Better heating and cooling.
After the windows, the main ways heat can enter and leave your house is by going straight through the ceiling and walls, and by leaking through cracks and under the doors. So to keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer, you need good insulation and you need to control draughts.
Better insulation.
Insulation is the single most important way to improve a home's energy efficiency. Make sure that you have adequate insulation in walls, ceilings and exposed floors to reduce heat losses in winter and heat gains in summer.
- Even greater energy savings may be achieved by installing higher levels of insulation.
- For timber floors consider adding insulation under the floor. The Australian Greenhouse Office estimates that up to 20 per cent of heat can be lost through floors in winter.
Better draught control.
Draughts aren't just uncomfortable, they waste valuable energy. To control the temperature in your home, doors and windows and all other sources of air leakage should be well sealed.
- Poorly fitted windows and doors can increase energy costs by up to 15 per cent.
- Ensure that all gaps in windows and doors are sealed by weather stripping windows and fitting draught excluders to minimise gaps under doors.
- Make sure that gaps and cracks around the house are sealed. This includes gaps around window and door frames, and plumbing piping into the house between skirting boards and floors.
- Non-sealable exhaust fans and skylights with vents which are fixed open can add even more to those costs. Only use fittings that can be closed with self closing dampers