Hot tips for a cosy winter
Wellington energy efficiency specialist Sustainability Trust has all the answers to create healthier homes.
GET YOUR insulation sorted before winter bites. That’s the advice of Josh Wright, home performance adviser for Wellington energy efficiency specialist Sustainability Trust.
The social enterprise helps people to create warmer homes and reduce their impact on the environment by providing advice and selling, recommending and installing products which result in drier, healthier homes.
‘‘An energy efficient home is better for you, your family and the environment - it will save you money in the long-run and you can sleep easy knowing you’ve done a little towards creating a more environmentally sustainable community.’’
Heading into winter, Wright says addressing insulation is most important both from an energy efficiency and cost-saving perspective.
New laws for rental homes also mean landlords need to insulate by July 2019 and the trust is urging them to do it sooner rather than later to beat the rush.
‘‘If you don’t have insulation you can lose up to 35 per cent of the heat you’re producing through the ceiling alone, that’s a lot of money and energy down the drain.
‘‘Curtains are another big one – you can lose up to 30 per cent of your heat through uncovered windows.’’
There are other small changes people can make, such as changing lightbulbs to eco-friendly and long-life LEDs, wrapping hot water cylinders, and changing showerheads to low-flow ones.
When it comes to heating, Wright says it’s also important to get the right heater for the right room.
‘‘You need a certain number of kilowatts per square metre to heat the room adequately – whether that’s a portable heater or a fixed heater like a heat pump.’’
Free standing or wall-mounted radiant heaters for room-specific heating are effective and they don’t have to cost the earth, Wright says.
‘‘We have some in our EcoShop that are highly regarded by Consumer and we also have the king of both good heat and energy efficiency.’’
Addressing moisture issues is vital too, says Wright.
‘‘A damp home is a cold home, and damp air is harder to heat,’’ he explains.
He advises people to check drains, fix leaks, clear vegetation from around the house and use extraction fans.
For those with access under floor, consider installing a product called Ground Vapour Barrier to stop moisture coming up from the ground.
‘‘And don’t forget to open your windows every day, even in wintertime, because it will let out damp air making the air inside easier to heat.’’
Blocking draughts is another great way to keep heat in and wind out, says Josh.
‘‘We rate the V-Strip Draught Excluder for windows, and the humble door snake, which we make out of curtain off-cuts, for internal doors.’’
A quick-fix for those with singleglazed timber windows is plastic window film.
‘‘It’s a cheap, easy to install double layer for your windows and it really doesn’t look as bad as you’d think.’’
Property owners and renters alike can call on Sustainability Trust to conduct a home visit to assess everything from insulation to lightbulbs and give independent advice based on the home and not on a specific product.
For more information phone 0508 78 78 24 or got to sustaintrust.org.nz