Frequently asked questions
I want to put central heating into a house that I am building - what should I consider?
Your main consideration should be to adequately insulate your home - an uninsulated house will be difficult to heat effectively, requiring a larger capacity heater and driving your running costs up.
Choose a central heater that enables you to zone the system so that different areas can be heated at different times (e.g. bedrooms, living areas). Ensure that there are doors between zones, so that unheated areas can be shut off from the warm areas of the home. Heating an entire house at once when you are only using a portion of it is a waste of money and energy.
What is the most efficient form of space heating?
Space heaters are designed to heat an area rather than a whole house. Space heaters tend to be more economical than central heating simply because the units are smaller with lower running costs.
The most economical space heaters are high efficiency (5-6 star rated) natural gas heaters, high efficiency (3-6 star rated) reverse cycle air conditioners or off-peak electric storage fan heaters.
How can I reduce my heating bill?
- Heat only those areas in use at any one time. Close these areas off and keep windows and doors closed.
- Use a correctly sized heater for the space you are heating.
- Don't overheat. Set the thermostat to between 18° to 20°C - every one-degree increase in temperature could increase your energy bill by 15%.
- Don't leave the heater running on low overnight or while you are out of the house.
- Turn off pilot lights (if fitted) over summer.
- Maintain your heating system according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Seal out draughts with draught excluders - air leaks can account for 15 to 25% of heat loss.
- On dark winter days, cover windows with close fitting, floor length heavy curtains - up to 30% of total heat loss from a home occurs through uncovered windows. Leaving curtains open can increase your heating bill by up to $80 per quarter for the average home!
- On sunny winter days, open up the curtains to north-facing windows for free natural solar energy to warm your home.
- Ceiling fans can be used to redistribute heat that has collected up at the ceiling, moving it down to floor level.
- Insulate your home. Non-insulated ceilings, walls and floors can account for over 70% of total heat loss from a home.