Feeling the chill already, here’s how to keep warm in Australia with heating and air conditioning without blowing your energy bills.
The dark, cold months of winter are when most people spend more time indoors and turn up the heating and air conditioning units in Australia. It is also the time when our greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills go up.
While we all need warmth, there are ways to do so in a more sustainable and greener way.
As Brisbane air conditioning service specialists, IACS has come up with a list of helpful tips and tricks you can implement.
Are You Looking to Find Efficient Ways to Heat Your House in Winter?
Heating and cooling your home consume 40% of your home’s energy. It makes sense to heat your house efficiently to save money and protect the environment.
We know how shocking it can be to receive exorbitant energy bills in winter. So, we’ve compiled a list of suggestions to increase your home savings and decrease your heating costs this winter.
Energy Efficient Heating
Insulate
In winter, 25-35% of heat is lost through the roof in uninsulated homes. Insulation will keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Insulating your home will also make heating and residential air conditioning in Brisbane more affordable.
Wall, floor, and ceiling insulation can help average households save hundreds of dollars each year in energy costs.
It is best to hire a professional for insulation when you are building or renovating. However, you can retrofit an existing home with insulation.
Ceiling insulation is essential to keep the heat in. Although DIY insulation is possible, there are some things to consider before you attempt it. While DIY insulation can be messy, hot, and uncomfortable, you can save more than a thousand dollars by doing it yourself.
Therefore, you should be cautious if you do it yourself. Unqualified installers have caused a few fires and deaths.
Use Timers to Control Heating
You can set a timer regardless of whether your heater is central heating or freestanding. This will ensure optimal performance. It is best to start your heater 30 minutes before you wake up in the morning. This will reduce the chill and prevent you from having to use a turbo blast of heat each day.
A timer that turns off your heating at night can also be a good idea. It will stop energy wastage by heating a whole living room when you are late-night channel watching or when you are snuggled up in bed with a good book.
Move with the Flow
Pay attention to how hot air flows around your house. Although it’s tempting to place the sofa near the heater or put wet laundry in front, this will limit the flow of hot air around the house. Make sure that nothing is obstructing the heat source to get the best out of it.
Close the doors to any rooms that you aren’t using to make your heating more efficient. Heating only the rooms that you are using will decrease your heating bills.
Mind the Gap
If you add up all the cracks and gaps in an average Aussie home, it will equal having a 1-metre x 1.5-metre window open every day. These cracks and gaps can cause heat loss of 15 to 25% in your home. Weather stripping can be used to seal cracks around doors and windows. It also works well as a gap filler for cracks within walls. All these items can be purchased at your local hardware shop for very little money.
Heavy Curtains Can Be Used on Your Windows
Did you know that up to 40% of the heat escapes your home when it is cooler? This can be due to not covering your windows. Air leakage around windows is the most common. You can make sure your windows have enough insulation to keep the heat from escaping by investing in heavy curtains or drapes.
Magic Carpet
Rug up, literally, if you have hard floors. You can make a difference by putting rugs between your feet and the cold floor.
Reverse Your Ceiling Fans
If you turn on the heater, do your feet still get cold? Hot air rises, so you may just need to give it some encouragement. To create a breeze, most ceiling fans rotate in an anticlockwise orientation in the summer. To push the hot air towards the ground in the winter, you should turn the ceiling fans clockwise at a low speed.
Thermostat Control
18-20 degrees is the ideal temperature setting for heat. Any degree higher than that can lead to a 10% increase in your energy use. The average Australian household’s heating and cooling costs can be up to 50%. That extra cost can quickly add on. You can zone heat by only heating the rooms you use and closing the doors to any other areas.
Let it Shine
Most of the sunlight that enters an enclosed space is ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This radiation passes through glass easily, and when it hits an object, it becomes infrared radiation or radiant heat. It doesn’t travel through glass nearly as quickly as UV radiation, so it warms up. You can make the most of the free energy by opening your blinds or curtains during daylight.
It is a great idea, particularly if you are north-facing (for the morning sun) or west-facing (for the afternoon sun). On cold days, south-facing windows might be better to keep closed on cold days, as these windows don’t catch much sunlight.
Service your Heaters
Your heater will run more efficiently if it is serviced by a professional Brisbane air conditioning service at least once every two years. It is important to keep heaters clean and the filter cleaned regularly. Contact IACS for help with your air conditioning in Australia.
Safety first: 3 Heating No-No’s
While some heating methods are dangerous, others can prove fatal when used indoors.
- The carbon monoxide released by heat beads and BBQ briquettes as they burn should be avoided indoors.
- Due to their emissions, indoor gas heaters should not be used in small spaces such as bedrooms.
- Outdoor gas heaters should not be used indoors. Gas stoves and cooktops are not intended to heat the home.
Air Conditioning in Australia
It is better for the environment to choose efficient heating systems. This will also mean you have more money to put towards other expenses. For assistance in choosing the right residential air conditioning system in Brisbane contact our team of experts at IACS today.