How To Heat Your Home

Combustion heater in a warm living room setting

Feeling the chill? We’ve got plenty of hot tips for keeping cosy at home this winter.

The heat is on

As outside temperatures drop, think how good it feels to be cosy indoors. You can tough it out in a thicker pair of socks, or upgrade your home heating and insulation and achieve winter comfort in an energy-efficient fashion. Here are some smart ways to stay toasty.

Return to wood

Solid fuel home heaters have come a long way, with the new generation of slow-combustion heaters boasting enhanced eco credentials. As of September 2019, all new wood heaters sold in Australia have to adhere to a strict set of standards. Before buying a wood heater, check regulations with your state environment protection agency and your local council, as you may need a development application.

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One-touch atmosphere

For the visual appeal of dancing flames without the fuss, look at low-maintenance alternatives to woodburners. Gas heaters blaze up at the touch of a button, or consider electric fireplace heaters, which provide flame effects with no venting required, and can be moved from room to room.

Eco air

A reverse-cycle air conditioner covers off all your heating and cooling needs in one unit. When it’s cold outside, wi-fi control allows you to pre-emptively strike while on your commute, switching on the heating so you can return home to instant cosiness. Some air conditioners, such as the Mitsubishi ‘Bronte’ range, can be fitted with a wi-fi adaptor, which allows you to operate it remotely via a tablet or smartphone.

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Curtain call

A sunny expanse of windows is a weak link in winter. A single pane of glass can lose almost 10 times as much heat as the same area of insulated wall but, if you are renovating, double-glazed windows can reduce heat loss by 30 per cent. For a quick fix, think curtains, blinds or, even better, a layered combination.

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Deal with draughts

According to Climate Council senior researcher Tim Baxter, around 40 per cent of home energy use goes on heating and cooling, but 25 per cent of this is wasted. “Remarkable quantities of heat are lost through small gaps around windows and doors or up unused chimneys – or in some instances through cracks in walls and between floorboards,” says Tim. Thankfully, installing a brush strip to block breezes sneaking under the door is as easy as operating a drill, and adhesive door and window seals are even simpler to apply.

Well padded

A properly insulated home is a snug winter home – and a cool summer home, for that matter. Tim says, “Insulation in the roof, walls and floors is a must for anyone who is hoping to seriously improve the way their home holds heat.” Reflective foils tend to work well in warm climates, where they reflect heat from entering a house, while bulk insulators, like glasswool batts, act like a thermal barrier – the higher the R rating of a product, the more heat it will resist.

Power pointers

Though not the most efficient or economical choice for heating a whole home, electric heaters, including panel and fan ones, are ideal for smaller, insulated spaces. Use them to take the edge off when working from home during a cold snap.

From the ground up

Underfloor heating is perfect for tiled spaces. Since the entire installation is under the tiles, it doesn’t take up space and there will be no cold spots in the room where the warmth doesn’t reach, because the whole floor is essentially the heater. It can be difficult to retrofit, and is best installed during a major reno, rebuild or when adding an extension. You will also need a licensed tradie to assist with installation.

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Lamp of luxury

Get comfort with the flick of a switch, using a single appliance that lights, heats and clears moisture from the air, potentially inhibiting mould growth. A combination heat lamp/extractor fan/light is an excellent all-in-one bathroom solution. This device can’t be installed DIY and must be hardwired by a licensed electrician.

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On the rails

Heated towel rails are highly efficient. “A typical five-bar heated towel rail will use approximately 60W, which is ultimately less than many incandescent light bulbs,” says Annalisa Caronna at Forme. While hardwired heated towel rails will need to be installed by a licensed electrician, some can be simply plugged into your existing power point. While they’ll warm your towels and don’t draw much power, heated rails aren’t hugely effective at heating a larger space.

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