New home builds must meet new energy efficient standards
If you live in Southern Australia, there's a good chance keeping your home warm this winter has been a constant and expensive battle. Recent changes to the construction code mean new builds across most of the country must meet increased energy efficiency standards. And experts say creating a warmer house doesn't have to break the bank.
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00:00So this is our place, we bought it two years ago.
00:04Bianca Knox fell in love with this 1970s Canberra cottage, but there was a glaring issue.
00:11You'd still have to walk around wearing jumpers, scarves at all hours, so it was very cold.
00:19So she got to work, plugging gaps, removing a fireplace and replacing old exhaust fans.
00:25The fact that we've sealed the gaps so that it's holding the heat makes such a difference
00:30to how long we have to have that on, how high we have to have it on.
00:33The changes have dropped the home's energy requirements by 50 per cent.
00:38The original bill for the winter period was in the sort of high 300s and we've been able
00:43to bring it down to about 250.
00:46Cold old homes are the norm across southern Australia, but recent changes to the National
00:51Construction Code are trying to shift the dial.
00:54New builds must now meet a seven-star efficiency rating, meaning they require about 30 per
00:59cent less energy to heat and cool than a six-star home.
01:04The building industry has warned those changes could add thousands of dollars onto the cost
01:09of construction.
01:11Builders in the past typically have been able to use the same designs again and again and
01:15again and plonk them on blocks without thinking about orientation.
01:19Now this leap to seven stars will require builders to change the design, so there's
01:24quite a lot of opposition because of that.
01:27Sustainable building expert Jenny Edwards says new houses should be airtight.
01:32The thermal camera will show us if there are any gaps.
01:35With efficient insulation.
01:37The gaps in Canberra homes add up to often be equivalent to a 40 centimetre square window
01:42being open all year long.
01:44Double glazing is a big benefit.
01:46And most importantly, homes should be positioned to soak up the sun.
01:51It's not rocket science, it's back to basics.
01:53A little bit of investment up front can save you a lot of money during construction and
01:58masses of money during the life of the home as you run it.
02:01Whether you're building new or retrofitting like Bianca Knox, experts say extra efficiency
02:07is achievable.
02:08It has the potential to be a super comfortable house that doesn't really require much heating
02:13at all, which is the goal.
02:15Staying warm in winter and cool in summer, without breaking the bank.