Keeping The House Warm

RenVilo on 20/05/2025 - 08:26

So with winter coming up I thought I'll see what options there are. Last few days has been cold. I have ducted heating (gas) and apart from it taking forever to warm the house in the morning, its also super expensive.

Things I thought of doing:

  1. close the vents on the cooling as they aren't being used. The heating vents are different.

  2. Closing doors to rooms that isn't used in the morning and make sure they seal well

  3. Install a few panel heaters in the house and always keep them on when its cold (possibly timers with Home Assistant)

Are those even worth doing or are there some better things to do

Home & Garden

Comments

              • Clickbait on 20/05/2025 - 15:35
                +4

                @tp0: I am sure no-one has bothered to mention it to you but Victoria is exporting approximately 70% of Victorian gas, according to our font of all truth. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-23/exxonmobil-warns-gas-….
                If I had one chook, I would be eating all the eggs until the chook died, not feeding others til I died

                • tp0 on 20/05/2025 - 15:52
                  -1

                  @Clickbait: That doesn't make any sense. We don't have an export terminal and the pipes from the north only ever seem to run in one direction (towards us). I believe the former premier either misspoke or was misquoted and was referring to export nationally.

                  Victorian gas hasn't been exported in some time. This article from 2019 says it's "no longer being sent offshore". https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-24/why-victoria-is-facin…

                  • Clickbait on 20/05/2025 - 15:57
                    +1

                    @tp0: My ABC story is only two years old. Yours is six.

                  • Clickbait on 20/05/2025 - 16:11
                    +3

                    @tp0: And a bit more
                    In 2024, it's estimated that a significant portion of Victoria's gas production, around 80%, was exported. Specifically, about 70% of Australia's total gas production, including Victoria's, was exported, and Australia is a leading global LNG exporter. For Victoria, the total available gas supply is forecast to drop by 48% over the outlook period, from 297 PJ in 2024 to 154 PJ in 2028, according to AEMO reports.
                    So there you have it,. We are running out of gas because we are selling it overseas. U hope it's not China

                  • trongy on 20/05/2025 - 23:16
                    +1

                    @tp0: According to the ExxonMobile website, on a page dated May 2024, the export terminal is at Long Island Point (Hastings).

                    Another page on their site from February this year says they are still investing in new gas wells:
                    Esso, Mitsui and Woodside to invest nearly $200 million into the Gippsland Basin

                • TEER3X on 20/05/2025 - 19:19

                  @Clickbait: I heard the yanks are taking all of our gas and we aren't even profiting from it.

                • Protractor on 20/05/2025 - 19:56
                  +1

                  @Clickbait: Pretty sure f you had a chook it would be a rooster.
                  And it'd sleep on the right side of the perch, in the right side of the roost.

  • Johnsy5252 on 20/05/2025 - 12:25
    +1

    In our case it two ton of mixed gum, red and blue, and a ton of mallee stumps. Total cost $1,500. Ouch!

    • Clickbait on 20/05/2025 - 15:27

      Wow, your council hasn't arrested you for that?

      • Protractor on 20/05/2025 - 18:27

        Aren't you paying attention? Ppl who live in the bush, you can do what they want to the bush, cos Nationals tradition.
        Tell me about the local govt ranger arrest rate in your council area.For anything.

    • MS Paint on 20/05/2025 - 16:34

      I've got unlimited free redgum, yellowbox and greybox (other than my time to collect and split and cost of 2 stroke and chains). The whole house remains at 25°c all winter with just a 100w fan underneath the hot box. I love winter.

      • JimB on 21/05/2025 - 11:05

        25 is too hot for me but yes, a house warmed by fire/radiant heat would be fantastic.

        Exactly what wood heater do you have?

        • MS Paint on 21/05/2025 - 11:23

          Ultimate supreme 25.

          25° means trackies and a T-shirt. Perfect.

          • JimB on 21/05/2025 - 11:29
            +2

            @MS Paint: 25° would have me topless in just me undies.

            • MS Paint on 21/05/2025 - 11:30

              @JimB: You are more than welcome to visit anytime then. I'll pm you the address.

