Maintaining an energy efficient home

Making  sure that your home is warm, healthy and affordable to run is not too different from keeping your car safe and efficient.  Undertaking regular maintenance at different times of the year will help to trim your costs and keep you and your family warm and comfortable.

Here is a maintenance check list that will guide you through the different seasons. Some of these tasks might take a little bit of extra effort, but it will be worth it!

Year round tasks

Clean filters in the rangehood to improve air flow and reduce condensation.

Clean filters in heat pumps and bathroom fan heaters to improve airflow, efficiency and heat output.

Spring

The days are longer and there is more sunshine, but the evenings are still cold.  It's also time to spring clean!

• make sure your windows are clean to let in the warmth of the sun.
• when cleaning curtains, check the quality. Effective curtains have at two layers of densely woven material, or thermal backing behind the curtain material. If you need to replace your curtains, use thick, thermally backed material and preferably double layered.
• If hanging curtains, consider pelmets that are installed tight against the wall, or install closed curtain rails. This can reduce the heat loss through single-glazed windows by about 60%.

Keep your curtains open during the day, and close your curtains before it gets dark to trap the heat in your rooms.

Summer

 Check and top up insulation NOW

• Winter is a busy time for many insulation retrofitters. If you delay taking action until winter, you may have to wait some weeks before insulation is finally installed. Summer is a good time of year to top up your insulation because you will not have to wait as long, and you will be warm all winter.

Hot water and high electricity costs

• If you still have high electricity costs during the summer, this is a sure sign that your hot water heating may be the cause. Get your whole system checked by the Energy Advice Service.
• Dripping hot water taps can waste many litres of water a day! Fix leaking washers as soon as you can.
• Water temperature should be no more than 55° at the tap. The cylinder should be set at 60
• If you use a lot of hot water, consider solar water heating.

Refrigeration is working very hard this at time of the year.

• Don't leave the door open for any longer than necessary. Otherwise your fridge will use more electricity to keep cool.
• Check door seals by running a piece of paper between the seal and the door surface. If you can move the paper, replace the seals.
• Defrost the freezer regularly, cool hot food before storing in the fridge, and turn off the butter conditioner if it isn't used.

Keep cool

Heat pumps can increase your summer electricity bill if you use them a lot for cooling purposes. Practicable steps to avoid using your heat pump for cooling and prevent overheating include:

• Ceiling insulation helps to keep your house cool in the summer. Check that it is above the height of the ceiling joists.
• Use curtains or blinds to shade direct sunlight before the day gets too hot, especially on north and west facing windows.
• Open windows throughout the house to create a cross draught.
• Use a ceiling fan if you have one. Don't forget to change it to the ‘summer' setting!

Renovations

• Any renovations that require the removal of internal or external wall linings is a rare opportunity to install wall insulation into an older home. Consult with your builder to see if this is a good option for you.
• If replacing window frames, consider double glazing.
• If re-roofing a home with a skillion or cathedral roof, this is the best opportunity to install ceiling insulation.
• If replacing or moving a hot water cylinder, install an ‘'A'' grade type. Make sure that it is large enough for the size of your household to consider a night rate option.
• Install extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom if you are renovating these areas.

Holidays

• Turn off heated towel rails and don't leave any televisions, computers or other non-essential computers on standby whilst you are away.
• If you away for more than three days, consider turning the hot water cylinder off.
• If you need to leave a light on for security, make sure it is a compact fluorescent (CFL) bulb.

Solid fuel burners

• Purchase a year's supply of fire wood at a summer rate.
• Keep buying pellet fuel every month to stock up for winter. Make the most of ‘buy 10 bags free and get one free' deals.

Autumn

Prepare for the colder months ahead.

This is a good time to request a Home Energy Check, which offers peace of mind all options have been identified to make your home warmer, drier and more energy efficient. It outlines a list of prioritised actions which you can take that will improve the energy efficiency and comfort of your home.  Identifying these now will give you time to have improvements made before winter arrives.

Other tasks include

• it's really important that you double check you are buying electricity from the cheapest electricity retailer every year. Visit Consumer's Switch website, or call the Energy Advice Service for further assistance.
• Install external and internal draught stops for doors, and V-Seal draught strips for windows and doors.
• Clear gutters and downpipes are free of deciduous leaves. This will ensure that storm water is drained away off the house and help to keep the building dry.

Winter

Winter in Canterbury has short cold days and very long nights.

Make the most of the sunshine by opening curtains to let in the heat. Make sure that they are well closed before dark.

Remember that ventilation is even more important in winter than in summer.

• Dry air is much easier to heat than damp air. Ventilating damp air out of the house, even on a cool dry day will help to reduce your power bills. On dry days open some windows to allow humid air to ventilate out of the house.
• Wherever possible, dry your clothes outside, make use of extractor fans in bathroom and range hood over the stove top in the kitchen.

Lighting use can triple in winter because of the longer nights.

There's an efficient lighting option for just about every room in your home. Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). These use about 75% less energy than an incandescent bulb for the same light output.

Heating can double your energy bill in winter.

Heat only the rooms you are using by keeping doors closed. Use timers to turn electric heaters on and off and thermostats to keep your room at an even temperature.

Water heating costs increase in winter.

Ground water entering your hot water cylinder is colder in winter than summer. Wrap your hot water cylinder and pipes.

Shorter showers and cold water washing will make your water last longer and reduce your costs.

Are you paying too much for your electricity?

Call your electricity supplier and double check you are on the correct energy plan. If you need help with this, call the Energy Advice Service.