After undertaking many Home Sustainability Assessments, one of the most common “quick fixes” that I recommend is to look at where drafts are entering a house or room. Something as simple as a 2 cm gap underneath a door is equivalent to removing a brick from a wall, and allows a similar amount of air flow. Significantly, this is likely to be cold air moving along the floor, and will further impact on the comfort of a room. By fitting effective draft exclusion measures, heating loads can be reduced significantly, resulting in greater comfort to the occupants of the room (You!), lower heating bills and lower greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing gaps under and around doors and windows, privacy is also increased, with less sound traveling between rooms or penetrating from outside.

Another simple tip is to have insulation installed in your ceiling. The Federal Government currently provides up to $1,600 for Australian homes to have ceiling insulation installed. In simple terms, you contact an approved insulation installer, they insulate your ceiling, and the bill is paid by the Government. No out of pocket expenses for the household at all. You can find out more information about this on the Government’s website at www.environment.gov.au/energyefficiency/insulation/

The best advice is however to have a professional Home Sustainability Assessment conducted, where you will receive a written report on the energy efficiency of your home and options for improving the energy efficiency and comfort of your home. The cost of this assessment is covered 100% by the Federal Government, and the savings on your energy and water bills will be yours to keep forever!

Enviromental Tips & Tricks