  • lgacb08 on 20/05/2025 - 12:33
    +1

    Some bookworms here keep talking about passive heating and north facing windows without realising the impossibility of retro fittings them onto existing house and geographical differences in Melbourne. North facing windows do jack all for a morning in Melbourne when the sun doesn't rise after 8am and you should be at work by then.
    I assume your ducted gas use ceiling vent and intake vent on the ceiling too, that's why it takes forever to get warm. Most sensible solution is to install split in a couple of bedrooms, might not be aesthetically pleasing but very efficient and warm. You can retrofit/reroute duct outlets to make sure hot air doesn't stay hovering near the ceiling but I bet not many tradies want to help you on that bit. Then look for spots to prevent heat loss like draught and roof insulation. Anything other than that will be expensive.

    • Protractor on 20/05/2025 - 14:00
      +2

      I forgot only ppl from Melbourne read posts about Melbourne.

    • jjjaar on 20/05/2025 - 14:48

      Splits + ceiling fan on winter mode helps.

      But uncommon knowledge: you can get floor standing split systems if winter is more a concern than summer.

      • TEER3X on 20/05/2025 - 19:24

        I don't really get the fan thing on winter mode, do you leave it on during the night?

        • jjjaar on 20/05/2025 - 19:54

          It pushes the heat down, and because hot air rises, ensuring the room is a consistent temperature from floor to ceiling can be an issue with split systems due to them being installed up high.

          We don’t currently have ceiling fans but did in our old place and they helped a lot. Can definitely feel the variation in temperature on the floor vs at head height when standing. We didn’t leave them on overnight as the additional sound bothered me a bunch.

      • Hangryuman on 21/05/2025 - 14:56

        'you can get floor standing split systems(mhiaa.com.au) if winter is more a concern than summer.'

        Those are standard in cheap US motels - just under the front window beside the entrance door to your room for the night, and they are NOISY !

        but this may help reduce your being disturbed by the noisy people in the next room 🤸‍♂️🤸😖

  • payless69 on 20/05/2025 - 14:07
    -1

    OP located in Antarctica?

    No cold in the tropics…

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 20/05/2025 - 20:20
    +3

    Don't underestimate the power of a good hot water bottle.

    • serpserpserp on 20/05/2025 - 21:28
      +1

      That is street knowledge right there

  • Blahness on 20/05/2025 - 21:26

    My location in Victoria got down to -2degrees last night .
    I wore fleece pants and a long sleeve top to bed, used hot water bottle and a single minijumbuk “thermal” wool blanket without any heating and I was toasty warm.

    • Hangryuman on 21/05/2025 - 14:57

      I like electric blankets - cost like 4c a night - get into a toasty warm bed - bliss for this miss …

      • Muppet Detector on 21/05/2025 - 19:17

        If you are a miss, how do you know how they used to wake up kids in boys boarding schools?

        • Hangryuman on 22/05/2025 - 10:35

          Misster Completely

        • Protractor on 22/05/2025 - 12:34

          Probs a Catholic BS

          • Hangryuman on 23/05/2025 - 17:22

            @Protractor: nah - non-denom - my friend from a Catholic school was way more effed up - big time !

  • serpserpserp on 20/05/2025 - 21:27
    -1

    Put a jumper on

  • Blahness on 20/05/2025 - 21:29
    +1

    Does any one have a good solution for aluminum framed single glazed windows?

    My inside temperature is hardly warmer than outside? ;(

  • miwahni on 20/05/2025 - 21:45
    +4

    House in the next street covered all of their windows with reflective foil. They either have a toasty warm house, or a thriving drug crop.

    • spaceflight on 20/05/2025 - 22:30
      +2

      In either scenario the house will be warm

    • JimB on 21/05/2025 - 11:07
      +1

      Win/win

      Why not make money while heating up your house?

      • Hangryuman on 21/05/2025 - 14:58

        Maan - I'm Hungry !!!

        • Protractor on 21/05/2025 - 17:41

          Would you like a peanut paste,banana,avo and potato chip sambo? And a bag of marshmallows and cooked chook with some mashed spud,to tide you over?

  • aquavires on 20/05/2025 - 23:21
    1. close the vents on the cooling as they aren't being used. The heating vents are different.

    Is this evaporative cooling or reverse-cycle air-conditioning (RCAC)?

