How to create an energy efficient home..

Have you been surprised by the size of a power bill lately? Or maybe you’d like to reduce your carbon footprint? Then you might be wondering how you can create a more energy efficient home.

Many of us spend a lot of the year paying to improve the temperature of our abodes – whether that’s blasting the air conditioning in summer or running a heater to keep the chill off in the winter months. But what if it was just naturally more comfortable, without the added expense and effort?

Here are five ways you can improve the energy efficiency of your home, according to experts. 

Check your insulation

A good place to start is to check the insulation in your house. Good insulation in the ceiling and under the floor helps to keep your house cooler in summer and warmer in winter. You can choose from wool, polystyrene, glass wool and polyester, as building consultant Stan Scott notes. The Building Code lays out the amount of insulation required in different parts of the country, but there’s nothing to stop you installing more than the minimum in your home. BRANZ estimates that up to 35 per cent of the heat loss in a house can happen through an uninsulated roof.

Update your flooring

If your carpet is a bit threadbare, or you’re walking around on hard flooring, you might find part of the solution is beneath your feet. OneRoof reports that 10 per cent to 20 per cent of heat escapes through the floor. A cold floor can also make a room feel colder. 

Think about your heating options

Heat pumps are a New Zealand favourite, and for good reason. They can be a very cost-effective way to heat living spaces particularly and pump out more heat for each kilowatt hour of power they use than other heaters do, using the same amount of power. EECA estimates it costs 3c to 16c per unit of heat produced by a heat pump, compared to 19c to 40c for a standard electric heater.

Double glazing

A lot of the temperature of a room is driven by the windows. It’s possible to have double-glazing installed in an existing home. If a professional solution isn’t an option, it’s also possible to get “stick on” options from hardware stores.

LED lights

LED lightbulbs use 85 per cent less electricity than traditional bulbs and last much longer, EECA says. It says swapping out five bulbs for LEDs should save you up to $75 a year. There’s a bit of initial investment because the bulbs are a little more expensive, but research shows payoff is there once you make the change.

Bonus tip: Build better

If you’re still in the build phase, your options are much wider. You could position the house to take advantage of the direction of the sun, with the bulk of the windows on the north side, for example, or choose roofing materials that reflect more light, which can help to keep a house cooler. One local study even showed that just painting a roof white can help.

Like to talk? 

If you’re planning renovations to your home, or thinking about moving to a new one, we can offer advice on the right home loan options for you.

Disclaimer: Please note that the content provided in this article is intended as an overview and as general information only. While care is taken to ensure accuracy and reliability, the information provided is subject to continuous change and may not reflect current developments or address your situation. Before making any decisions based on the information provided in this article, please use your discretion and seek independent guidance.