Michael Stevens
Titirangi, Auckland · 4 people, 390 m² · Battery, EV, EV charger, Heat pump, Induction cooking, Solar
The best day to install solar was yesterday.
$4,860 saved per year
What's in your electric home?
The hot water cylinder is on a timer to run during free evening power and solar hours. We heat and cool the house with six heat pumps, and a recent kitchen renovation swapped the gas hob for induction. The EVs charge overnight on an Evnex charger during our free power window, and we've even got an electrically heated hot tub.
When did you start, and why?
After moving in we had a dozen power outages in the first six months. Working from home meant unreliable grid power wasn't an option, so we started investigating solar and batteries — and haven't looked back.
How much have you saved?
Between solar generation and load-shifting with the batteries — charging during free evening power — we've saved around $5,000 a year. The real payoff came during the Auckland floods of 2023, when we had power for four days straight while the grid was out.
What do you love most about it?
Low running costs for the EVs. And the peace of mind of knowing that when the lights go out everywhere else, ours stay on.
How has it changed your behaviour?
We've shifted most of our heavy loads to the free evening power window — charging the EVs and batteries, running the dishwasher, anything that can wait. You stop thinking of electricity as something you just consume and start thinking about when you use it.
Any advice?
The best day to install solar was yesterday. And if you're grid-tied, adding a battery takes it to another level.
Solar: 6.5 kW, 18 panels
Battery: 27 kWh, 2x Powerwall 2
Vehicles: 2x EVs