How to make your home energy efficient and reduce power bills.
Author: https://www.realestate.com.au/ Date Posted:12 January 2021
Making your home more energy efficient doesn’t have to cost the earth — but it could save you thousands of dollars a year, and ultimately boost your sale price.
Plus, you’ll be helping out the planet.
Behavioural changes — like switching off lights, and appliances from the power point, running your fridge at 4-5C, and washing your clothes on the shortest appropriate cold-water cycle — could immediately cut running costs, according to Cal Forsyth, director of energy rating assessment company Ephe.
Ephe estimates sticking to cold-water washes could save a household $115 per year.
“Set your thermostat to 21C in winter and 23C in summer, keep curtains closed on hot summer days, and (when the weather is more pleasant), create a path of airflow via a series of ceiling fans and open windows or doors,” he added.
Mr Forsyth also recommended the low-cost move of sealing wall and ceiling vents, and gaps in floorboards, chimneys, doors and windows that were allowing air to seep out.
Those happy to spend a bit to save more should upgrade their wall and ceiling insulation and install high-efficiency heating, cooling and hot water systems, solar systems, double-glazed windows, heavy drapes and LED lighting. The latter could knock up to 80 per cent off lighting costs.
Mr Forsyth said the higher your home rated on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS), the lower you pay to power it. A 1-star house costs $5319 to run annually, while a 10-star home earns its owners $222 each year by feeding energy back into the grid.
The owner of a three-bedroom, brick-veneer house with a 2-star rating could cut $1800 from its energy costs by improving its insulation, he said: “It would pay for itself in two to three years.”
Replacing a ducted gas heater with a high-efficiency unit could slash another $700, and installing double-glazed windows with a 2.5kW solar system, about another $750 — a total saving of $3200, resulting in annual bills below $300.
Mr Forsyth added actions like changing thermostat settings, sealing gaps in your home and improving insulation could reduce environmental emissions by 20-50 per cent. Research had also shown a high energy rating could add 5-10 per cent to a property’s sale price.
