Designing an energy-efficient home reduces your energy use, lowers utility bills, shrinks your environmental footprint, and makes your home more comfortable. You can achieve this by choosing efficient appliances, planning your layout carefully and using smart building techniques.
By reducing energy use, minimising waste, and making conscious choices about how we build and live in our homes, we can help contribute to a more sustainable future. Sustainable homes also help reduce energy bills and offer greater resilience in the face of rising costs. Below are some of our top tips to help create a more energy-efficient home.
Heating and cooling make up about 40% of energy use in the average Australian home. To cut this down, install a modern HVAC system. Reverse cycle split-system air conditioners offer the best efficiency. Always select models with high energy ratings to save more power.
Install Quality Insulation
Proper insulation forms the foundation of an energy-efficient home. Seal your home well and insulate ceilings and walls to stop heat from escaping in winter or entering in summer. This keeps indoor temperatures stable and reduces how hard your heating and cooling systems need to work.
Lighting accounts for roughly 10% of household energy use. Replace traditional bulbs with LED lights, which use up to 85% less energy and last longer. This simple switch cuts wasted electricity and lowers your bills.
Windows and doors cause up to 40% of thermal loss. Install double-glazed, weather-sealed windows to reduce heat transfer by up to 80%. Add coverings like roller blinds or shutters to boost insulation and improve comfort.
Appliances also play a big role in energy consumption. Choose models with high star ratings for your hot water system, kitchen appliances, and laundry equipment. These options use less electricity and help you run a more efficient home.
Take advantage of natural light and shade by carefully positioning your home. Place living areas to the north to capture more sunlight in winter and less in summer. Put bedrooms on the west to reduce heat exposure during hot afternoons.
In most parts of Australia, light-coloured roofs and walls reflect sunlight and help keep your home cool. This reduces your reliance on air conditioning and makes it easier to maintain a steady indoor temperature in summer.
There’s something special about exploring a local farmers market on a crisp winter morning – coffee in hand, fresh produce all around and the buzz of the community in the air.
There has been a significant shift though in sentiment in the investing market in Melbourne to begin 2025, with an RBA rates cut the beginning of what will likely be a return for investors to the city and suburbs.
The winds of change are upon Melbourne’s property market, which has been going through somewhat of a rough downturn ever since hitting all-time peak median prices in the early parts of 2022.
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