Electrifying Southland District
Southland District households could save $93 million a year on energy bills by going electric, according to Rewiring Aotearoa's October 2026 report. That is about $7,700 a year per home, or $3,800 after paying for the equipment.
Southland District in numbers
Southland District covers the rural heart of the region, from Te Anau and Fiordland to Winton, Riverton, Tuatapere and Stewart Island/Rakiura. Rural homes drive further and are more exposed to outages, so EVs, solar and batteries matter more here. Farms are not counted in these household figures; see our farm report for those.
- $250,000
- saved on household energy bills every day, or $93 million a year
- $7,700
- a year off the average home's energy bills2026 prices, before upfront costs.
- $3,800
- a year better off after paying for the equipmentIncludes upfront costs and interest at 5.5%.
- $360 million
- net saved by households between 2026 and 2040$610 million in bill savings before upfront costs.
- 32,100
- fossil fuel machines in homes
- 57,000 tonnes
- of CO₂e avoided each year
- 440
- new local jobs
Totals assume electric appliances and vehicles in all homes plus solar and batteries on 80% of homes.
Where the savings come from
Southland-wide figures for each switch. Your home will differ.
- 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
Questions
How much could a household in Southland District save by going electric?
About $7,700 a year on energy bills, or $3,800 a year after paying for the equipment, according to Rewiring Aotearoa's October 2026 report for Southland District. That compares a home with gas or LPG appliances and two petrol cars against an all-electric home with two EVs, solar and a battery.
How much could Southland District save in total?
$93 million a year across all households, about $250,000 a day, if homes electrify and 80% add solar and batteries. That is $360 million net between 2026 and 2040, after upfront costs.