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Customers cool on higher prices

Posted on December 22, 2009, 5:05pm and updated on December 23, 2009 at 2:10 pm

Air conditioner
A Mount Gambier air-conditioning expert has welcomed the State Government’s move to ban the sale of “grossly inefficient” air-conditioners from July 1 next year.

Premier Mike Rann announced the changes while chairing the Climate Leaders Summit for states and territories in Copenhagen last week, where he said inefficient air-conditioners were “costly for consumers and the environment”.

However, Gordon Refrigeration owner manager Luke Reichelt (pictured) said while the tough new standards were a step forward, the government still had a long way to go in policing energy efficient standards.

Mr Reichelt said getting rid of “cheap, nasty” air-conditioners was just the tip of the iceberg and the whole industry, from ducting to the air unit itself, would need to be regulated to see a significant impact.

“You can have the best air-conditioner, but if the ducting is substandard it’s not going to be energy efficient,” he said.

Mr Reichelt said manufacturers would be put “on the back foot” by the changes and consumer costs could rise as a result of some models having to be fully re-engineered.

However, he said long-term effects justified this.

“People who buy cheaper, less energy-efficient air-conditioners end up paying through the roof in their electricity bills,” he said.

“Everyone wants green, they just don’t want to pay for it.

“However, by laying out more money initially, you reap the benefit in the long term by putting out less greenhouse gas and reducing the size of your bills.”

Citing the current rebates for purchasing energy-efficient washing machines, Mr Reichelt said the government should provide an incentive for people to upgrade their previously installed inefficient air-conditioners.

South Australia’s peak electricity increase of 20pc in the past three years has been mainly attributed to the increased sale of air-conditioners.

At the summit, Mr Rann said the government recognised the cost burden inefficient air-conditioners imposed on communities, due to extra energy needed to power them resulting in bigger power stations, transmission boosters and distribution lines.

However, he said existing air-conditioners in homes would not be affected by the ban and there would be no use restrictions.

Mr Rann also announced the provision of $200,000 research funding for further development of solar thermal air-conditioning, suitable for use in the residential sector, for which expressions of interest will be called early next year.

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One Response to “Customers cool on higher prices”

  1. deb on December 23rd, 2009 5:40 am 1

    We put in gas boosted solar hot water and find it wonderful. Airconditioners with solar thermal? I like the sound of that, will be interested to see if the wider community will be able to afford to install it.

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