    If it's evaporative, definitely close the vents. But if it's ducted RCAC, use it for heating! (It's much cheaper to run than the ducted gas, although split-system RCAC is even cheaper than ducted RCAC)

    1. Closing doors to rooms that isn't used in the morning and make sure they seal well

    Agreed.

    In additional, it's even more important to draught-proof your home: Close and seal the external doors and windows (and any other gaps that might exist between your walls/floors/ceilings and the outdoors)

    1. Install a few panel heaters in the house and always keep them on when its cold (possibly timers with Home Assistant)

    I think @jjjaar is right: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/16535731/redir

    1. In true OzBargain style, upgrade your home for comfort while taking advantage of the rebates/discounts from the Victorian Energy Upgrades program! https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/home-and-business-energy-i…
  • Zonty on 21/05/2025 - 00:02

    Work more pay bill by keeping heater on.

  • inertia8 on 21/05/2025 - 08:16

    If your house is drafty then check and seal as many air leaks as you can find, door seals, finding odd gaps in kitchen cabinetry etc. Then target single glazing windows with perhaps honeycomb blinds or something of that nature. This will go a fair way to making the space more comfortable.

    https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/energy-efficiency-and-…

  • ilikeverycheapstuff on 21/05/2025 - 08:42

    i've always had door seals on the outside of the door but found sometimes the gap would not be closed enough to stop ants. I've recently installed another brush style door seal on the inside as well and have found the heat within the home hold significantly well.

    Intrusion of ants has been dropping significantly as well.

  • casho on 21/05/2025 - 09:19

    if you have an upper level make sure to block off the heat rising up the stairwell. I put an insulated curtain at my stairs entrance and it made a huge difference to keeping to heat on ground level

  • LFO on 21/05/2025 - 10:07

    Thick curtains on all relevant windows is a must …

  • Odin on 21/05/2025 - 11:25
    +2
    1. Go get a caulking gun and a few tubes of gap filler and go to town all over your house. Go around windows, doors, walls, etc. anywhere where there are gaps or openings. It's good to test around your windows on a windy day if you can feel air, then seal them up.
    2. Insulate your walls if you can
    3. If you really want to, get double glazed or triple glazed windows.
    4. If you can't. Get curtains
    5. Insulate your roof and floors
    6. Get draft seals for all your doors and possibly replace the ones on your windows

    Australian homes are generally hopelessly bad at air sealing, sound proofing, and insulation, so you really need to do your best to fix it yourself. Even new homes are hopeless compared to north america or europe

  • skillet on 21/05/2025 - 13:29

    Get on your feet and move around, start burning some excess. Keep your muscles active. Put on covers, head gear and socks.

    Sitting down and inactive for prolonged period lowers metabolism, great way to collect fat! Which will eventually shield you from the cold.

    • Hangryuman on 21/05/2025 - 15:00

      order more pizza - then burn more fat ?

  • dowhatuwant2 on 21/05/2025 - 14:34

    Buy a 5090

    • Hangryuman on 21/05/2025 - 14:59

      is that like a 304 ?

  • BS-19 on 21/05/2025 - 15:31

    Move to QLD.
    Shorts + Jumper at the worst of times.

    • Protractor on 21/05/2025 - 16:40

      A bridge too far.

  • zealmax on 21/05/2025 - 16:11
    +3

    I cut the bottom of a 2 man Kmart tent and tucked the 2 halves under the mattress of a double bed. Fits a double bed very well. Sleeping inside of the bed tent is quite warm. You could extend on this idea and pitch a tent in your living area and put a small space heater inside.

    • JIMB0 on 21/05/2025 - 17:33

      If there's more than one person a tent is actually pretty warm, even out on a freezing cold camp site. Only problem is if someone let's off gas.

  • AustriaBargain on 21/05/2025 - 18:35
    +1

    If you own your home, look into split systems. They are economical because you can heat individual rooms/parts of your house and heat pumps are the only efficient way to use electricity to heat a house. If you like a toasty warm house then they will pay for themselves after 10 years compared to getting a bunch of bar heaters.

