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RNZ News
a day ago
- General
- RNZ News
What's the cheapest way to heat your home?
The cost of heating your home makes up about a third of what you pay for power each month. Photo: 123RF If you're spending your evenings in front of a heater, you might be keeping a wary eye on your power bill. The cost of heating your home makes up about a third of what you pay for power each month. But what's the cheapest way to do it? Here's an overview of how the various options compare. They can have a high upfront cost, but Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority lead adviser on energy efficient appliances Gareth Gretton said heat pumps were "by far and away" the most efficient form of heating. Depending on how much you're charged for electricity, it might cost you about 25 cents to 35c an hour to run your heat pump, for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of heat produced. A 6kw heat pump would cost $1.50 if you're paying 25c per kWh. Consumer estimates that a very large heat pump might cost $1000 a year but a small one could be less than $200. But they will deliver much more heat for that cost than a standard electric heater of the same size. "I think most people know now they're really magic at transforming electricity into heat. They take heat from outdoors and effectively put it indoors, they sort of upgrade the heat that exists outdoors, even when it's below 0°C, and turn it into useful, comfortable heat indoors," Gretton said. He said, for every unit of electricity that a heat pump used, it would give three or four units of heat. "There's literally nothing else that can provide that efficiency other than a heat pump." He said New Zealand was unusual in that its houses tended to be relatively badly insulated. "Heat pumps do get a little bit less efficient when you have colder temperatures outside but it's not a huge problem because in New Zealand what we end up doing is quite a lot of heating when it's not cold outside by international standards … say 5°C to 10. Heat pumps are really efficient in that sort of temperature range." Consumer recommends running a heat pump no higher than 21°C and turning the fan up rather than the temperature if you want to heat a room quickly. Healthy Homes standards don't require landlords to install a heat pump in rental properties, although many have. They are only required to provide a fixed, safe and efficient heating source for the main living room. Whether it's better to leave your heat pump on all the time or turn it off when it's not needed is a subject of debate. Some people argue it costs more to warm up a room than if it was kept at temperature all day. But James le Page, who has looked into the issue for Consumer, said turning it off made more sense. "For the few people who have a house that is super airtight - so with no gaps around doors and windows, insulation above building code requirements, double glazing, thermal drapes and a ventilation system - they might be able to leave their heat pump on all day every day," he said. "But for most of us in New Zealand, if we leave it on, we'll be wasting a lot of energy on heat that will continuously leak out, as our heat pump works hard to maintain the set temperature." In general, electric heaters all cost the same to run, for the amount of heat they produce. "Any form of resistance electric heating - what I mean by that is where you pass electricity through a plug-in heater and what it's doing is the device is resisting the flow of electricity - will transform electricity into heat with a ratio of one to one," Gretton said. "There's ultimately no difference in the electricity to heat conversion efficiency of any type of electric resistance heater, they're all the same." But he said they could vary in effectiveness. Radiant heat could be good for a large area or a room with high ceilings, for example. "If you're within the range of the heater, you're kind of feeling that heat and you can be a little bit more comfortable at a slightly lower air temperature. It's a bit like the campfire effect. If you're outside and it's pretty cold but you're near a campfire which is tremendously hot then you feel that heat." Consumer said portable fan heaters were good option in small or occasionally used rooms, such as offices or bedrooms, even though they were relatively expensive to run. "But, with a maximum heat output of 2400W, they don't have the power to tackle anything beyond very small living areas." A 2kW heater running for five hours a day would typically cost about $2.50 a day while a 1200kW radiant heater with three bars could cost $1.50. In general, electric heaters all cost the same to run, for the amount of heat they produce. Photo: 123RF You might use a dehumidifier to take the moisture out of a room, but it could also increase the temperature by a few degrees, which might be sufficient if it's a room you're only going to sleep in. "You can sort of regard a dehumidifier as being a plug-in electric heater with the advantage that it will also make your house drier," Gretton said. "It's a bit of a win-win because all the electricity that goes into your dehumidifier will actually be helping to heat your house. They're a good thing in that sense." A compressor dehumidifier, which is the most common type in New Zealand, costs about 5c an hour to run. Gretton said gas heating was not an effective option. He said people should steer well clear of unflued gas hearers anyway, because they made a house damp and emitted gases such as nitrogen oxide. "There's an absolute mountain of good reasons why unflued gas heaters are a bad idea. With flued gas heaters, there's no direct health impact but you do have a bit of an efficiency loss so you're not going to be getting one unit of heat for every unit of gas you're burning." Gretton said wood burners tended to be less efficient than gas heaters. "It's quite tricky to burn wood both cleanly and efficiently. There's a trade-off between making wood burners efficient and making them clean burning in the sense of lower particulate emissions. "I think a lot of people assume that wood burners are really cost effective to run, but it really depends on how much you're paying for firewood. Now, for those people that do have free firewood, that's obviously pretty hard to compete with in terms of cost to run because it's basically zero other than the amount of time you'll spend cutting and chopping wood. "But if you're buying firewood, then it's not particularly cost effective, although it does vary around the country." He said, at a rough average national rate, it was still usually more expensive than a heat pump. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Should Invesco S&P MidCap 400 GARP ETF (GRPM) Be on Your Investing Radar?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Invesco S&P MidCap 400 GARP ETF (GRPM), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 12/03/2010. The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $471.95 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs attempting to match the Mid Cap Blend segment of the US equity market. Mid cap companies, with market capitalization in the range of $2 billion and $10 billion, offer investors many things that small and large companies don't, including less risk and higher growth opportunities. Thus, companies that fall under this category provide a stable and growth-heavy investment. Typically holding a combination of both growth and value stocks, blend ETFs also demonstrate qualities seen in value and growth investments. Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same. Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.35%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space. It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.87%. Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis. This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Consumer Discretionary sector--about 26.30% of the portfolio. Energy and Industrials round out the top three. Looking at individual holdings, Celsius Holdings Inc (CELH) accounts for about 4.67% of total assets, followed by Halozyme Therapeutics Inc (HALO) and Roivant Sciences Ltd (ROIV). The top 10 holdings account for about 27.7% of total assets under management. GRPM seeks to match the performance of the S&P MIDCAP 400 GARP INDEX before fees and expenses. The S&P MidCap 400 GARP Index seeks to track companies with consistent fundamental growth, reasonable valuation, solid financial strength, and strong earning power. The ETF has added about 1.46% so far this year and is up roughly 0.48% in the last one year (as of 07/11/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $90.38 and $126.41. The ETF has a beta of 1.09 and standard deviation of 21.77% for the trailing three-year period. With about 60 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk. Invesco S&P MidCap 400 GARP ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, GRPM is a reasonable option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Blend area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space. The Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) and the iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) track a similar index. While Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF has $84.90 billion in assets, iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF has $98.18 billion. VO has an expense ratio of 0.04% and IJH charges 0.05%. Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors. To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Invesco S&P MidCap 400 GARP ETF (GRPM): ETF Research Reports Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (HALO) : Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH): ETF Research Reports Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO): ETF Research Reports Celsius Holdings Inc. (CELH) : Free Stock Analysis Report Roivant Sciences Ltd. (ROIV) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
01-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
1 in 5 consumers chose foodservice delivery over dine-in in 2024: Euromonitor International
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Delivery leads the consumer foodservice market's recovery, making up 21% of the global consumer foodservice market in 2024, up from 9% in 2019, according to data analytics company Euromonitor International. Asia Pacific contributes 40% of global foodservice sales. Euromonitor International's World Market for Consumer Foodservice 2025 report highlights this is driven by robust growth in the Asia Pacific region, which contributed to 40% of global foodservice sales, with a 6% forecast value Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for 2029. Despite economic uncertainties, the global consumer foodservice industry grew in 2024, reaching a total market value of USD3.2 trillion, a 5.5% increase from 2023. This indicates a continued path to recovery and growth opportunities. Rocio Franco, senior consultant at Euromonitor International, said: 'Inflation and economic uncertainty remain major concerns for consumers. Despite global transactions recovering to pre-pandemic levels, indicating strong demand in the industry, consumers are still cutting back on spending and opting for more affordable options.' Eat-in continues to lose share while delivery continues to grow Delivery is increasingly taking market share from eat-in dining, making up 21% of the global consumer foodservice market in 2024, up from 9% in 2019. By 2029, delivery is projected to account for 24% of the foodservice market by 2029, while eat-in is expected to lose its share by 3%, down to 52% by 2029. While high inflation has helped many markets bounce back to 2019 pre-pandemic levels, constant sales are forecast to only recover fully from 2026. Offering convenience and value, third-party players have amplified this with aggressive discount competition and increased loyalty programme subscriptions, often removing delivery or service charges to enhance frequency in orders. Limited-service restaurants are also experiencing a boom, appealing to cost-conscious diners as they offer a flexible range of products. By strategising on 'snackification' with options ranging from smaller-sized, budget-friendly products to more premium choices, this strikes a balance between value and quality for consumers. Digital innovation and personalisation at the forefront Foodservice brands have been leveraging technology to meet rising consumer expectations and differentiate in a crowded market. From launching proprietary apps to expanding loyalty programmes, this enables brands to hyper-personalise consumers' experiences by tailoring offerings and promotions based on individual needs. Franco commented: 'To retain customers, restaurant operators must strategise to offer value beyond price, focusing on enhancing experiences, embracing digitalisation, and building brand loyalty.' Innovations such as such as self-service kiosks, digital recognition, and voice automation in drive-throughs are helping enhance customer engagement, support new product development and provide a competitive edge while driving omnichannel growth.
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Scale of Emergency-era atrocities exceed documented cases, says L-G
Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on Wednesday said the scale of brutalities that took place during the infamous Emergency imposed in 1975 may be of a magnitude that exceeds what has been documented by various inquiry commissions. Addressing the 'Samvidhan Hatya Divas' to mark the 50th anniversary of the dark chapter in India's modern history, Mr. Kailashnathan said for every known case of brutality and oppression — he referenced the notorious custodial torture and death of Rajan in Kerala and C. Chittibabu, a former Mayor of erstwhile Madras — there were innumerable atrocities that were either not reported or never came to light. The Lt. Governor noted that unlike today when there were numerous media outlets and social media platforms to bring out the truth, there was only the State broadcaster during the Emergency era. The Emergency was imposed by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, solely for political motivations and not due to any national exigency, he said. The 50th anniversary was an important occasion to discuss the dangers of the authoritarianism that characterised the Emergency era, the sacrifices made by its opponents and to reaffirm democratic values, principles of the Indian Constitution and freedom of the press, he said. Chief Minister N. Rangasamy stressed the importance of preserving democratic norms. Speaker R. Selvam, Home Minister A. Namassivayam, Consumer Affairs Minister P.R.N. Thirumurugan, A. Nedunchezhiyan, Art and Culture Secretary and others participated. A photo exhibition and a motorcycle rally by the police personnel were organised on the occasion.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Capitalize on Tesla's Robotaxi Momentum With These ETFs
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY): ETF Research Reports Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF (VCR): ETF Research Reports Fidelity MSCI Consumer Discretionary Index ETF (FDIS): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
