S3E20 - Meagan Blackney | Six Star Plus

Pat and Lauren are back on schedule and back at Six Star Plus, this time joined by Meagan “Meggsy” Blackney — the Heat Pump Legend. Meggsy’s path into the industry is a good one. She went from eight years at Baby Bunting, to starting in accounts at Six Star Plus, to somehow finding herself right in the middle of the heat pump world — dealing with builders, plumbers, suppliers and plenty of tradie personalities along the way. We get into how heat pumps fit into the electrification push, why some plumbers are still hanging onto gas, the challenges builders face when the rules change, rebates, new builds and the surprisingly difficult job of getting a bloody great hot-water unit across a muddy building site. There’s also a healthy rivalry between the heat pump and PV sides of the Six Star Plus office — and neither side is particularly interested in giving the other one too much credit. Then it’s back into solar industry news. SAA’s new fee for multiple-system sign-off exemptions gets Pat and Lauren fired up, particularly around medium-density and new-build solar. They also look at a recent $40,000 WorkSafe fine involving an apprentice working on a roof without fall protection, and compare it with the LEI prosecution discussed last episode. Along the way we hear about Meagan’s Baby Bunting days, her ability to win over a room full of builders and plumbers, a slightly embarrassing dehydration incident, rooftop heat pumps, Pat’s questionable thoughts about an old hot-water rebate and another rapid-fire segment that gets inappropriate remarkably quickly. Heat pumps, hot water, solar compliance, builders, plumbers and plenty of shit-stirring. Just another Friday at Six Star Plus.