HOT WATER IS A BASIC NECESSITY OF LIFE FOR ALL AUSTRALIANS.
IT IS CRITICAL FOR OUR HEALTH, SAFETY, AMENITY AND LIVELIHOOD.
Since the early twentieth century, iconic manufacturers Rheem, Dux and Rinnai have designed and built hot water systems in Australia, by Australians, for Australian conditions.
Our industry, which directly employs over 1,000 Australians at sites around the country, including at factories in Western Sydney, South-Eastern Melbourne and in the NSW Southern Highlands, is one of Australia’s last remaining industries that makes essential products at scale.
But this is all at risk. Government subsidy schemes for energy efficient water heaters, which were set up with the best of intentions, have created an unfair playing field for local manufacturers, which threatens the future of this great Australian industry.
Australian manufacturing means local jobs, high quality products and greater sovereignty for our nation. It helps to protect us from the kinds of supply chain issues we’ve seen in recent years both from the Covid pandemic and the impacts of war overseas.
And the flow-on effects from our sector, which is a major customer of Australian steel, packaging and other components, creates jobs for thousands of workers and provides employment to many thousands more indirectly.
Let’s repair the current subsidies before we lose Australian jobs, livelihoods, income and sovereignty of our clean energy future for good.
AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING
IS IN HOT WATER
The Federal, NSW and Victorian Governments run schemes that provide subsidies for Australians to install energy efficient hot water systems, such as heat pumps and solar water heaters.
And this is a good thing. When properly designed, made and installed, energy efficient water heaters can hold the keys to lowering household energy bills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Currently, however, these subsidies stack the deck in favour of foreign imports. This directly threatens a great Australian manufacturing industry and the thousands of people who work in it.
Rheem, Dux and Rinnai – the founding members of the Australian Water Heating Manufacturers – produce energy efficient water heaters that are designed and built in Australia, by Australians, for Australian conditions.
More than manufacturing, they work closely with plumbers, electricians and builders to ensure that hot water systems are properly installed and maintained.
As Australian manufacturers, they are subject to the full range of warranty requirements required by Australian law and have a long-term interest to ensure their customers are well served by their products.
DON’T THROW COLD WATER ON OUR HOT WATER INDUSTRY
Australian manufacturing and jobs are at risk unless the Federal, NSW and Victorian Governments level the playing field by repairing the current hot water
subsidy rules.
The Australian Water Heating Manufacturers are calling on governments across Australia to ensure that all incentive schemes – whether new or existing, and whether at the federal or state levels – incorporate Local Content Requirements.
Put simply, the more Aussie content and Aussie labour are involved in a product’s manufacture, the more subsidies it receives. And vice versa.
This will ensure Australia is able to continue to manufacture energy efficient hot water systems in our very own backyard.
In addition, when governments use taxpayer dollars to purchase appliances for their own properties (for example departmental offices and social housing), they should buy products made in Australia. A no brainer, we would’ve thought!
ENSURE AUSTRALIA IS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO MANUFACTURE ENERGY EFFICIENT HOT WATER SYSTEMS IN OUR VERY OWN BACKYARD.
ABOUT AWHM
Rheem, Dux and Rinnai established the Australian Water Heating Manufacturers in 2025 to represent the interests of this significant manufacturing industry given it is under threat.
MEDIA RELEASES
8 June 2025
AWHM applauds Victorian Government’s leadership on Australian made water heaters.
24 March 2025
Keep Our Hot Water Flowing Campaign launched to safeguard Australian manufacturing and protect local jobs.
OUR MEMBERS
Rheem has a proud history of manufacturing water heaters in Australia since 1939 and has been trusted by generations of Australians for the quality, reliability and innovation of their products. As the market leader in water heating, Rheem’s products span the full range of technologies and are used in both domestic and commercial settings. They bear a number of brand names, including ‘Rheem’, ‘Solahart’, ‘Raypak’, ‘Vulcan’, ‘Everhot’ and ‘Aquamax’, among others.
Solahart launched Australia’s first solar hot water system in 1953, and since then has sold well over one million systems in more than 70 countries, earning the reputation as a global renewables pioneer. Solahart’s range has expanded significantly over the years and broke new ground with Australia’s first solar-smart, grid-connected electric water heater, the Solahart PowerStore®.
Since first making heat pump water heaters in the early 1990s, Rheem and Solahart’s range of heat pumps has been rapidly expanding, utilising their expansive R&D and manufacturing capabilities.
Solahart is also one of the largest national suppliers of solar photovoltaic systems (including solar PV panels, inverters, batteries, home energy management systems, and electric vehicle chargers), installed via their Australia-wide dealer network.
Rheem operates three manufacturing facilities in Australia (Rydalmere and Revesby in NSW, and Moorabbin
in Victoria).
Established in 1915, Dux Hot Water is Australia’s oldest water heater manufacturer. Since that date, millions of Dux water heaters have been made locally and installed in Australian homes.
Dux’s revenue overwhelmingly comes from Australian-made products, manufactured locally in its state-of-the-art factory in the NSW Southern Highlands. Dux is a major employer in the area.
Dux manufactures and markets a full range of electric water heaters including Electric Storage, Gas Storage, Gas Continuous Flow, Solar, Heat Pump, and Commercial water heaters.
Dux strives to challenge the status quo to provide its customers with innovative products that save money and the environment.
For over 50 years, Rinnai has been a trusted name in Australia, providing comfort and reliability.
Operating in 20 countries, they bring global expertise to tailor solutions to the Australian lifestyle. As leaders in hot water, heating, and air conditioning, their suite of brands, including ‘Rinnai’, ‘Brivis’, ‘APAC’, and ‘Polo’, deliver high-quality products for domestic and commercial markets.
As a subsidiary of Rinnai Japan Corporation, Rinnai Australia manufactures products locally and sources from Rinnai’s 40+ global manufacturing facilities.
Their offerings encompass hot water (gas, electric, solar, and heat pump technologies), heating and air conditioning systems (gas ducted heating, gas space heating, reverse cycle air conditioning), as well as renewable energy systems.
With iconic products like Infinity® and others, they have become household names in Australia and diverse export markets. Together, Rinnai is creating a healthier way of living.