Who can help?

Following a home energy, thermal or Scorecard assessment, you may want to know where and who to go to, to help improve your home.

Below is a list we have developed, in our time operating in Adelaide, SA.

It is not complete - and we are always happy to add to it once we’ve met with or had discussions with suppliers!

Insulation

Insulation is like a blanket for your home. It keeps the hot or cold air you create from air conditioning inside the home, and slows the gain of outside temperature. We refer too:

Ceiling insulation

Can be:

  • removed and replaced with new batts

  • add too over the top of existing batts.

Wall insulation

Is a bit trickier because you can’t see inside your walls, like you usually can in your roof. It can involve blowing in insulation to the wall cavity, removing and replacing cladding or gyprock, or adding a second layer of external cladding.

Draught sealing

This involves blocking all the small holes, gaps and cracks in your home. This will slow the temperature transfer from outside to inside, or loss to outside, just like insulation does. We find gaps in the following places:

  • Ceiling vents in walls.

  • Bathroom exhaust fans.

  • Gaps around door and window frames (seeing sunlight through frames).

    Gaps around skirting boards and windows (where the architrave meets the wall or floor).

Online stores / DIY

EcoMaster Store is an Australian and online draught sealing shop. They are great! Browse their website for the following:

Draught sealing is usually an easy DIY fix and you can visit your local hardware store, like Bunnings for many products.

Other resources

There are other places you can get help draught sealing. Businesses like Magnetite, CosyWrap and Thermawood can help if they are also at your home for other work. Blogs are also great.

Here are some ideas about how to seal your wall vents, for example:

Buying appliances

Household appliances

Sometimes your most used appliances can be the cause of high bills. An old fridge or freezer perhaps? A plug-in heater?

Replacing them with a new ones or lower-energy alternatives, can sometimes save as much in running costs over a year or two as what it costs to buy. We recommend:

  • Appliances Online: offering free delivery, installation and removal of your old appliances in Adelaide.

Star ratings

When buying appliances like fridge, freezers, TVs, washing machines and dryers - look for the energy star rating label.

The more stars, the lower the cost to run.

Appliances Online even has a running cost calculator and comparison tool!

Rebates

The Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) in SA can give you cashback on new energy efficient appliances like a fridge, freezer and heat pump clothes dryer. Check out the following websites for more:

Summer shading

Summer shading is the best way to reduce your house from getting too hot, too fast in summer. It works best with insulation and drought sealing.

Stopping the sun from directly hitting your house and heating it up will reduce the impact of really hot days and heat waves.

Solution for renters

We really like the temporary window film Renshade if you get direct sunlight from the sun and can’t install an external shade. This is suitable for renters, for upper storey windows and as a low cost option.

Shade from the outside

Stopping the hot summer sun from hitting your house and windows is the best start.

  • Pergolas and verandas do this, but many houses in SA have very small eaves and dark roofs and walls - making them heat up faster.

  • Plant a vine or tree on the north, west, east side of your home - where every the direct sun comes from in summer.

  • Install a permanent or temporary shade to the outside of the house, shading a wall or window.

Shade from the inside

The best window covering to slow heat gain is:

  • A thick, close fitting curtain and pelmet, or

  • A close-fitting honeycomb blind (or cellular blind).

You can buy them from Ikea, Alibaba, and Veneta - amongst many other shops around Australia!

Try and fit them within 3mm of the wall, or install a channel for the blind to run in, if there is a larger gap.

Winter chills

Window covering

If you install curtains and blinds to reduce summer heating, like above, they will slow the loss of heat in winter.

Window coverings are most effective when they:

  • Are thick fabric, or layers of fabric.

  • Have a very small gap at the walls.

  • Don’t have a gap at the top, which can be a pelmet or blinds fitted within a window recess.

Personal heating

The cheapest form of heating is to heat your body - not the air around you. Consider these low cost purchases to save money on heating:

  • Electric throw rug

  • Electric blanket

  • Blankets and jumpers.

Floor covers and your feet

Cold floors, like tiles, and floors without insulation and with gaps, like timber floors in old homes can create a cold home. You have some options to making the house or yourself feel warmer:

  • Rugs and carpets on floors in the lounge, bedrooms and hallways.

  • Ugg boots or thick socks to keep your feet warm.

Windows

DIY and low cost

There are many ways to better insulate your windows for low cost, with varying levels of effectiveness.

Secondary double glazing

Is more permanent and acts a bit like double glazing to create an extra pocket of insulated air next to your window.

Replacement and retrofit

For a more expensive and complete replacement of your old windows. uPVC frames and timber are better at insulating against the outside temperature than steel or aluminium. Frames are just as important as adding double glazing to your home.

Heating and cooling

Reverse cycle air conditioning

Also know as a heat pump, or an air-con, or abbreviated to a RCAC - reverse cycle air conditioners are the most efficient form of space heating (when compared to other gas and electric options).

For every unit of energy you put into a RCAC - you get 3-5 units of heat out!

For gas heaters and plug in electric heaters, the best you get is 1:1 (1 unit of energy in, 1 unit of energy out).

Ducted RCAC’s are good, but it is cheaper to run smaller individual units in different rooms.

Room sizes

Your RCAC needs to be sized and suited to the space it goes into. The smaller units are the most efficient.

  • Small Rooms (up to 20m²): 2.0-2.5kW (i.e. bedrooms, studies)

  • Medium Rooms (20-40m²): 2.5-5kW (i.e. larger bedrooms, small living rooms)

  • Large Rooms (40-60m²): 4-6kW (i.e. mid-sized living rooms)

  • Very Large Rooms (60m²+): 5-9kW or higher (e.g., open-plan areas, large living rooms). 

Who can help

We recommend seeking a quote for a reverse cycle air conditioner from a Retailer Energy Productivity Scheme (REPS) provider, like the following:

More about REPS here.

Read the Winter Heating Guide and Summer Cooling Guide from Energy Advisory Service, SA.

How water heating

Hot water systems

South Australian homes use many types of hot water systems, and choosing the best one for you and your home can be complex. It depends on whether you have gas in your home already, if you have solar on your roof and if you have a Controlled Load meter. Each house is different.

Homes in SA mostly have instant gas, solar hot water with electric or gas boost, or electric storage hot water systems.

Many also have a hot water heat pump, and this hot water system is become more popular.

But it doesn’t suit every house - especially homes with not much space outdoors like townhouses and apartments.

Hot water heat pumps

Many homes, if they have space, are replacing old systems with hot water heat pumps. They use the same technology as a RCAC (read above) and can be very low cost to run. There are also rebates available via the REPS program to install a new one in your home. Enquire with:

More about REPS here.

More information

Online

Energy Advisory Service: SA Government’s free online and phone based energy support and advice.

YourHome: an Australian Government website with information on homes in Australia, from building, renovating and improving your home to climate and energy information and even your garden!

Facebook group My Efficicent Electric Home (MEEH): online social media community focussed on making homes efficient on an electricity connection.

There is a spin off MEEH SA group for SA based questions and referrals.

Books

Saul Griffiths is the founder of Rewiring Australia and has written some books on getting off gas and electrifying homes in Australia. They should also be in libraries.

Tim Forcey is the founder of the Facebook group My Efficient Electric Home (MEEH) and wrote a book called My Efficient Electric Home Handbook.

Other

  • Mission Possible: community group offering free energy advice.

  • Energy Made Easy: to compare your electricity and gas tariffs.

  • Financial counsellors are free, non-judgemental professionals who can support people with debt. For those with energy debt, or at risk of disconnection, a financial counsellor can work with you and advocate with your retailer.