Sunshine shrivels up those power bills

A Castlecliff couple are thrilled with the savings they have made since taking the unusual step of converting their house to a solar hot water heating system.
Lyn and Graham Pearson are the chairwoman and co-ordinator of the Sustainable Whanganui group. They were keen to use the sun's energy for heating and researched systems on the internet.
They use hot water mainly for showers and washing dishes. Their clothes are washed in cold water.
During house renovations the two got rid of their hot water cylinder, which they said had been ruined by Wanganui's hard water.
As a first-stage replacement they put in a gas water heater suitable for either full water heating or for boosting the temperature of solar-heated water.
In June last year, their AT solar water heating system was installed. It cost $3900 to buy and install, a price that included the cost of strengthening the roof to support it.
The system works by using the sun to heat metal rods inside glass cylinders, which in turn protrude into a drum of water and heat that.
When a hot tap is turned on water runs out of the drum and past a sensor in the gas heater. If it is not hot enough, the gas will boost the temperature.
Often that has not been needed though, with water straight from the solar system hot enough to scald the Pearsons' hands at times.
During the summer, the Pearsons turned the gas off altogether.
Since the solar system was installed in June they have used just one bottle of gas, costing about $100. "We used to use a bottle of gas every six to seven weeks. We've saved about seven bottles so far," Mr Pearson said.
He expects the solar system to have paid for itself in five or six years at the present rate.
Mrs Pearson is hoping Wanganui District Council will follow the example set by Nelson City Council, which offers loans to people installing solar water heating, with the loans paid back over 10 years.