Frosty temperatures over the past week have been a brutal reminder of just how draughty and cold Aussie homes are – and how this is widely accepted as simply the norm.
And now experts have revealed the key reasons why our homes are significantly colder than those in many other parts of the world – despite Australia having a warmer climate.
Dr Nicola Willand of the RMIT University School of Property, Construction and Project Management said Aussie homes were poorly constructed.
They were also some of the largest in the world, making them harder to heat.
“That ‘chill in the morning’ is certainly a widely shared experience in Australia – but it shouldn’t be,” she said.
“Australian homes tend to be uninsulated, draughty and fitted with inefficient heaters.
“This means that warmth dissipates quickly once heating is switched off, air movement between heated areas and the colder walls and windows make people feel uncomfortable, and it makes heating very ineffective and expensive.”
Even new Aussie homes are less energy efficient than comparable homes in other countries.
Many people were unaware of the health risks associated with cold homes, she added.
“Keeping warm advice that focuses on body warmth ignores the risks of cold indoor air for respiratory and heart health, infections and mould,” Dr Willand said.
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The high costs of living meant even modern heating in newer homes was too expensive to run regularly, she added.
“Even though new homes are more energy efficient, central heating in these large homes can be too expensive if householders are burdened with high mortgage payments.
“Restricting heating to one or two rooms is difficult, as heating control is limited, with many homes having a maximum of two zones to switch on (or) off.”
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Aussie homes tend to be poorly insulated.
Australian regulatory standards reinforce heating levels below par for the rest of the world, according to Dr Willand.
The National Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme, which governs home energy star ratings for new dwellings, assumes living room heaters are switched off between midnight and 7am.
The problem is that this warmth dissipates quickly in most Aussie homes because of the poor insulation, resulting in cold living areas.
The scheme also assumes a heating thermostat setting in bedrooms of 15 degrees between midnight and 7am – lower than the 18 degrees recommended by the World Health Organisation.
“(These) assumptions suggest that being cold at 7am, when most of us are getting ready for work and school, is acceptable,” Dr Willand said. “By contrast, energy efficiency ratings in other countries will assume heating in all rooms and at all hours of the day and night.”
Retrofitting homes with better insulation would help solve some of the problems with cold homes.
RMIT Professor Ralph Horne said in a university release that Australian building code has, for a long time, been much less stringent than comparable nations such as the US and Europe.
2005 research found housing in compatible climates in North America and Europe was 55 per cent more efficient for heating and cooling energy compared to minimum standard housing in Australia.
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“The average energy efficiency (NatHERS) rating of all the overseas comparison homes was over seven stars, and we have yet to implement seven stars here in Australia almost 20 years later,” Professor Horne said.
“Across Australia, there has been a longstanding awareness of drought, water efficiency and extreme events such as floods and bushfires, but much less focus on energy efficiency in homes.
Aussies homes tend to be colder in winter than many of the homes in other developed countries, despite having a warmer climate.
“An implicit reliance on cheap energy has now become increasingly challenged by the need to respond to climate change, and the rise in energy poverty.
“For a variety of reasons, energy costs have risen across Australia and this has brought to light the inefficiency of Australian homes, as households struggle to keep the heating on and pay the bills.”
Dr Trivess Moore, an expert in sustainable housing, said many homes would benefit from a retrofit.
Retrofit includes options such as sealing up cracks, improving insulation and installing double glazed windows. Many states offer rebates to help reduce retrofit costs.