Home Electrification Guide
A simple step-by-step guide for Southland homeowners: list your appliances, work out daily kWh, cut demand first, then size solar and batteries to what is left.
The case for electrification
Discover the advantages of switching to electricity in your home, farm or business. For an average Southland home running on LPG and petrol, going electric cuts energy bills by about $7,700 a year.
Why electrify?
Cost savings
Switching to electric equipment can significantly lower your energy bills, so you can save money and invest in your family or business.
$7,700 a year off the average Southland home's energy billsEnvironmental impact
Electrification cuts greenhouse gas emissions and promotes a cleaner environment, contributing to a healthier planet for future generations.
210,000 tonnes of CO₂e a year avoided across Southland homesHealth benefits
Relying less on fossil fuels improves air quality and health. Gas cooking puts nitrogen dioxide into kitchen air, and vehicle exhaust costs New Zealand dearly in health.
3,200+ child asthma cases a year linked nationally to gas cooking (EECA research, cited by Rewiring)Community empowerment
Electrification strengthens local economies and lets communities take charge of their energy future, instead of sending fuel money offshore.
1,500 new Southland jobs; $550,000 a day now spent on fossil fuelsElectrify your home
You don't need to do it all at once. The cheapest way is to replace each fossil fuel machine with the electric version when it wears out.
- List what burns fuel. Cars, heaters, hot water, cooktop, and anything in the shed or on the farm.
- Note what is due for replacement. The cheapest time to switch is when something fails.
- Swap like-for-electric, not like-for-like. Heat pump for the gas heater, hot water heat pump for the cylinder or califont, induction for the gas hob, EV for the next car.
- Cut demand, then add solar and a battery. Our home electrification guide shows how to work out your loads first.
What each switch saves in Southland
From Rewiring Aotearoa's Electrifying Southland report, October 2026, using local heating needs, driving distances and 2026 prices.
- From flued LPG heater toHeat pump$36,000over 15 years, including upfront cost7,200 LPG heaters in Southland homes
- From LPG instant hot water toHot water heat pump$9,200over 15 years, including upfront cost5,800 LPG water heaters
- From LPG cooktop toInduction cooktop$1,900on energy bills over 15 years6,100 LPG cooktops
- From petrol medium SUV toElectric medium SUV$12,000net over 15 years99,400 petrol and diesel cars
- From grid power only to9 kW solar + 10 kWh battery$2,500off power bills every yearFinanced solar about 12c/kWh vs 26c/kWh from the grid
Each switch in more detail
Heating: heat pumps
Heat pumps use around 75% less energy than gas heaters for the same warmth, cool in summer, and usually cost less to buy. In Southland, going from a flued LPG heater to a heat pump saves about $33,000 on bills over 15 years, or $36,000 once you count the cheaper upfront cost. Insulate and draught-proof first if you can; a warm, dry house needs a smaller heat pump. Rewiring guide: heating and cooling.
Hot water: heat pump cylinders
Hot water is about 30% of a typical home's energy use. A hot water heat pump costs more upfront but has the lowest running costs. Swapping LPG instant hot water for one saves about $12,000 on bills over 15 years in Southland, or $9,200 after the upfront cost. Time it to heat when power is cheap or your solar is running and it works like a thermal battery. Rewiring guide: water heating.
Cooking: induction
Cooking doesn't use much energy, so the saving is small: about $1,900 over 15 years going from LPG to induction. The bigger reason is health: gas cooking puts nitrogen dioxide into your kitchen air. Rewiring guide: cooktops.
Transport: electric vehicles
Southland households spend about $500,000 a day at the pump. Switching a petrol medium SUV to an electric one saves about $1,500 a year including road user charges, or $12,000 net over 15 years. A diesel ute driver saves about $14,000. More in our EV basics guide.
Solar and batteries
A 9 kW solar system with a 10 kWh battery saves a Southland home about $2,500 a year on power bills. Financed at 5.5%, solar works out at about 12c/kWh against roughly 26c/kWh from the grid. Panels last 30 years or more; batteries around 15. Ask for a battery that can run your essentials when the grid is down. Rewiring guide: solar and home batteries.
Paying for it
- Green home loan top-ups. Most major banks lend at reduced rates for heat pumps, solar, batteries and EVs. Compare current offers.
- Council electrification loans. Rewiring Aotearoa is working with councils on the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, low-interest loans repaid through rates. Ask your Southland council whether it will take part.
- Replace on failure. Spreading the switches over the natural life of your current gear keeps the upfront cost down.
Rewiring Aotearoa's home electrification guide
The national step-by-step guide, machine by machine. Open it in a new tab if it doesn't show below.
Guides and resources
Practical help for individuals and businesses making the switch, from choosing technology to understanding the support available.
Business Electrification Strategies
Where Southland businesses can get help to electrify: EECA co-funding, Great South, green business loans, and the practical first steps.
Electric Vehicle Basics
Where Southlanders can find reliable, official information on electric vehicles: costs, charging, road user charges, and where to charge around Invercargill, Gore and Te Anau.
Questions
Is a heat pump worth it in Southland's cold?
Yes. Modern heat pumps keep working well below freezing and use around 75% less energy than gas heaters for the same warmth. Swapping a flued LPG heater for a heat pump saves a Southland home about $36,000 over 15 years, including the cost of the heat pump.
Will an EV handle Southland distances?
Southland drivers average about 170 km a week, well within a modern EV's range. Most charging happens at home, often from a standard plug overnight. Public chargers sit at least every 75 km on 97% of New Zealand's state highways. See our EV basics guide.
Do I need a battery with solar?
Not to save money, but a battery stores daytime solar for the evening and keeps essentials running in a power cut. Ask for a hybrid inverter and battery that can run essential circuits when the grid is down. That matters in Southland, where the October 2025 windstorm left many homes and farms without power for days.
How big a solar system do I need?
Work out your daily electricity use first, cut the waste, then size to what is left. Our home electrification guide has a load table and the steps. Rewiring's Southland modelling uses 9 kW of solar and a 10 kWh battery for an all-electric home with two EVs.
Sources
- Rewiring Aotearoa, Electrifying Southland (regional report v1.0, 15 October 2026)
- Rewiring Aotearoa, Electric Homes and Vehicles 2026 (29 June 2026)
- Rewiring Aotearoa household calculator
- Rewiring Aotearoa electrification guides
- EECA, Indoor combustion in New Zealand homes: health effects and costs (2025)
- Rewiring Aotearoa, Ratepayer Assistance Scheme