price.
• A night rate electricity tariff in particular could lower your hot water bill substantially. It's not available in all areas of the country though - check with your electricity supplier first. Before switching to night rate, test that your cylinder is big enough to store a day's water. Switch it off first thing in the morning and back on before you go to bed for a couple of days to see if you run out of hot water. If you have enough hot water to see you through, organise a night rate tariff with your electricity supplier. For those with insufficient hot water, some electricity providers offer a night rate tariff with an additional hot water boost during the day. Check with your provider to see if they offer this service.