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Home Heating Hints
By
Sustainable Energy Authority
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As heating accounts for around 50% of a home's energy use, it's important that:
your home has a heating system appropriate to your needs
your home is able to retain the heat you put into it for as long as possible
you operate your heater efficiently
No matter what type of home you live in, there are things you can do to reduce heating costs without sacrificing your
personal comfort.
This information shows you how.
HEAT RETENTION IN YOUR HOME
Insulate
Uninsulated ceiling, walls and even floors can account for over 70% of total heat
loss from a home. A fully insulated home can save up to $300 a year in heating
and cooling costs!
Seal out draughts
Draughts and unwanted air leaks not only make your home uncomfortable, but they
can also increase heating costs by more than 20%.
Protect your windows
Up to 30% of total heat loss from a home occurs through uncovered windows. Close-fitting,
heavy drapes or blinds, or double-glazed windows reduce heat loss.
Zone your home
Being able to close off different areas of your home allows you to heat only those
areas in use at any one time. Open-plan homes without zoning mean that the whole
house will be heated at once, regardless of which areas are being used - a costly
and wasteful exercise. Install doorways or other barriers between different areas
of the home, eg. between living and sleeping areas, and informal and formal areas.
The 'wet' areas of your home, eg. bathrooms and laundries, should also be a seperate
zone as they are usually unheated and well ventilated.
Using your heating system efficiently
The way you maintain and operate your heater can influence its running costs.
Learn the right methods, and you'll find that your heating system costs less to
run while providing more useful heat.
Things we can all do:
Minimise the area to be heated. Doubling the size of the heated area also doubles the heating
cost! So close doors to unheated areas, or install curtains across open archways
leading to other rooms.
Use a correctly sized heater. Don't expect a small heater to heat a large
area. It is unlikely to reach a comfortable temperature, making running costs
unnecessarily high without providing adequate heat. Similarly, try not to use
a large heater when only a small area needs heating. If only one small area of
a centrally heated home is to be used, it may be cheaper to use a portable heater
for a short time, or even invest in a small space heater, than to unnecessarily
heat the whole house.
Use the thermostat correctly. For every degree you increase the thermostat
setting, your bill can increase by up to 15%. Set your thermostat at a reasonable
temperature of 18 - 20 degrees celsius for living area. Thermostats of central
heating systems should be placed in living areas, where you spend most of your
time. Ensure they are protected from draughts, a well as heat sources such as
heating outlets or direct sunlight. Thermostats should not be located on external
walls.
Don't leave your heater running on low overnigh or while you are out during
the day. It is cheaper to turn the heater off while you are out or sleeping, and
on again when you return or wake up in the morning (The pattern of use is not
applicable to storage type heating such as in-slab systems which have very slow
response time).
Install a timer or programmable thermostat to turn your heater on and
off automatically, say 20 - 30 minutes before rising in the morning or getting
home in the evening. And of course, don't forget to turn the entire system completely
off if you are going away on holidays.
Run the heater fan on its highest setting for best efficiency and heat
distribution. Fans cost only around 1 cent an hour to run.
Turn off the pilot light (if fitted) over summer. This alone could save
you $15 or more each year!
Maintain your heater. Keep reflectors shiny and free of dust, and clean
air-filters regularly. Service all heaters according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Close windows and doors in heated areas while the heater is on.
Close drapes or blinds when you're heating, especially at night. By leaving
them open, you're wasting over $2 for each square metre of glass per billing quarter!
That's around $80 per quarter for the average home.
Open up curtains to north-facing windows on sunny winter days to let in
the free, natural solar energy to warm your home.
Ceiling fans, heat shifters or personal fans set about 2.1m above the
floor are useful ways to return heat that has risen up to a second storey, or
collected at the top of ceilings, back down to floor level again. This can save
over 10% of heating costs.
Wear appropriate clothing. Wearing warmer clothing is free, easy and will
let you turn down your heater just those few degrees more. Throw an extra blanket
on the bed and you can turn off your electric blanket too!
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I CONSIDER?
Central Heating Systems
Central heating systems tend to be more expensive to run than space or room heaters as they are large units designed to
heat most of the home at one time.
For example, the average size of a central heating
system is three times that of a space heater, and therefore up to three times
the running costs!
However, because they are bigger, central heating systems also
present larger potential savings. Correct and efficient use can minimise their
running costs and help you get the most benefit for your heating dollar.
Use the flexibility of your system if it is available. Most types of central heating
systems have models that give you the flexibility to operate each outlet or zine
independantly. With these you can shut off heat delivery to rooms orzones that
do not require heating. Don't forget to shut the doors to unheated areas.
If not fitted with a zoning option, ducted systems must maintain at least
70% of the total number of outlets open at any one time to operate efficiently.
The manufacturer can tell you the exact number. Close as many outlets as you can
(within these limits) to areas where heating is not required.
Outlet hoods fitted overfloor outlets help direct heated air into the
centre of the room and a away from cold windows. These are available from central
heating equipment suppliers.
Protect the return air grille in central heating systems from draughts.
The cooler air from draughts needs more energy to warm up than does previously
heated room air.
Keep curtains and furniture clear of outlets and the return air grille
so that they do not restrict the flow of air from the outlet and around the home.
Ensure your ducting is free of air leaks. Escaping heat will only serve
to heat your roof space or under your home instead of inside.
To reduce the running costs of in-slab systems, operate them at a low
temperature to provide background heat (16 - 18 degrees celsius), and top this
up with supplementary spot heating when necessary.
Wood Heaters
Get a good fire going as quickly as possible. This will allow
the heater to draw air and function properly, with little smoke.
Load firewood correctly, with approximately 25mm gaps between the logs
to let in adequate air and help develop hot pockets of glowing coals.
Use only dry, untreated wood.
Inspect your flue or chimney once a year for blockages such as bird's
nests or creosote. Have it swept away if necessary.
Avoid unnecessarily running your heater on low overnight. This will save
you a lot of wood, and reduce creosote formation.
Check the seals around doors and ash-removal trays.
Close off chimneys when they are not being used, either permanently or
with an openable damper. This will stop major heat losses through the chimney
cavity.
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