Heat Pump Hot Water Systems in Geelong
The cheapest hot water to run in most Geelong homes, and the system most Victorian rebates are pointed at. Supplied, installed and the paperwork handled.
- We lodge the rebate application
- Accredited Master Electrician
- Sized to your household
- Most replacements done in a day
Air conditioning technology, applied to your hot water
A heat pump hot water system takes heat out of the outside air and puts it into a storage tank. The physics is the same as the reverse cycle system heating your living room, and so is the efficiency advantage: you get several units of heat for every unit of electricity you pay for.
For a household still running an old electric storage unit, this is normally the largest single reduction in an electricity bill available without touching the roof. For a household on gas, it is the step that lets you remove the gas connection entirely and stop paying the daily supply charge.
Replacing old electric storage
The clearest case. Same hot water, roughly a third of the running cost, and the biggest rebate position of any hot water swap.
Homes with solar
Run the heat pump on a timer through the middle of the day and most of the energy is solar you have already generated rather than power you buy.
Getting off gas
If hot water is the last gas appliance in the house, replacing it removes the supply charge as well as the usage.
New builds
Specified at design stage, a heat pump avoids a gas connection entirely and simplifies the services layout.
Getting a heat pump right
Heat pumps are less forgiving than a resistive element about where they go and how they are set up. These are the four things we spend time on.
Placement and airflow
The unit needs unobstructed air and somewhere for the cool discharge air to go. Boxed into a tight side path against a fence, performance drops and noise reflects.
Noise to the neighbour
It runs a compressor. We look at what is on the other side of the fence before we pick the spot, particularly on the narrow blocks common through the inner suburbs.
Tank size for the household
Heat pumps recover more slowly than an element, so the tank has to actually cover your peak. Undersizing is the single most common cause of dissatisfaction.
Timer set for your tariff and solar
A heat pump on the wrong schedule is an expensive heat pump. We set the run window around your solar or your off peak rate and explain it.
Replacement, start to finish
1. Call and assessment
Existing system type and age, household size, where the new unit can sit, and what the switchboard looks like.
2. Quote and rebate check
A firm price with the Victorian Energy Upgrades position stated clearly, including whether you qualify and what determines it.
3. Install
Usually one day. Old unit removed and disposed of, new tank and compressor set, plumbing and a dedicated circuit installed.
4. Commission, certify and lodge
Timer set, tempering valve checked, compliance certificates issued, and the rebate paperwork lodged by us.
Old electric storage unit?
That is the swap with the strongest case in Geelong right now. Call and we will work out where you stand.
What a heat pump costs installed
Supplied and installed, including removal and disposal of the old system, plumbing and the electrical work.
170L, one or two people
$3,500 to $4,800
215L to 250L, small family
$4,000 to $5,600
270L to 315L, family of four plus
$4,600 to $6,500
Add for relocating the unit
$400 to $1,500
Add for switchboard work
$450 to $1,800
Annual check and filter clean
$180 to $280
Prices shown are before any Victorian Energy Upgrades discount. Where the program applies it can reduce the installed cost substantially, but the amount depends on the system being replaced, the unit installed, your property and the program rules at the time. We confirm your position in writing before you commit and we do not quote a rebate figure until we have.
And what decides your rebate
What is being replaced
The existing system type is the main input into both the plumbing work and the rebate position. An old electric storage unit and a recent continuous flow gas unit sit in very different places.
Where the unit can go
Same footprint as the old system is cheapest. A relocation means new hot and cold pipework, a new circuit and sometimes a slab or base.
Electrical supply
A spare way on the board and a short run is inexpensive. A full board, no RCD protection or a long cable route is not.
Program rules at the time
Victorian Energy Upgrades eligibility and values are set by the scheme, not by us, and they change. We check your specific circumstances rather than quoting a number from an old brochure.
Where we work
We install heat pump hot water across Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast. Coastal properties get a unit and a mounting arrangement suited to salt exposure.
Rebate administration is handled from our South Geelong office, so it is the same people who did the install.
Areas we install in
- Corio and Lara
- Belmont and Grovedale
- Leopold and Drysdale
- Ocean Grove and Barwon Heads
- Armstrong Creek and Waurn Ponds
Heat pump hot water questions
The rebate position is the question we get most, and it is the one that genuinely depends on your circumstances.
Related: VEU rebate applications, home electrification and all hot water systems.
How does a heat pump hot water system work?
It works like a reverse cycle air conditioner running in heating mode, except the heat goes into a water tank instead of a room. A small compressor moves heat out of the outside air and into the water. Because it moves heat rather than creating it, it uses roughly a quarter to a third of the electricity a resistive element uses for the same hot water.
Do heat pumps work in a Geelong winter?
Yes. Geelong rarely drops below zero and the units sold here are rated well below the temperatures we actually get. Efficiency does fall as the air gets colder, so a July morning is less efficient than a January one, and the good units handle that with a booster element that only engages when it is genuinely needed. It is worth checking that a quoted unit is specified for our climate rather than a warmer one.
Are they noisy?
There is a compressor and a fan, so they make about as much noise as a small split system outdoor unit. That is not loud, but placement still matters. Against a bedroom wall or under a neighbour’s window is a bad idea, and a couple of metres of thought at quote stage avoids the problem entirely.
What rebates are available?
Replacing an existing electric or gas hot water system with a heat pump is one of the activities supported under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program, and it is usually the single largest discount available on a hot water job. The amount depends on the system being replaced, the unit installed, the property and the program rules at the time, and those rules change. We check your eligibility and, if it applies, we lodge the application ourselves.
How long do they take to install?
Most replacements are a single day. The work involves removing the old system, positioning the new tank and compressor, plumbing, and an electrical circuit. Where the new unit cannot go where the old one was, allow for extra pipework and a little more time.
Get a heat pump hot water quote
Tell us what you have now, roughly how old it is, and how many people are in the house. A photo of the existing unit’s label answers most of it.
We will confirm the rebate position for your address in writing before you commit to anything, rather than advertising a figure that may not apply to you.
If your current system has already failed, ring instead. We prioritise no hot water.
Phone (03) 5214 8711
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Weekends by appointment.
Air Conditioning Geelong
Unit 2, 112 Balliang Street
South Geelong VIC 3220