Presented by LookSee

Convert your electric geyser to solar and save instantly with LookSee

 ·14 Feb 2024

High electricity bills and cold loadshedding showers are prompting many South African households to take a closer look at the cost and efficiency of their geysers. And with up to 40% of the average electricity bill spent on geyser heating, the potential for considerable savings is real.

Traditionally, there have been two types of geysers for South Africans to choose from – electric and solar.

Both of these options have downsides: electric geysers are expensive to heat and reliant on the unstable Eskom power grid, while solar geysers are expensive to install, only work when there is enough sunshine and tend to lose heat over the winter months.

Advances in technology have resulted in an offering that solves all of these challenges and more, says Marc du Plessis, executive head of LookSee.

“The geyser conversion solution is a gamechanger for families as it provides an affordable and effective way to adapt an existing electric geyser into a solar-powered geyser, with none of the disadvantages that have traditionally been experienced,” he explains.

The solution is made up of 3 or 4 solar PV panels which are installed on the roof of the house and wired to a controller that then supplies power directly to the existing element and thermostat on the electric geyser.

“The beauty of this set-up is that the electric geyser remains in place and is not changed in any way, so this brings down the installation costs dramatically.”

“The other advantage is that we are using the same solar panels that you would see in a normal home or business solar installation, and these have been shown to have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years,” points out du Plessis.

For those households that are worried about the impact of rainy season, the controller also allows for a connection to the home’s main electricity ensuring backup power supply, no matter the weather conditions.

The geyser conversion kit is made up of traditional solar panels, controller and geyser management device.

Huge savings

Another reason the conversion is the best geyser solution for your home is the savings it offers.

As the solution works with your existing geyser, you do not incur any replacement or plumbing costs.

The solution also operates completely independently of any existing solar systems you have installed for your home – making it easier to install and ensuring it does not affect your current setup.

And as traditional solar panels are used, the conversion is eligible for a LookSee Solar Loan with low interest rates ranging from Prime +1% to a maximum of Prime +2.5%, says du Plessis.

This means that if you use a LookSee Solar Loan, your estimated costs and savings are as follows:

Small geyser conversion with 3 solar panels (Households of 1-3 people)

  • Estimated reduction of electricity bill – R550
  • Estimated monthly repayment of 3 to 5-year Solar Loan – R575
  • Net monthly cost – R25
  • Estimated savings over 10 years if financing through a solar loan (accounting for expected tariff hikes) – R62,000

Medium geyser conversion with 4 solar panels (Households of 4-5 people)

  • Estimated reduction of electricity bill – R733
  • Estimated monthly repayment of 3 to 5-year Solar Loan – R659
  • Net monthly saving – R74
  • Estimated savings over 10 years if financing through a solar loan (accounting for expected tariff hikes) – R93,000

It is clear from these calculations that South Africans who finance their geyser conversion through a LookSee Solar Loan will effectively break even immediately – or in some cases, even turn a small profit.

Over the long term, they will then save tens of thousands of rand – and this is before accounting for the longer life span of solar panels (at least 25 years) compared to solar geysers (10-15 years).

“Geyser solutions have always been an interest for us because we know how much water heating contributes to a family’s monthly bills. We believe the combination of this emerging technology with LookSee’s solar installation expertise and low-cost finance options provides families with an affordable, convenient, and long-lasting solution to their high electricity bills and the impact of loadshedding,” says du Plessis.

LookSee’s electric to solar geyser conversion offering includes installation and is currently available in Gauteng. Plans are underway to extend this offering to other provinces during 2024.

Don’t delay – click here to power your electric geyser with solar panels.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter