Is It Worthwhile to Invest in a Gas Water Heater
With the arrival of cold weather and in conjunction with Stage 6 Load Shedding, hot water is a luxury that is hard to come by, but is it worth investing in a gas water heater?
08/06/2023
We take so many things for granted, things such as hot meals when we arrive home from a long day at work, hot lunches when the kids come home from school, a hot shower in the morning or evening, and even robots that work when we head home every night. Is it really too much to ask for? But load shedding pays no heed to this as it ignores the many ways our life has to change without power. One area that will be severely felt during winter is the lack of hot water. Rumours abound that South Africa might be heading for Stage 16 Load Shedding and we cannot even imagine how this will affect our lives.
Should you buy a gas hot water heater?
Many homeowners are looking for sustainable solutions to power a house when we have load shedding or power outages. We have access to UPS and generator inverter systems to provide power for low-wattage devices, we even have gas stoves to allow us to continue to provide for our families, but solar power is a contentious issue because it is so expensive that few houses can afford to look at this as an option to heat a conventional hot water heater (geyser).
One solution that is more affordable than solar is the installation of a gas water heater. The price of these units ranges from around R3500 for an 8-litre model and upwards depending on the size. Easy to install by a certified gas installation company, you can install a gas water heating with minimal fuss and have hot water almost instantly. Gas is also reasonably affordable and you can do a 'swap and fill' at many petrol stations or other gas supply outlets.
If you prefer to purchase a 9 kg gas cylinder and have this regularly filled, you are looking at around R1000 for the gas bottle and R275 to fill a 9 kg bottle - this price is subject to fluctuations. For those who prefer to hire or rent their cylinder, there are plenty of agencies around the country where you can order and have a variety of gas bottles filled and delivered to your door.
How long will a 9 kg gas bottle last?
While the accuracy of this will depend on the type of gas hot water heater installed, the average consumption for a family home with 4 people using the gas hot water heater efficiently is approximately 19 kgs in total for a 5-minute shower. The more or longer you shower - the more gas you will use.
Is a gas hot water heater more efficient?
Gas hot water heaters are not as expensive as what we might have to pay for electricity in the very near future, but the downside of this is that, to generate heat gas hot water heaters are not more efficient than electric. However, there are gas water heaters on the market that have a high energy-efficient rating and although these cost most at the onset, you will recoup this cost over time.
Gas is considered less eco-friendly than electricity. It is expensive to harvest and the processes used wreak a lot of damage and gas releases greenhouse gas into our environment.
Since many have already made the choice to invest in a generator or inverter, both of which use fossil fuels for power, the choice you need to make under the current circumstances is whether you can manage without hot water when load shedding sits at Stage 6 for the foreseeable future with the possibility of Stage 16 not far on the horizon.