Daikin: New Zealand’s Favourite Heat Pumps

The name heat pump can be a little misleading, as they are as useful in summer as they are in winter. Heat pumps can keep you toasty, or cool, all year round through both heating and cooling. And for a great price, too. As heat pumps are the most energy efficient method of heating or cooling your home.

But that doesn’t mean all heat pumps are created equal. You have to factor in the energy efficiency, noise levels, added features and modes, and, of course, price. So to help Kiwis in their quest to find the best heat pumps, we surveyed 635 Kiwis who had purchased a heat pump in the past two years, to find out how they feel about their purchases.

Daikin: New Zealand’s favourite heat pumps

To find out which brand of heat pumps is the nation’s favourite, we asked respondents to evaluate their experiences across the following categories:

And they make it clear, Daikin is the way to go: the winner of Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers | Heat Pumps Award. 

The Japanese manufacturer scores excellently in our survey, with a near clean sweep of 5-Star results. Daikin earns an admirable 4-Star score for Value for Money.

Daikin is the only brand measured to earn 5 Stars for Overall Satisfaction, Functionality, Reliability and Ease of Use. It also earns 5 Stars for Quietness While Operating, which customers rank as the most important factor driving their satisfaction with their heat pump alongside Functionality.

New Zealand’s favourite heat pumps

Here are New Zealand’s favourite heat pumps, based on our survey results:

1. Daikin
2. Mitsubishi Electric
3. Panasonic
4. Fujitsu General
5. LG
6. Haier
7. Toshiba

While Daikin stands out on top, there are plenty of brands that customers love. Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, and Fujitsu General all earn 4 Stars for Overall Satisfaction. While LG, Haier, and Toshiba each earn 3 Stars for Overall Satisfaction.

Top-rated brands: heat pumps

Below is an overview of all the heat pump brands measured in this year’s awards:

Daikin: Most Satisfied Customers | Heat Pumps Award winner

As mentioned above, Daikin is the only brand to earn 5 Stars for Overall Satisfaction in this year’s survey. It also earns 5 Stars in nearly all other categories. Its single 4 Star result comes for Value for Money.

Founded in Japan in 1924, Daikin has been an established brand in New Zealand for nearly 30 years. It has a complete range of products offering heating and cooling solutions for every home, from one room apartments up to 14-room homes.

Daikin’s range of Split System Heat Pumps, include:

Thanks to Daikin’s wide range of models, you can be sure to find a Daikin heat pump to suit your home. And as winner of Canstar Blue’s 2021 heat pump award, you can be sure that your new Daikin heat pump will not only create a comfortable home environment, but it will also come with the warm feeling of customer satisfaction guaranteed.

Mitsubishi Electric

Last year’s award winner earns an excellent 4 Stars in nearly all categories measured. It earns a single 5-Star result for the all-important Quietness While Operating. It’s an expected result considering Mitsubishi Electric claims its EcoCore AP Series heat pumps are the quietest in New Zealand. Not to mention super energy-efficient.

Panasonic

Panasonic earns 4 Stars in all categories measured. Panasonic’s latest heat pumps come with aerowings blades, which allow you to choose shower cooling. In this mode, cool air is aimed upwards, dispersing across the room and showering down over the space, which avoids over-cooling from direct airflow.

Fujitsu General

Fujitsu heat pumps are well known and well trusted. In our survey, customers are happy with their purchases, giving Fujitsu General 4 Stars for Overall Satisfaction, Quietness While Operating, Reliability, Functionality and Ease of Use. Fujitsu General earn 3 Stars for Value for Money.

LG

LG offers a wide range of heat pumps and air conditioning systems. Notably, they can be voice-controlled through Google Assistant, or the ThinQ app. LG earns a single 4 Star result for Quietness While Operating, and 3 Stars in all other categories measured.

Haier

Chinese manufacturer Haier has a network of design centres, including a leading research and development centre, in New Zealand that includes the cutting-edge Fisher & Paykel team. In our survey, Haier earns a respectable 3 Stars in every category.

Toshiba

Toshiba earns a single 5-Star rating for Value for Money, as customers are clearly happy with the price point of Toshiba’s heat pumps. Although cheaper prices can sometimes reflect lower quality, Toshiba still scores strongly in that field. It earns 4 Stars for Quietness While Operating, Reliability, and Ease of Use. It earns 3 Stars for Functionality and Overall Satisfaction.

Considering a heat pump?

Heat pumps are a great option for both cooling and heating. They can be quiet, efficient and effective. But there are certain things to keep in mind:

Size

If you buy a heat pump that is too small, it will likely struggle to keep the room at the required temperature and will burn through more power than necessary. If the heat pump is too large, it will have to cycle on and off more frequently to keep the temperature in the desired range.

Heat pump consultations are often free and can help determine the size you need.

Energy efficiency

The main advantage of a heat pump over other heating solutions is that it’s the most energy-efficient method of using electricity to heat or cool a home. Even though all heat pumps are energy-efficient, it’s always a good idea to pay special attention to a heat pump’s energy rating. While a more energy-efficient model might cost more, it could lead to considerable savings on electricity over the life of the unit.

Canstar Blue’s latest review of NZ power companies compares them on customer satisfaction and value for money. The table below is an abridged version of our full results. Click on the big button below for more details!

See Our Ratings Methodology

Cost

You may just want to go for the cheapest option available, but if you can afford to, it pays to shop around. More expensive models may have added benefits and features that help to limit power use or provide more efficient output. This could help lower ongoing costs.

Style and appearance

Heat pumps are often noticeable additions to a wall in your main living areas, and can be bulky. So it pays to factor in the design of your heat pump against your room’s decor.

Connectivity

Many heat pumps have wi-fi connectivity, allowing for control through phone apps and voice command.

Learn more about our heat pumps award here

About the author of this page

This report was written by Canstar Content Producer, Andrew Broadley. Andrew is an experienced writer with a wide range of industry experience. Starting out, he cut his teeth working as a writer for print and online magazines, and he has worked in both journalism and editorial roles. His content has covered lifestyle and culture, marketing and, more recently, finance for Canstar.