Heating
Keep your home warm without a blowout to your carbon footprint by ensuring that the building keeps heat in, and
by using heaters efficiently.
Keeping heat in
Use natural sunlight
> Trim gardens to make the most of winter sunshine
> Open curtains and blinds during the day and close them at night
Insulation
> Top up ceiling insulation, as it deteriorates over time
> If you’re renting, talk to your landlord about rebates for insulation
(www.environment.gov.au or ww.sustainability.vic.gov.au for details)
Windows and doors
> Seal doors and windows against draughts, starting with rooms that are heated more than others - a stick of incense helps locate draughts
> Install weather strips along all sides of windows and doors
> Hang thick, lined curtains including pelmets, or use a rolled towel or blanket on top if there is no pelmet
> Install 'clear comfort' temporary double-glazing - great if renting
Building maintenance and renovating
> Seal gaps and cracks with gap filler
> Block wall vents with cardboard backed with bubble wrap or fill with silicon
> Temporarily or permanently block fireplaces
> Use double-glazed or thermally improved glass, particularly in heated areas
> Consider passive heating and cooling
Using heaters efficiently
Ducted heating
> Heat only rooms you are using, and close doors to unoccupied rooms or use the heater's zone function
> Shut one-third of all ducts if the system does not have heating zones
> Install caps on floor vents located underneath windows to direct heat into the centre of the room
> Set the thermostat at 18-20°C and use a timer to minimise heating time
> Use a thermometer in the room if there is no thermostat
> Switch the heating off when you go out
Single-room space heater
> Keep warm air in the room by closing doors and windows
Portable heater
> Use in small areas and close doors and windows
> Use a timer
