There are hopes the public will opt for sustainable alternatives, as the country sits on the edge of a gas shortage.

It comes as Genesis Energy reaches a five-year high in coal burning.

READ MORE: Coal burning increases as NZ faces gas shortage

The company says it's due to low hydro storage, plant outages and the bleak outlook of longer term gas supplies because of the government's offshore exploration ban.

Talkback callers to the Andrew Dickens Afternoons Show were mostly in favour of using solar panels. With the price decreasing of installing and operating solar panels, many have taken the opportunity to upgrade.

Barbara told Andrew Dickens she had recently installed them, but she wasn't in favour of the government subsidising the product.

"I don’t think it is a good idea for the government to subsidise, and this is coming from someone who has installed solar panels. I put them in 6 months ago, and I love it, but its all about how you use it. You have to use the power during the daytime when you are at home."

John says there are some real issues with the peak demand with using solar power, and he believes there is still much work to be done before it can become accessible and worthwhile for everyone.

"The consumers will just end up having to pay more in the long run. There is still a lot more work and infrastructure which needs to be implemented."

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