There have been a lot of headlines in the media of late about the hike in energy costs worldwide, with wholesale electricity prices having increased by a whopping 141% in the first few months of 2022, compared to the same time last year. This has resulted in retailers having to charge consumers a much higher rate for their energy.
With many already feeling the pinch of inflation, it’s high time that we take an honest look at what we can do in our homes to curb the impact of the steep rise of these costs. Given 20-50% of home energy use in Australia is used by heating and cooling, addressing key factors of your home heating set up is the single most important thing we can all do to reduce our energy bills.
We’ve rounded up some key factors to consider for the most efficient heating and cooling for your home. The following ideas can empower you to make a positive difference during the energy crisis:
- Improve your insulation
- Get an Efficient hot water System
- Power up with Solar
- Replace Your Boiler
- Invest in Hydronic Heating
Improve Your Insulation
Regardless of which heating system you use in your home, if your insulation is average, you’re wasting energy. One of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more energy efficient is to improve the insulation, so hop to it!
Quick insulation tips:
- Consider double glazing windows (almost 30% of heat is lost through windows)
- Check the seals on windows and doors and replace as needed
- Don’t forget the humble door snake!
- Top up existing insulation in floors, walls, and ceilings.
Get an Efficient Hot Water System
Combi boilers are an energy efficient way of getting unlimited hot water supply for your home, without the wastage. Running on LPG or natural gas, a new combi boiler can be up to 98% energy efficient and only heats the water on a demand basis, so there’s none going to waste. Up to 16% of home energy use is on hot water generation, so investing in a new combi-boiler could be the ticket to add to your home heating system for your place, plus you know there’s going to be hot showers for everyone in the morning rush.
Power Up with Solar
If you haven’t already installed panels on your roof, now may well be the time to look into it. If you’ve already got panels, perhaps you could consider getting more, and don’t forget to maintain them as dirty solar panels can lose 4-20% of their effectiveness. Don’t go thinking if you’re an apartment dweller than you can’t access the power of solar. There are now systems on the market that can get you in on the action too.
If you really want to get the most out of your solar power setup, why not pair it up with a hydronic heating system powered by a heat pump?
Replace Your Boiler
If you already have a boiler in your home powering your hot water system or heating set-up, it pays to ensure that it’s in good condition. A sluggish boiler will reflect in the performance of your heating or hot water system and to get the best energy efficiency it’s important that you get it serviced as per the manufacturers guidelines. It could be worth considering an upgrade if it’s an older model as the latest boilers on the market are highly efficient. Finding the right boiler for your system is vital to ensure you get the most efficient heating, so do your research.
Invest in Hydronic Heating
If you really want to move the needle on your energy efficiency with your home climate control, it’s time to check out hydronic heating. Up to 35% more cost effective to run that ducted systems, hydronic heating and cooling has a thermal efficiency of up to 90%, whereas other systems are at 50% and less.
Boasting numerous health and safety benefits, plus being stylish and importantly environmentally friendly, hydronic heating has taken off in Australia for both residential and commercial property. There are system set ups and product options to suit all home types.
Hydronic heating products are versatile in size and style and include:
- Wall radiators
- Underfloor heating
- In floor trench heating
- Heated towel rails.
In terms of fuel sources, hydronic heating can run on natural gas, LPG, electricity, heat pumps and for those on larger rural properties, wood pellets are amongst other options available.
Ready to Make Your Home Heating More Efficient?
At Hunt Heating, we have supplied over 100,000 Australian homeowners with home heating systems that are environmentally friendly solutions. As Australia’s preferred supplier of hydronic heating products, we offer options for all homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their energy efficiency rating. We believe hydronic is the most efficient heating on the market. Contact the team today to discuss which products best suit your needs.
