Listen: How I electrified. the apartment owner who refused to accept ‘no’

SwitchedOn podcast and Renew Economy interviewed Rowan Hearne about his apartment electrification adventures and persistence.

Rowan was initially told he couldn’t install a hot water heat pump in his 1980s Canberra apartment.

Instead of accepting “no,” he worked with installers, engineers and his strata manager to find practical solutions that allowed him to replace gas hot water with a heat pump, improve insulation and install efficient heating and cooling.

Accessing the ACT’s Sustainable Household Scheme, he completed the upgrades with a 0% loan, making the transition affordable while improving comfort initially for himself and now, his tenants.

Rowan shows that some of the biggest barriers to apartment electrification aren’t technical – they’re about knowing what’s possible, asking the right questions, and finding people willing to help solve problems. 

Note: This upgrade was completed in the ACT. Any information relating to owners corporations, decision-making and rebates/funding will relate to ACT only. However, the overall information about electrification will be relevant to people in Victoria and other states.