Hot Water Systems in Lucas
The 3350 postcode, covering Lucas, Alfredton, Bakery Hill, Ballarat, Ballarat Central, Ballarat East, Ballarat North, Ballarat West, Black Hill, Brown Hill, Canadian, Eureka, Golden Point, Invermay Park, Lake Wendouree, Mount Clear, Mount Helen, Mount Pleasant, Nerrina, Newington, Redan, Soldiers Hill and Sovereign Hill and surrounding areas, is home to around 28,425 households. With many households already generating their own clean solar power, many are now looking at how they can make their entire home energy system more efficient, with hot water heating often the logical next step.
With hot water roughly accounting for a quarter of the average home's energy use, switching to an energy-efficient hot water system is one of the biggest opportunities for savings. Across Lucas and the 3350 area, 3,601 homeowners have already switched from older electric storage and gas hot water systems to solar hot water or air-source heat pump systems that draw on clean, renewable power while also claiming the hot water rebates to reduce their hot water heater system cost. These highly-efficient systems not only help cut energy bills but also reduce carbon emissions and improve overall energy independence.
With Lucas's climate delivering an average of 4.4 kWh/m² per day, conditions are ideal for hot water systems and hybrid heat pump systems that harness both sunlight and ambient air temperature to heat water efficiently all year round. When paired with existing rooftop solar power or solar batteries, the result is hot water that costs far less to run and is powered by clean, self-generated energy.
Hot Water Ranking
Postcode 3350
19th
State Wide
37th
Australia Wide
Hot Water Installation Lucas
Estimated daily energy to heat household water, comparing a resistive electric element with a high-efficiency heat pump. Demand shifts month-to-month using local climate patterns.
Energy Efficient Hot Water & Solar Power Lucas
* Data from the Bureau of Meteorology. Closest station: N/A.
Solar Powered Hot WaterLucas
Illustrates how a typical 6.6 kW rooftop solar system can offset the daytime energy demand of a COP 5 heat pump hot water unit.
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Heat Pump Hot Water Systems for Lucas
Compare heat pump hot water systems suitable for Lucas's climate. These energy-efficient systems are designed to work in local temperature conditions and can significantly reduce your hot water energy costs.
Community Hot Water Statistics - Lucas, 3350
Hot Water Demographics - Lucas
Based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (ABS), Lucas has around 28,425 private dwellings, home to approximately 61,186 people. With an average household size of 2.4 people, and around 50 litres of hot water used per person each day in Australia, Lucas households use approximately 120 litres of hot water daily, equating to a massive 3.4 million litres of hot water used across the suburb every single day.
Other census insights reinforce Lucas's suitability for energy-saving improvements like energy-efficient or solar-powered hot water. The Lucas community is home to 5,002 couple families with children and 1,661 one-parent families, meaning a large proportion of households face substantial hot water demand. With 8,437 homes owned with a mortgage and 8,449 owned outright, many residents also have the homeownership and growing equity that make switching to efficient hot water systems a practical way to lower expenses.
Lucas is converting hot water demand to efficient systems faster than many peers, with 12.7% of dwellings already upgraded.
Hot water systems in Lucas
Across Lucas and the wider 3350 area, more households are swapping old gas and electric units for an energy efficient hot water system that keeps bills down without sacrificing comfort. With an average household size of around 2.4 people and more than 26,000 dwellings in the postcode, hot water is a major chunk of energy use. Many homes are owned outright or with a mortgage, and with median household income sitting around $1,503 a week, rising power prices make a hot water upgrade a smart way to rein in costs.
Lucas is well suited to efficient hot water. The local climate delivers about 15.7 MJ of solar energy per square metre per day over the year – roughly 4.4 kWh/m²/day – which is strong enough to support both a solar hot water system and a modern heat pump hot water system. When you replace an older gas or electric hot water system with a quality heat pump or solar hot water heating system, you can slash annual hot water energy use and enjoy solid long term savings. Households that have already upgraded in Lucas are seeing meaningful Annual Hot Water Energy Savings, especially when systems are paired with rooftop solar.
Around 3,601 efficient hot water systems have already been installed across 3350, including heat pump hot water installation and solar hot water installation. Install numbers jumped sharply from the late 2000s, peaking around 2008–2011, and there has been steady ongoing demand right through to 2024 and 2025. That trend shows strong local interest in electrification, lower running costs and moving towards the most efficient hot water system possible.
For a typical Lucas family, hot water can be 20–30% of the power bill, so the choice of hot water system matters. Many homes are now comparing heat pump vs solar hot water, or solar hot water vs electric hot water, and looking at brands like Rheem, Rinnai and Sanden. Rheem solar hot water and Rinnai solar hot water are popular for roof mounted collectors feeding a solar hot water tank replacement, while Rheem heat pump hot water and Japanese made Sanden heat pump units are often chosen as some of the best heat pump hot water system options on the market. These systems are designed to work well in Ballarat’s cooler winters while still delivering an energy efficient hot water system all year round.
When you are weighing up the hot water system price or hot water system cost, it is worth looking at lifetime savings, not just the sticker. A heat pump hot water price or cost can seem higher upfront, but the running costs are far lower than an old electric hot water system. Likewise, a solar hot water price or cost is offset by the free energy from the sun. Many Lucas homeowners are also considering electric hot water vs gas hot water, particularly as gas prices rise and more people move towards all electric homes.
Typical annual savings in Lucas look like this:
• Old electric to heat pump: save roughly $400–$800 per year on bills. • Gas to heat pump: save about $300–$600 per year, depending on usage. • Gas to solar hot water: save around $250–$500 per year. • Old electric to modern electric hot water system with good solar: save $200–$400 per year.
Those savings are helped along by hot water rebate VIC programs. Federal incentives through Small scale Technology Certificates reduce the effective solar hot water price or cost and heat pump hot water price or cost, while state schemes can add a solar hot water rebate, heat pump hot water rebate or even an electric hot water system rebate in some cases. For many Lucas homes, these discounts can trim the upfront cost by a substantial percentage and cut the payback period to just a few years, particularly if you use timers or solar diversion so your electric hot water installation runs mainly on your own solar.
Even if you are not ready for a full solar hot water heating system, a well sized electric hot water installation with smart controls can still be an energy efficient hot water option, especially when paired with PV. And if your existing unit is struggling, hot water repair or solar hot water repair can sometimes buy you time while you plan the right upgrade.
If you live in Lucas, VIC and your current unit is older, noisy or driving up bills, now is a good time to look at your options. Whether you are thinking about a heat pump hot water system, a solar hot water system or a more efficient electric hot water system, experienced hot water installers can help you choose the best hot water system Australia has to offer for your home and budget. With strong local solar conditions, solid hot water rebate VIC support and growing interest in sustainability, upgrading your hot water in Lucas is a practical way to cut bills, reduce emissions and future proof your home. Talk with trusted local hot water specialists for personalised advice, hot water installation or hot water repair, and find out which efficient hot water system will work best for your place.