Heating water is one of the biggest items on a South African electricity bill, often quoted at around 40% of a household's usage. Here is how a solar geyser compares with an electric geyser and a heat pump, so you can decide which suits your home.

Electric geyser

Cheapest to buy and the most expensive to run. A standard element draws 3–4kW, and every litre of hot water comes from Eskom. It also can't heat water during load shedding.

Solar geyser

Evacuated vacuum tubes on the roof heat water using the sun, for free. On sunny days a solar geyser can supply most of your hot water with no electricity at all. A backup element (we stock low-wattage elements such as 650W) covers cloudy spells.

• Best for: sunny inland areas like Gauteng, Limpopo, the Free State and North West.
• Running cost: close to zero on sunny days.
• Works during load shedding: yes, the sun heats the water regardless.

Heat pump

A heat pump works like an air-conditioner in reverse and uses about a third of the electricity of an electric geyser. It works day and night and in cloudy weather, but it still needs electricity, so it won't heat water during load shedding unless it runs from an inverter, and it costs more upfront.

Which should you choose?

• If your roof gets good sun and you want the lowest running cost: solar geyser.
• If you already have a good electric geyser: a retrofit solar collector kit converts it to solar without replacing the tank. See our retrofit manifold kits, available from 10 to 24 tubes.
• If your roof is shaded or faces the wrong way: a heat pump is the better option.

Low pressure or high pressure?

Low-pressure solar geysers are gravity-fed, simple and very affordable. They suit holiday homes, farms, outbuildings and homes that already have low-pressure plumbing. Browse our low-pressure solar geysers (100L, 150L and 200L, stainless steel with a 2-year guarantee).

High-pressure systems give mains-pressure showers and work with modern plumbing. A retrofit manifold kit on your existing high-pressure geyser is the most cost-effective way to get there.

What size do I need?

Allow roughly 50 litres of hot water per person per day: 100L for one or two people, 150L for three, and 200L for four or five. Our low-pressure geyser guide has the full specifications, and you're welcome to contact us for advice.

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