Some regret swapping log-burners for heat pumps

Concerns are being voiced in Central Otago about whether residents should be encouraged to replace wood fires with cleaner burning electric heating appliances, as some people struggle to pay power bills.

The issue has come to light at the end of what has been a particularly long, cold winter.

Through the Otago Regional Council's air plan - prompted by the Government's national air standards - residents have been encouraged to reduce air pollution by replacing wood-burners with electric appliances such as heat pumps.

Central Otago Mayor Malcolm Macpherson said he had been contacted by at least one person angry about receiving high power bills as a result of switching to an electrical appliance.

Many people changed their log-burners for cleaner burning appliances, only to find the cost of running such appliances was more than anticipated.

"Some people are quite angry about the fact that they did what they thought was the responsible and economic thing to do and swapped burners for heat pumps, which they can't afford to run in order to keep the house as warm as the burner did," he said.

Dr Macpherson said one woman told him that this winter, her family had been sicker than ever before, which she attributed to having a heat pump instead of a burner and not being able to afford to keep the home warm enough.

Dr Macpherson said he did not want to discourage people from being environmentally responsible, and hoped to provide advice about economic heating at a public meeting in Alexandra next week.

ORC chairman Stephen Cairns said he had not been contacted by anyone concerned about the cost of clean heating appliances.

Heat pumps were the most efficient form of heating he knew of, and all forms of heating cost money.

"I think that's all rather an academic argument, to be honest.

"If you have a free supply of wood, then maybe heat pumps would be more expensive, but even wood costs to cut, gather and stack."

The ORC air plan became operative in 2003, although plan change 2 (National Environmental Standards) was notified in 2007 and implemented in January this year.

A Clean Heat Clean Air initiative was introduced by the council to subsidise the costs of insulation and replacing log burners.