KEY POINTS:
Like most people, Wellington couple Miranda James and Myles Thomas are keen to cut their power bill.
The 37-year-olds have already taken steps to make the century-old, 3.5 bedroom house they share in the hill suburb of Brooklyn with 2-year-old Vita more energy efficient, but an hour with consultant Graeme Baker has brought up several more ideas about how to make the timber and brick home cosier.
"You see all these homes that are over 100 years old with no insulation, and you wonder how many families have lived here and frozen," Mr Baker, from the firm Energy Watch, said.
The James-Thomas family don't exactly shiver - they have ceiling insulation, gas-heated hot water and a large and efficient heater - but Baker quickly spots several ways the house could be made warmer and the power bill slashed.
The front door is a good place to start: a lot of heat can escape from a poorly sealed door. Then there are the wooden floorboards just inside the entrance way, or more specifically what isn't underneath them.
Mr Baker says underfloor insulation, which the family is considering as part of upcoming renovations, can boost floor-level temperatures by 3-4C. With a toddler in the house and a second baby due in weeks, warming the lower levels of the house appeals greatly to Ms James.
The sun-bathed upper storey of the James-Thomas home has a much cooler second storey below. Going down the stairs the drop in temperature is obvious, as is the cold draught when Ms James opens a hatchway to let Mr Baker into the basement.
Insulation in the walls under the house and sealing and gibbing an exposed brick wall will not only make downstairs much warmer, but cut the cost of warming it and reduce the need to use a dehumidifier all day.
Mr Baker says the bathroom is where hundreds can be saved if the water temperature isn't too hot, shower pressure isn't too high, dripping taps are fixed, and heated towel rails are not left on all day.
This house's water temperature is perfect, but Mr Baker says he has seen a house where the water cylinder was so hot the home owner was effectively boiling the jug all day.
The James-Thomas family use gas to keep water at an ideal 52C. Their bathroom has been done up, and the family will consult Energy Watch for future alterations.
"We're about to begin the rest of the renovations, so it seemed a good time to look at things like heating," Ms James says.
"I think maybe we're thinking about that more now that we have got a littlie."
THE ENERGY-SAVING CHECKLIST
No cost
* Turn off lights when you leave the room.
* Use cold water for laundry, and wash only full loads.
* Use sun and wind to dry your laundry.
* Repair leaky hot-water taps.
* Close windows and curtains at sunset in the winter.
* When you buy a new appliance, ask for an energy-efficient model (you should check its energy-rating label, or check for models with an Energy Star).
* Exclude draughts with a stuffed snake under the door.
* Switch appliances off at the wall when you're not using them - otherwise they could be guzzling standby energy.
* Check your hot-water cylinder to see if it is set at 60C (140F).
* Use the microwave instead of the oven.
* Put an extra blanket on the bed instead of using an electric blanket.
Low additional cost
* Put energy-efficient lightbulbs in the light fittings you use the most - they last longer and can save you about $100 per bulb over their lifetime.
* Install flow restrictors on your taps and showerheads to cut your water heating bill.
* Fill gaps in your ceiling insulation.
* Fit weather-strips (for draughts and rain) on external doors.
* If your electric hot-water cylinder is not A-Grade, install a cylinder wrap.
* Insulate hot-water pipes - especially the metre nearest the hot-water cylinder.
* Replace faulty seals on fridge-freezers and ovens.
* Block draughty air gaps around pipes and electrical cables with caulking.
* Use blinds and/or curtains to retain heat in winter and provide shade in summer.
* Install insulated skylights to maximise natural light and provide warmth.
Worthwhile investment
* Install thermal curtains.
* Insulate walls and ceiling to well above Building Code requirements.
* Insulate under timber floors.
* Install awnings or shades over windows which overheat your home in the summer.
* Convert to solar-hot-water heating.
* Install double or secondary glazing on windows.
Source www.smarterhomes.org.nz
