More heat pumps in households could cut energy bills by a total of $1.5 billion a year.

A report by the New Zealand Green Building Council has found replacing gas and electric heaters with heat pumps could save 40% of gas produced, each year.

It's also revealed this could protect thousands of jobs, with three mills closing in the last year due to soaring energy prices.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s Richard Briggs told Ryan Bridge heat pumps are about 3.5 times more efficient than a resistive heater.

He says the upfront cost is quite expensive, but they are significantly cheaper to run.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Vocational Education Minister assures its Te Pukenga de-merger is responsible, despite Treasury raising concerns.

Newstalk ZB can reveal it urged the Government to seek reassurance that allowing polytechs to go back to governing themselves would help their finances.

The mid-March paper warned the financial situation would be the same, if not worse, than before the merger.

Penny Simmonds told Ryan Bridge if they did nothing, Treasury would be right, but they haven't sat on their hands.

She says they've spent 18 months with financial advisors working with each polytechnic, getting rid of excessive staffing levels and non-viable programmes.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast Wednesday 13th of August 2025, Treasury warned the Government that breaking up Te Pukenga could leave polytechs worse off, Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds tells Ryan Bridge why they decided to go ahead anyway.

A report from the Green Building Council shows Kiwis could save up to $1.5 billion on their annual energy bill if we moved to full heat pump adoption.

Major America's Cup changes are coming, Interim CEO of yachting New Zealand Raynor Haagh tells Ryan the difference it'll make to the sport.

Plus, UK/Europe Correspondent Gavin Grey has the latest on a US woman who was hired as a killer and tried to shoot a man in the UK at point-blank range.

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People aren't telling pollsters they'd vote for Labour because they'd actually vote for Labour.

Labour hasn't got any policies. They're an empty vessel.

It's captain is still, according to most recent polling, less popular than the current Prime Minister.

It's a protest vote. They're telling the PM to hurry up and do something else to rescue the economy the last lot, and a trade war, have suppressed.

You don't throw the baby out with the bath water and back a team that has no plan.

That clown that's running in the Wellington Mayoral race has more policies than Hipkins. He wants to turn the Basin Reserve into a swamp.

Sure, it's mad, But at least it's something.

Late last year and early this year, the recovery was on-track.

We then got hit by Trump's liberation day. Confidence and investment took a massive hit, The markets were in freefall, remember?

That's thrown everything off course.

Now, you can argue that National went too hard and fast on cutting spending and stopping infrastructure.

But at the same time, they were voted in to stop wasteful spending on dumb projects. That's what we asked them to do. Many think that hasn't gone far enough.

Just yesterday we learned of 100 jobs to go at the Reserve Bank, which under Adrian Orr, wanted a budget of a more than billion bucks and twice the staff they started the pandemic with.

Does that sound reasonable?

This comes down to a question of who is best placed to invest in this country. The private sector or the state? The answer is, of course, a bit of both. But's chicken or the egg stuff right now.

One thing's for sure, if the only thing capable of keeping this country afloat is government borrowing, then we'll only ever end up back in this same position.

Over and over again.

The medicine needed to dig us out of this whole is nasty. Completely unpalatable. But the disease its treating is worse.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major gas users are looking to the Government for help, with many struggling with high prices.

A survey by energy management company Optima and Business NZ reveals gas prices have risen by more than 100% on average in the past five years.

Nearly half of industrial and commercial users have had to make cuts as a result.

Resources Minister Shane Jones is seeking advice whether rationing gas supplies is possible.

Major Gas Users Group spokesperson Len Houwers told Andrew Dickens Jones has proposed a triage-like system.

He says Jones is exploring reserving gas for industrial users instead of electricity companies.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s believed our trans-Tasman friends are keeping tourism strong in Queenstown.

Skyline Operators, who run the luge and gondolas, have seen international luge rides increase by 32.6% from 7.46 million in the last year to close to 10 million.

Gondola rides have also risen more than 21%.

Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers told Andrew Dickens they're crossing the ditch in numbers.

He says the latest stat from the airport shows routes from Aussie are up 145% on pre Covid numbers.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Early Edition with Andrew Dickens Full Show Podcast 2025 Tuesday 12th of August, the government's deciding whether to formally recognise Palestine as a state, Massey University's John Battersby tells Andrew the difference it will make.

Queenstown tourism is booming; Mayor Glyn Lewers shares his thoughts.

There's a call for the Government to take immediate action in the gas sector as supplies reach a crisis point, major gas users group spokesperson Len Houwers tells Andrew what the Government can do.

Plus, Australia Correspondent Lesley Yeomans has the latest on Australia recognising Palestinian statehood.

Get the Early Edition Full Show Podcast every weekday on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world's eyes will be on New Zealand over the next month - as it weighs up a decision to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Australia's declared it will recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.

It's following suit behind other Western countries - including the UK, France and Canada.

Massey University defence and security studies professor John Battersby told Andrew Dickens there's widespread public opinion that something has to be done to pull Israel's action back.

He says there's internal dissent within Israel itself over the effect of its actions - so any move in this direction may be able to temper that.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.