  • l005e on 21/05/2025 - 19:18

    Watch the series White Gold it's all about keeping the house warm

  • India pale ale on 21/05/2025 - 20:16

    Last year I had gas heating running all winter
    Me walking around in a $5 tshirt from Kmart
    Loved the warm air, so comfortable
    Then comes the bill at least 500 per bill

    So

    So we aren’t using it anymore

    I immediately installed the heat pump water heaters
    Changed my old window heaters with new reverse cycle ones
    Changed to induction cooking
    Cut the gas connection
    This way we just have to pay supply charge for only one utility and can monitor our usage, but that doesn’t matter as it is essential and we have to use it no matter what

    This season
    We are laying the single bed heated blanket at the bottom of the bed where our feet are
    Use only the ceramic heaters in the room
    Having whiskey a lot
    Lots of curry
    Sex

    It all helps to warm up

  • AS2035 on 21/05/2025 - 20:24

    Warm clothes. hot drinks

  • furyou on 21/05/2025 - 21:29

    Use all your solar to heat as much as you can during the day, open all doors so it seeps thru.

  • voo123 on 21/05/2025 - 23:49
    +2

    Australian homes lack thermal efficiency and people like to crank on A/C as a band aid solution.
    If you’re building a home, prioritise solar orientation, insulation, air tight seal and double glazing. Leave the A/C and aesthetic upgrades until last

    For existing homes, prioritise roof insulation (wall is too expensive to retrofit), sealing gaps around windows and doors, thick curtains, apply bubble wrap film on windows. Use government rebates to get rid of gas heating and install multi splits.

    My 5 year old home is 8.2 star efficiency (minimum is 7star now) and I don’t operate the A/C much. If its really cold, I turn it on for 1hr and the heat is retained throughout day with assistance of northern sun and other thermal upgrades. House is aesthetically standard with all ‘hidden’ upgrades via insulation roof/walls/slab, double glaze windows, upvc window frames, air tight, solar orientation (all things most people neglect).

    Alternatively, dress like an eskimo or crank on A/C all day and wonder what went wrong.

    • D3HUN on 22/05/2025 - 12:09

      This! Having moved here from Europe, the lack of insulation and thermal efficiency measures is just shocking. I figured it is not cold enough to literally freeze to death, so people (builders and building standards) can "get away" with not caring too much about insulation.

      But it is not just about the cold…
      Double glazed thermal windows keep out the cold, but also the heat (summer) and noise
      Wall insulation not only keeps the cold out, but you won't have to cool that much in summer. And insulation+thermal mass gives you much more comfort (eg. you can keep a lower air temperature and still won't feel cold).

      Oh, and you won't get water trickling down the windows/walls, so no mould…

      And lower energy bills while still not freezing over every winter morning.

      Anyhow, rant over.

    • Protractor on 22/05/2025 - 12:39
      +2

      You can lead a horse to water, but you can't lead a Strayan home builder to solar passive.That's my experience. They'd rather look like next doors black roofed oven/fridge , and have 9 bedrooms and theatre room they never use.
      The irony is basic solar passive isn't expensive or ugly.The opposite. Even getting the extra stuff to raise the efficiency will always pay itself off over time. Kudos to you.Well done.

      • voo123 on 22/05/2025 - 13:25
        +2

        The main concern is the lack of education around thermal efficiency and solar passive. The price of comfort and energy bill savings is hard quantify. I.e what price do you put on a naturally warm and well lit living area in Winter?

        As mentioned, Its not expensive at all during construction phase. It is literally putting rooms in the right solar orientation for a start, upgrading insulation for peanuts, making sure gaps are sealed, putting eaves to not only protect your windows from water damage but also the direct sun, some double glaze in the right areas. None are big money upgrades.

        95% of homes out there have bad solar orientation and its an uphill battle to find band aid solutions to rectify this.

      • JIMB0 on 22/05/2025 - 13:34

        It always amazes me to see people build a big fancy house on huge block and not even bother to position it so the long side faces north. It's as if they just plonked it randomly on the block without a though for where the sun shines.

        • Protractor on 22/05/2025 - 13:42

          Yeah nah, it doesn't amaze me, it confirms the reality that ppl aren't the own best advocates.Ignorance is bliss.It's also a familiar blanket.House gotta face the letterbox,no matter what. Or, view is everything.It's like taxing yourself.

        • cloudy on 22/05/2025 - 14:38

          I'll start by saying I don't know much about building, but could it be because in summer the north side takes in too much sun and homes get too hot? Obviously benefits winter, but bad for summer?

