Low temperatures, the cost of living crisis and poor home design are making many Australians feel the harsh winter cold more than ever this year.
Dr Nicola Willand, from RMIT University’s School of Property, Construction and Project Management, spoke to FEMAIL about the “big freeze” hitting the country and the flaws making homes in Australia colder than the The rest of the year. WHO approved 18C.
She believes it is due to a combination of factors, namely that Australian regulatory standards are below the rest of the world and a lack of awareness about the link between cold weather and health.
“Firstly, energy has historically been abundant and relatively cheap, so homeowners and regulators were less concerned about the affordability of heating than they are now,” he told FEMAIL.
“Countries like Europe have had energy crises, such as the oil crisis in the 1970s, that have threatened energy security, increased energy costs, and triggered energy efficiency measures.”
Insulation is key whether you are looking for a cooler or warmer home
Secondly, he said, there is still little awareness about health and cold homes in Australia.
“In contrast, the term ‘energy poverty’ was coined in Britain because excess winter mortality was much higher in the UK than in other, much colder countries,” Dr Willand continued.
‘Research found that British houses were less insulated and colder than Scandinavian ones. In Germany, for example, the first insulation requirements were introduced in the 1950s to mitigate the risk of mold.
Dr Nicola Willand is from the School of Property, Construction and Project Management at RMIT University.
‘These findings triggered a concerted effort to improve the thermal performance of homes in Britain. The first residential insulation standards were introduced in Australia in the 1990s.’
Lastly, Dr. Willand said regulators must “balance stakeholder demands with housing supply and affordability.”
“Australia has a housing affordability crisis and energy efficiency measures can increase the cost of housing, partly because many of the products must be imported,” he said.
Dr. Willand’s advice is to work on creating a well-insulated home as best you can, something that will be useful in both cold and very hot climates.
“Protecting windows with fixed curtains or smart planting will also prevent the sun from entering the house in summer and skillful placement of windows and doors that can be opened will allow cross ventilation for natural and free cooling,” he said.
“Mosquito nets and security doors will also encourage keeping windows open at night to take advantage of the cool night air.”
Heating is becoming less affordable with the cost of living crisis
Draft sealing products are available at all hardware stores. They are affordable and can be installed by the homeowners themselves.
The topic has been hot online lately, with much of Australia shaking from extreme lows and “polar explosions”. Many compared their houses to “sieves” with many holes compared to properly insulated houses in the northern hemisphere.
One Redditor said he believed Australian builders are slashing costs when building new homes, leading to “scrimping on things you can’t see, like quality insulation.”
Those who cannot afford traditional heating or insulation measures such as double-glazed windows are turning to simpler heating solutions.
Electric blankets use much less energy and are a cost-effective alternative to traditional heaters.
Covering all windows and using door snakes can also help seal a home and prevent cold air from entering or hot air from leaving.
An Australian woman said she cooks with her oven more during the winter months and then leaves the oven door open so the heat is distributed throughout her home.
Some also suggested purchasing a clear insulating film, which is relatively inexpensive to apply to all window panes.