The final energy saving measure in Douglas' house was swapping inefficient incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient LED lights. These use up to 80 per cent less energy than the old-fashioned bulbs. "The new LED bulbs make the house a lot brighter," reports Douglas. "And we don't seem to have to change them as often."
Quality LEDs do last a lot longer, confirms Christian Hoerning, senior adviser for EECA Energywise. "Smart lighting choices in your home can help to reduce your power bill considerably. You pay 400 per cent more to run a standard bulb instead of a quality energy-efficient LED bulb that gives you the same amount of light. And you can expect an LED bulb to last 15 years or more. Over the lifetime, an LED could save you $290 [for each LED bulb] of similar brightness to a 100W standard light bulb."
Heat treatment
Replacing the unflued gas heater in Douglas' home with a heat pump not only saves her more money but also has significant health benefits for her family, says Hoerning.
"Unflued gas heaters, including portable LPG heaters, have no vent or chimney to carry away emissions such as water vapour, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. These are all released directly into the room and this can make your house damp and harm your health if there isn't enough fresh air ventilation. Portable LPG heaters can also be a fire risk. EECA recommends you avoid using unflued gas heaters for these reasons.
"If you do use one, keep at least one window open to allow fresh air to enter the room and waste gases to escape," he advises. "Never use them in bedrooms. Apart from the safety concern, portable LPG heaters are also the most expensive form of heating (except for some open fires).
"If you cannot afford to invest in an effective, fixed heating option, consider portable electric heaters which are cheap to buy and safer and more economic to run than portable LPG heaters."
Keeping your home warm is important for your health and comfort, and a good heating system (coupled with proper insulation, ventilation and moisture control) makes it much easier to do, says Hoerning.
He cites World Health Organisation recommendations - supported by the Ministry of Health here - for a minimum of 18C for most rooms and no less than 20C for more vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and people who are ill.
During the night adult bedrooms can be colder but temperatures should not be lower than 16C.
Another factor that many people don't take into consideration with heating is that it needs to be sized correctly for the room or area being heated, he adds.
Damp proof
Dampness was a major issue with one of the three houses that won the EECA and Smart Energy makeover package. If your house is damp, you need to find its source before you do anything else, stresses Hoerning. "This might be broken guttering or downpipes, leaks in roofs, or water seeping under the house. Some of these issues may be easy and low-cost to fix. Installing externally venting extraction fans will help keep homes dry. EECA also recommends giving your house a good airing every day."
Where to begin?
According to Paul Thomson of Smart Energy Solutions, homeowners often don't know where to start in fixing a cold, damp home. "We have a wide range of solutions, including insulation, heat pumps, dehumifiers, ventilation systems, heat-transfer systems and panel heaters so we can give an unbiased view of the best first step," he says. "We advocate fixing door and window seals and draughts first - which is a fairly cheap fix - followed by ceiling and underfloor insulation.
"People are often astounded at the difference insulation makes. They don't expect the effect to be as immediate and as dramatic as it proves to be. Once insulated, energy-efficient heating can be addressed and, thanks to the Auckland Council, there is financial support to buy insulation and/or heating and pay it off on your rates over nine years."
Hoerning agrees that ceiling and underfloor insulation are the top priorities if you want a warmer, drier home that is easier to heat.
He points out that households with a Community Services Card may be eligible for free insulation as part of the Government's Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes programme. Landlords of eligible tenants may also be asked to make a contribution.
Get to the source of the problem first
The other two winners of the energy makeover package were Caren McNee of Campbells Bay on Auckland's North Shore and Monica Rodriguez of Meadowbank in East Auckland.
Caren McNee's rented house is insulated but it had damp and mould, common problems in many New Zealand homes that should not be neglected as they can cause health issues.
Rather than installing a home ventilation system in McNee's house, EECA Energywise and Smart Energy Solutions decided to address the source of the damp rising from below the house by fixing the storm water outlets and guttering. An on-ground vapour barrier was also installed underneath the house to stop the damp rising and extraction fans were put into the kitchen and bathroom to remove moisture.
Finally, to further reduce moisture levels the family was given a dehumidifier. And so they can keep an eye on humidity levels, EECA Energywise and Smart Energy Solutions provided them with hygrometers (low cost and available online). The recommended humidity levels for an average home are 40-60 per cent.
Rodriguez, the third winner, lives in a house that was very cold in winter and too hot in summer. She and her partner could not use the living area in summer because it was so hot, she says.
To keep the house cooler during the warmer months and warmer and drier in the colder part of the year, EECA Energywise and Smart Energy Solutions installed underfloor and ceiling insulation. They also installed a heat pump in the living room. Old-style downlights that are expensive to run were replaced with modern energy efficient LED downlights.