          • Protractor on 22/05/2025 - 15:08

            @cloudy: Just google solar passive and sun angles per GPS location. Major southern state cities North is your friend in the solar passive home, West is not (especially in summer).
            Username appropriate

            Solar Passive Knowledge Base

          • voo123 on 22/05/2025 - 15:36

            @cloudy: The home becomes too hot in summer due to radiant heat hitting the windows and transferring heat into home. The double glazing traps and retains that heat in the home.

            Solution: have eaves to block the radiant heat from hitting the windows and adjust window heights higher so the heat hits the window sill or below. With this method, you get maximum sunlight without the actual radiant heat.

            In winter most of the sun goes right through your home (which is beneficial)

          • JIMB0 on 22/05/2025 - 15:43

            @cloudy: The sun is higher in the sky during summer, almost overhead. A small eve will stop it entering the windows on the north side. During winter it is lower and will shine in, heating and lighting the rooms.

            If you face east your home will heat up early in summer while getting a few hours of sun on a winters morning. West facing is the worst, your home will be cold until afternoon and scorching hot in summer.

            • Protractor on 23/05/2025 - 09:44

              @JIMB0: You would think if ppl can't pay attention to the sun , that teaching the basic principles of solar angles would be in the curriculum. I mean why do these ppl think shadows vary in length over the year, at the same time of day?

              • JIMB0 on 23/05/2025 - 09:57

                @Protractor: A lot of real estate agents point out if a house is north facing. I've even seen one flip the north arrow on the plan to make it appear like a better situated house. When I went to look at it, I had trouble finding it as I was looking on wrong side of the street. I pointed this out to the agent who acted all surprised and said he'd fix it, needless to say he never fixed it. When I bought my house they completely overlooked that it was north facing.

            • Hangryuman on 23/05/2025 - 17:38

              @JIMB0: this sun angle chart for Sydney (at nearly 34 degrees south of the equator) - https://tinyurl.com/3r5sskkm - shows mid-summer noon sun about 10 degrees north of vertical - which could be shaded by a small eave.

              mid-winter noon sun is more like 30 degrees above the horizon so that is where the most desirable warmth comes in north-facing glass

              the problem is finding a place with north-facing windows not shaded by neighbours' trees to the north !

              as I feel Sydney winter sun is only desirably warm above 30 degrees above the horizon, the sun angle chart suggests this is only between about 11am and 1pm in mid-winter - a short time only !

              in mid-summer, sunrise is about 30 degrees south of east, and sunset is about 30 degrees south of west. So you really don't want south-west glass for hot summer input.

              the other reason to avoid south-west glass in Sydney is prevailing cold winds tend to come from the south-west.

              So south-west facing glass gets the worst of both - too hot in summer, too cold in winter !

              • JIMB0 on 23/05/2025 - 19:39

                @Hangryuman: Now you're being picky, even when the sun is low it still up heats the windows which would otherwise be stone cold. The trick is to get a property that is on the north side of a hill so that you're higher up, then build 2 stories and set the house against the south side of the block. Even better if the north side faces the street to give you a bigger buffer from pesky sun blocking trees.

      • Blahness on 22/05/2025 - 21:04
        +1

        Easier to “impress” people with 9 bedrooms plus study and a rumpus for a family of 4 compared to hidden stuff like hidden roof insulation or double glazed windows

        • Hangryuman on 23/05/2025 - 17:40

          Ooh - 9 bedrooms ! I read recently of a guy wondering why his new ducted air-con cost him 53kWh/day for heating in Melbourne …

  • DemocracyManifest on 22/05/2025 - 15:16

    For very cold night a radiant heater will do the job.
    https://www.kmart.com.au/product/radiant-heater-black-435088…
    Then electric blankets for beds, turn off when warm.
    Slow cook your food in your oven on the weekend, utilise a dutch oven.

    • DemocracyManifest on 22/05/2025 - 15:17

      If I had the cash I'd restore my fireplace, but this is enough.

    • Hangryuman on 23/05/2025 - 17:48

      'For very cold night a radiant heater will do the job. https://www.kmart.com.au/product/radiant-heater-black-43508846/'

      That looks like 2400W or 2.4kW on high.

