Start typing, then pick from the list.
Off-peak means your bill shows a "controlled load" line. Not sure? Pick electric tank.
Answer the questions above and the number is yours. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How we get this number
Sources: Clean Energy Regulator (STC rules), IPART and the NSW Energy Savings Scheme (state rebate), AER and current retail offers (tariffs), 2026 market pricing for installed systems. Field-measured efficiency, not brochure figures. Last checked: July 2026.
What now?
What to ask any installer
- Ask for the federal STC and NSW ESS rebates as separate line items on the quote. If they will not itemise, walk.
- Check the unit is on the IPART approved list and carries the mandatory 5-year warranty on tank and compressor.
- Ask which refrigerant it uses. Modern units use R290 or CO2. An R134a unit is old stock.
- Ask what is not included: switchboard work ($300-500), relocation ($300-800), valves ($250-600), old tank removal ($100-150).
- Remember: the law says you pay at least $220. Anyone offering "free" is cutting a corner somewhere.
- This list works with any installer, including ones we have nothing to do with.
Check our working
Every number above is built from public data: rebate values from the Clean Energy Regulator and IPART, tariffs from current NSW retail offers, and installed prices from 2026 market data. The full assumptions are in "How we get this number" above. If you think something is off, you are probably the kind of person who should double-check us. Please do.
Just the link. We will not know, and neither will anyone else.
Skip the ring-around: one local installer we trust
Common questions
My hot water died today. Do I have time for this?
Yes. Heat pumps are installed same-day or next-day by most NSW installers, the same as a like-for-like swap. A dead tank gives you about a two-day window. That is enough time to check the numbers instead of buying another 15 years of the old technology.
Are the "free heat pump" or "$33 heat pump" offers real?
No. Since May 2024, NSW law requires you to pay at least $220 on rebated hot water upgrades, and door-to-door sales of them are banned. The near-free era ended because the cheap units failed early. Units on today's approved list must carry a 5-year warranty on tank and compressor. Anyone promising free is breaking the rules.
How do the rebates actually work?
Two rebates stack: the federal STC scheme (roughly $490-1,120 depending on the system) and the NSW Energy Savings Scheme (roughly $405-640 replacing electric, $330-400 replacing gas). The installer discounts both upfront and handles the paperwork. Ask for each as a line item.
Does it work in winter?
Yes. Measured across the year in NSW's main climate zone, real efficiency is 3.2-4.2 units of heat per unit of electricity, winter included. Still three to four times better than an electric element. In alpine or tablelands areas, expect the lower end, or choose a cold-climate rated unit.
Do I need solar?
No, the savings stand on their own. With solar and a daytime timer the running cost drops to roughly $81 a year for a typical family, because the unit soaks up power you would otherwise export for a few cents.
Why is leaving gas such a big deal?
If hot water is the only gas appliance you have, you pay roughly $310-438 a year in supply charges just to stay connected. Disconnect entirely and that fixed charge becomes pure savings. It is the number most quotes never mention.
What changes in January 2027?
The federal STC rebate steps down by 20 percent on 1 January 2027, worth $114-228 on a typical system. A real legislated date, not a countdown trick. If you are switching anyway, before then is simply cheaper.
Is this calculator independent?
Yes. Public data, assumptions in the open, no forms, no tracking. Our answer does not change based on how we are funded, and when the numbers are against switching, we say so.