Given predictable increase in activities in the heat pump market (the season, HHS compliance deadline and the lockdown being behind us 🤞🏻), we’ve gotten together with Tim Fawdray, Managing Director of Varcoe, to tackle some of the common issues landlords face when purchasing a heat pump:
Q. The heating assessment tool is only telling insofar as what the required heating capacity is for a rental. Beyond that, how do landlords work out which is the best heat pump to buy?
There are a handful of brand choices when it comes to heat pump in NZ. They are all fairly similar in performance, noise outputs and efficiency but quite
different in quality. We find that units produced in Japan, Malaysia and Thailand (e.g. Mitsubishi, Daikin, check with your supplier!) tend to be of
better quality. There is a small difference in price but not a lot in the scheme of things (around $100 to $200).
Q. What has been COVID-19’s effects so far on the heat pump industry and what are the trickled-down effects on customers?
The effects are and will continue to be largely around supply chain disruption (i.e. turn around time for procurement and installation) and pricing. For
that reason, Varcoe has always carried sufficient stock to lessen the effects of a supply chain disruption. Thankfully, our customers are not affected
so far.
There are a few brands that are struggling at the moment due to factories shutting down around the world. By this time next year I would expect there to
be a supply issue. Already we are seeing wholesalers increasing their prices.
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