Quote Originally Posted by AndyD View Post
I did some investigations into gas and for a family of 4 in a largish dwelling where there's multiple simultaneous points of consumption they're not ideal. If you can rearrange your life so people shower at staggered set times when there's nobody doing dishes for example or if you live alone or maybe just 2 people then they're definitely worth considering. The other option is to split your plumbing into zones and install 2 or even 3 smaller LPG units each heating water for an area of the house. Our house isn't very suited, it's 3 storey with 5 bathrooms if you include the garden flat. If you take a holistic view of LPG heaters versus electric geyser then they're actually marginally cheaper to run at todays gas prices. The downside is the inconvenience factor of changing gas bottles and the limited water volume an LPG heater can deliver at it's set temperature.

With the fiberglass cylinder I mentioned earlier it is designed to have solar heaters connected to it so it leaves the door open for a solar upgrade at a later date by adding some evacuated tubes. This would be a likely thing if for example we went back to rolling load shedding. When combined with my existing battery/inverter installation it would give me off-grid capabilities for extended periods.

As for generating my own biogas I just don't have the time to set up and manage it for what would be a relatively small financial gain. Biogas might be the kinda project I'd do if I ever retired and had time on my hands.
Actually my home is also not the smallest and what i did to make it work is i installed two units in the end of the day. One servicing the bath and shower and the other much smaller unit the Kitchen. Having two units like this does add more expenses but reality is it works much better. No one will shower and bath at the same time. They cannot occupy the same space at the same time. That said If someone showers while someone else take a bath that CAN be a problem. But i am sure that eventually people will learn that a sudden hot or cold spray of water isn't ideal and will wait until the other person fill there bath first and then continue to shower. Unless that person is spiteful and if that is the case it is not the facility's fault.

But in the long run when the power is out, you can do your dishes with hot water have a hot shower/path and still maintain some level of comfort.