Tip Sheet 3: Make your heating cheaper this winter

Heating accounts for about 50% of home energy use, but measures can be taken to reduce your bill and do your bit for the environment.

Insulate
Lack of insulation contributes up to 70% of total heat losses. Insulating walls and ceilings can save you $300.00 a year in heating and cooling costs!

Seal those draughts:
Air leaks can account for 15-25% of heat loss from insulated homes, and create uncomfortable draughts. Sealing them can save around $90.00 a year for an average home. Draughts usually come from underneath doors, and around windows, vents, fireplaces, architraves and skirting boards.

Products that seal gaps around doors and windows are known as draught excluders, draught strips, draught seals, weather seals or weather strips. Most can be bought quite cheaply at hardware stores and are easily installed.

Note that fixed wall or window vents are no longer required for living and sleeping areas by building regulations—caulking compounds or plaster can be used to seal these vents.

Cover those windows
Up to 30% of heat loss in the home occurs through uncovered windows. Close fitting, heavy drapes or blinds—or (even better) double glazed windows—reduce heat loss considerably. Boxed pelmets or solid strips above curtain rails are essential. If you find your curtains are loose fitting, allowing airflow between the walls and curtains, try attaching the curtain to the window frames using velcro or tacks.

Hang out together
Why waste money on heating all of your house when you can get away with just heating a small area? If you close off certain areas of the house (particularly wet areas such as bathrooms and the laundry) and concentrate on warming the living area, you will not only save money—you may also forge closer bonds within your family because it’s too damn cold to go to another room: your kids will have no choice but to listen to your very interesting stories about how good it was in “your day”.

Thermostat stats
For every degree you increase the thermostat setting, you can increase your bill by up by to 15%. The ideal setting is around 18-20º Celsius. The thermostat should not be installed on an external wall, and it should be protected from draughts, as well as heat sources like direct sunlight and heating outlets. If you have a programmable thermostat or timer, you can set your heater to turn on 20 minutes before you get up in the morning. Call us to have one installed.

Risk free investment—jarmies and blankies
Buying yourself a pair of flannelette pyjamas (studies show that the ones with the bunny rabbits all over them are the warmest) and putting an extra blanket on the bed will negate the need for the heater to be on all night and save you enough money to fill the MCG three times!

For more information on anything to do with saving energy, telephone the Energy Smart Advisory Centre on 1300 363 744.