Few of us enjoy the cold. Fortunately, there are a myriad of ways to ensure your personal comfort this Winter.
On the 29th June 1994, residents of Charlotte Pass in the Snowy Mountains sniffled, shook and quivered their way through a bitter record low of -23.0°C.
The lowest temperature ever recorded in Australia, it undoubtedly caught many unaware, coming an icy 10°C cooler than the next coldest day of -13.0°C endured on three separate occasions around the southern state of Tasmania.
Thankfully, for the vast majority of the year Australia enjoys fairly moderate conditions but when Mother Nature does decide to issue us with an icy blast it is clear we need to do more than just keep on our toes to maintain a comfortable temperature.
For the budget-conscious
Environment Victoria says very little energy is required to make a well designed house comfortable.
It says one of the first things to consider when looking to stay warm over a winter is to identify the areas in your home where heat may already be escaping.
The government organisation says if you added up all the cracks and gaps of the average Victorian home, it would be the equivalent of having a 1 metre x 1.5 metre window open all the time.
Accounting for between 15 – 25 per cent of heat loss in your home, it is important that all cracks and gaps around doors are sealed up using weather stripping, gap filler for cracks in the walls and even a simple door snake for the bottom of the door.
It recommends using heavy, lined curtains which extend below the window frame to insulate your windows and help keep the warmth in, as up to 40 per cent of the heat escaping from your home is winter is from uncovered windows.
“Boxes which sit covering your curtain rod or ‘invisible pelmets’ which sit above your curtain rod and butt up against the back of the curtain [also] do a great job of stopping cold air coming into your room.”
You should also consider insulating any external hot water pipes in your home to reduce the heat loss from your hot water tank to the taps, while reducing the energy needed to get your hot water.
Another tip, the state-funded body suggests is to close off any rooms that are not presently being used.
“Furniture can’t feel the cold so why waste energy heating areas that you’re not using? A great way to keep the heat where you want it is to keep the doors to your living space closed. And if your heating system will let you, turn it off in empty rooms,” they suggest.
The group says to remember that hot air rises, so in the event you have a ceiling fan with a reverse-direction option, consider using it at a low instead of high speed to help circulate the hot air more evenly through the room while eliminating the resulting downward breeze.
For the environmentally conscious
Gone are the days where a log-fuelled fireplace in the lounge and bedrooms and a pot-bellied stove in the kitchen were the warming methods of choice for most home owners.
According to figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian households spend $47 billion annually on energy. Customer advocacy group Choice says a well insulated roof can save the average Australian family 45 per cent on heating and cooling costs.
Your Home, an online environmentally sustainable guide produced by the Australian Government, says gas heaters and efficient reverse cycle air conditioners (or heat pumps) produce only one third the greenhouse gas emissions of standard electric heaters.
It says the most efficient 5- to 6-star reverse cycle units actually produce less than one-fifth of the emissions of conventional electric heaters so are a good option when it comes to energy efficient heating options.
Your Home says about 10 per cent of homes use wood for heating during the cooler months but the wood is often obtained from unsustainable sources. It is therefore best to use only sustainably harvested wood to avoid habitat destruction and rare species extinction. It also recommends homeowners consider the use of treated timbers as these may give off toxic pollutants when burned.
“Wood can be an excellent fuel because it is a renewable resource if sustainably harvested. However, do not use wood-fired heaters in urban areas because of the air pollution they create, and the emissions associated with transporting firewood to urban areas,” the guide says.
Your Home recommends burning wood only in airtight, slow combustion heaters: “They have the highest energy efficiency of wood heaters and use the least wood and cost the least to run. Careful operation of wood heaters is also critical to limiting air pollution.
Use seasoned wood and don’t add large loads of wood just before turning the heater right down. Do not use illegally modified heaters, adjusted to burn overnight.”
Your Home says double-glazed windows are highly energy-efficient however relatively expensive. Careful choice of glazing greatly improves thermal comfort for people close to windows, especially large windows.
“Our sense of comfort is not just determined by air temperature: the temperature of surrounding surfaces has a great impact. The objective should be to achieve an inside glass surface temperature as close as possible to the desired room air temperature. This means glass that is neither cold in winter nor hot in summer,” the guide says.
An alternative is to install a double glazing film across single-glazed windows to maintain heat in cooler periods. Temporary glazing kits are an environmentally friendly alternative that are also a good option for renters.
When only a heater will do
For many Australians, convenience takes precedence over cost and energy efficiency when it comes to determining the best way to keep warm in winter.
Typically that means they have three core options – electric heaters, gas heaters and reverse-cycle air conditioners.
Customer advocacy group Choice says electric heaters are usually portable, cheaper to buy and a good option for those seeking an instant fix for a small space.
Gas heaters serve as a handy alternative. Run by reticulated natural gas or bottled LPG, they are usually efficient and provide good value for money. If you have an unflued one, meaning its emissions aren’t piped outside, use it sparingly and with slightly open windows to avoid build up of CO and NO2 gases in your home.
Reverse-cycle air conditioners are also a good option for those seeking an easy way to keep cold air at bay. More expensive than a small electric heater, they are often more effective in terms of the power they use compared to the heat they generate.
“There are several factors to consider when choosing your heater’s capacity: the climate you live in, the floor area and ceiling height of the room, how much natural sunlight it receives, whether the room is carpeted, whether adjacent rooms or floors above and below are heated, and of course the amount of other insulation,” Choice says.
For those who enjoy the romance of a fireplace, wood fires can give a warm feel to a cold night while modern slow combustion wood-burning stoves also help warm cold bodies.
Choice says both are good options for those in rural areas who may have cheap or even free access to firewood.
Ethanol fireplaces – which don’t require vents, flues or a gas or electrical connection owing to the fact they run on denatured ethanol – are also proving a popular choice when it comes to winter home heating options.
Choice says they’re comparable in heating capacity and efficiency to an unflued gas heater and typically cost a few hundred dollars. The downside: they’re usually more expensive to run than alternative heating options.