Pam’s journey
Retired ANU academic Pam says her journey of transitioning began when her heating failed back in 2017. Since then, it’s made economic sense to continue electrifying her home but acknowledges it needs to be easier for others to do the same.
4 minute read
For Pam, electrifying her home makes plain economic sense.
“I think my training as a chemical engineer means I am comfortable getting and judging technical advice” says Pam.
Pam’s electrification journey started in 2017 when her gas home heating system broke down. As usual, this happened right at the start of winter and she wasn’t able to get a replacement for 3 months. Pam had the time to ask around and do some research on what she needed.
Just replacing the gas heating unit was the easy option, but Pam spoke to friends and colleagues and their consistent advice was that a heat pump (then referred to as a reverse cycle air conditioner) was by far the most efficient option. Pam took their advice.
“In those days,I didn’t appreciate the importance of converting from natural gas to electricity to reduce carbon emissions,” admits Pam, a long time member of the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Canberra Group. “I just made the decision based on efficiency.”
Canberra residents all know that home heating is one of the biggest consumers of energy in the home. Pam’s decision to go electric made economic sense at the time and also led on to further electrification decisions.
Pam finished work in 2020 and was Iucky enough to have some capital from a work payout and a small bequest. “I had been looking at solar panels for years and with electric heating it made sense, as well as now having the resources to get it done.”
Pam was concerned about how to choose reliable solar panel installers “I relied a lot on a website called “SolarQuotes”, says Pam. “The site directed me to three installers who had been background checked, and provided me with information about all the components that make up a solar energy system. This gave me the confidence to make an informed decision about which of the systems they recommended was best for me.”
Pam ended up installing 8.8 kilowatts with 24 solar panels on two roof spaces and has been delighted with the results.
“I used to send friends screenshots of my tracking app showing how much power I was generating”, laughs Pam. While some of the initial excitement has worn off, Pam’s power bills are a constant source of satisfaction. “I get negative [electricity] bills in summer and my winter bills are much smaller than they used to be.” Pam’s winter power bill (including gas for hot water) is now less than half what she used to pay before installing her rooftop solar system.
Screenshot of Pam’s power tracking app.
Later that year her oven failed and Pam followed-up with a kitchen renovation, including the selection of an induction cooktop.
Pam also used the opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of her home by upgrading the roof insulation and double glazing some windows in the living areas. Pam’s daughter is living with her while she is studying and Pam is able to keep a warm, comfortable home without paying huge power bills. It’s also not costing her daughter’s future.
Pam’s electrification journey is not over. “My next car will be electric and that won’t be too far away” says Pam, “I am also looking at water heating, and I’ll need to work that out before my current system fails as switching to electric might take time.”
Pam is hoping that her new electric car might be able to act as a home battery, making full use of her solar system and saving even more money.
Pam’s advice to others starting on their electrification journey is to do research and get recommendations on the appliances and suppliers you need. “You don’t need to wait until an appliance fails before replacing because that might leave you without heating or hot water at critical times.”