      I pay 31c/kWh so running that on high would cost me 74c per hour.
      If it ran high for 24 hours that would cost me about $18 per day.
      If it ran high for 90 days of winter that would cost me about $1620.
      Of course it would cycle on and off, so should only cost a ?fraction of that …

      Like oil-column heaters loved by mothers as safe around kids (lovely radiant heat - won't catch fire, etc.), and quiet so they leave them on day and night all winter … until they get their winter electricity bill - and WTF !?!?! How come it's $500 !?!?!

      I call these heaters 'silent assassins' - they can kill your household budget.

      • DemocracyManifest on 24/05/2025 - 11:49

        Well yeah I’d be running it only from time to time with majority of heating from split system air con if needed

  • Drakesy on 22/05/2025 - 15:29

    I just cover myself in multiple macpac halo down jackets.

    • Protractor on 22/05/2025 - 15:46

      I hollow out grizzly bears and sleep inside them.It's getting expensive.If only drop bears were bigger.

  • aimon on 22/05/2025 - 18:47

    Electric fleece have been fantastic for us. Just pop a few of these on your couch, and you'll be toasty warm. There's no need to heat the house, just where you are.

  • hallo123 on 23/05/2025 - 09:57

    In Newcastle

    100-year old weather-board house on stumps.

    Installed ducted (electric) and solar when we moved in. Was OK.

    But…

    The biggest benefit I got was from getting an insulating company to redo the ceiling insulation, as in put the insulation back where it was meant to be after the ducted installers and downlight installers, and probably solar installers moved them around. I also installed under floor insulation since the cost wasn't bad.

    Before that: heat would disappear straight away after ducted ± air conditioning was turned off.

    After: heat would stay for several hours, so I could turn ducted heating on all through solar-period (10am–3pm), then turn off before cooking dinner, and heat would "stay in" until (early) bed time. Add night-time hot shower if I needed. Also wear wool.

    Other simple things are weather strips in outer doors.

    I haven't done the thermal camera, check for gaps, wall insulation, glazing etc. Roof also needs sarking. Just because of lack of time, asbestos boards, and as this is a really old house that should be demolished.

  • Oztx on 23/05/2025 - 11:54

    Easiest and cheapest: winter clothes, heavy duty socks and heated blanket does the job for oz winters.

    We have AC heating but it take ages to get any warmth from it, so we just keep it for cooling in the summer.

    • JIMB0 on 23/05/2025 - 11:56

      Have you leaving it on 24/7? It's surprisingly cheap to run if your home is well sealed and insulated.

      • tenpercent on 23/05/2025 - 12:01

        if your home is well sealed and insulated

        Not everyone has that and if they're renting they've got buckley's of getting poor sealing and poor insulation remedied.

        • JIMB0 on 23/05/2025 - 12:08
          -1

          Renters always have the option to move to a house that is well sealed and insulated.

          • Hangryuman on 23/05/2025 - 17:24

            @JIMB0: ima guess most renters tend to be inexperienced in HVAC matters and unlikely to see an easy choice between similar properties where one is well sealed and insulated, and another is not, for the same price, features and location that suits them.

            • JIMB0 on 23/05/2025 - 20:01

              @Hangryuman: In that case it's probably a good thing that I didn't suggest they buy their own house and insulate/seal it.

      • Oztx on 23/05/2025 - 12:31

        Yeah I understand that once AC temp and ambient temp reach equilibrium, electricity cost isnt big, that is why we do keep it open during summer because there isnt anything else to do when temps are 35+, but oz winters are "mild" and very bearable with winter clothes so I dont see the need to keep ACs open in 3-4 rooms 24/7 to get slightly warmer temperature.

        Maybe if temp are in the negatives and clothes are not sufficient we would consider it, but as it is right now, 0+ degrees isnt an issue at all for us.

  • Kiro on 23/05/2025 - 12:19

    Keep air circulation going, don't have it too warm or you'll be constantly have condensation issues on windows and mould growth etc.

    Id rug up instead

  • tessel on 23/05/2025 - 17:18

    Heat pump/split system. Get rid of gas.

  • MrThing on 23/05/2025 - 18:08
    +1

    The house doesn't complain if its cold only the people do

    so heat the person by wearing appropriate clothes for the weather

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join