Save the environment and your wallet at the same time
IIt is great to be green, however for those of us out there who are not as environmentally conscious as others, it is really important to remember that energy efficiency is a way of maintaining comfort in your home whilst cutting down on your power bills.
We wanted to find out more about great ways to save energy around the home, and who better to speak to than Libe from Sunrise Homes. Sunrise Homes are located in Hobart and have recently been awarded the HIA Green Smart Home award. Libe explained the following about energy efficiency around the home:
Energy efficiency is an important part of the process when designing a new home but there are still options to optimise comfort levels in pre-existing homes. The key to getting the most out of your home is to ensure that all of your heating options and energy saving measures compliment each other.
To begin with heating can be a major issue for comfort levels in Tasmanian homes.
Insulation is a significant component when it comes to heating and it is important that when designing and building a house you have the correct insulation installed. Ceiling insulation is a great way to increase the energy efficiency and comfort of your home.
Up to 40% of your heating can be lost through your windows. This in turn means that it if you want the temperature of the house to be 20°C than you would need a larger capacity heater to compensate for the heat loss through the windows. A heater running at 40% more than necessary will in turn cost you 40% more on your energy bill. There are a range of options to reduce this heat loss, from simply drawing the blinds, to installing heavy curtains with a pelmet. It is important to not to leave gaps, as heat will escape this way. You can make a dramatic difference to the warmth of your home by using door seals and products such as No More Gaps around doors and windows.
Another option is double-glazing. Using door snakes and filling gaps in doors and windows will also contribute to saving heat loss and providing more comfort. As you can see from this example even if you install a state-of-the-art heating unit, you still need to factor other things in to the mix to create the most comfort in your home.
Having a more energy efficient house increases the comfort levels and has the potential to save you on your energy bills. For more simple tips on making your home more energy efficient have a look at our energy saving tips at Aurora's Save Energy, Save Money website, There is also an e-book available for purchase at Sunrise Homes (external link) , which has been written by Libe Chacos of Sunrise Homes.
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