Icy homes: Why most Aussies are using their heaters the wrong way

Heaters in Aussies are often ineffective because of a key mistake users make.

Icy mornings across much of the country in recent days have delivered a reminder to many Aussies that no matter how much they blast their heaters, warmth never seems to stay for long.

Housing experts have revealed that this chill isn’t just down to the weather — it’s a design flaw baked into the way Australian homes have been built for decades.

And it means that most households are using heaters in an inefficient way that’s sending their power bills through the roof – without doing an adequate job of keeping the interior warm.

A common problem is that heaters are being used in rooms that lack insulation and are too open and too large for the heater to deliver any meaningful feeling of extra warmth.

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Warmth often dissipates after heating is turned off because Aussie homes are poorly insulated.

Dr Sarah Robertson, research fellow at the RMIT University Centre for Urban Research said most Australian homes were simply never designed with winter comfort in mind.

“We have work to do to improve the energy efficiency of our housing stock,” she said.

Previous energy prices had played a part in promoting a housing climate where poor insulation was common, Dr Robertson added.

“We didn’t have the pressure of high energy prices for a long time, until more recently when the costs went up markedly.

“There wasn’t that pressure to look at energy efficiency because energy was more affordable.”

She added that a key factor in why Aussie homes were often colder than those in chillier countries was that energy efficiency has never been a top priority in residential building standards.

“Our homes tend to lose warm air through poorly sealed windows and doors, and lack the basic insulation needed to retain heat,” Dr Robertson said. “That makes heating expensive and inefficient.”

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Heaters are best used in closed off rooms.

Even newer homes — some equipped with modern heating systems — struggle to perform.

Large open-plan designs and limited zoning controls often mean residents are forced to heat the entire house rather than a single room, driving up costs while also minimising heater effectiveness.

Australian energy regulations have improved over time, but housing researchers claim the standards are still far behind comparable nations.

Dr Nicola Willand of the RMIT University School of Property, Construction and Project Management has previously noted that Aussie regulatory standards reinforced heating levels that were below par.

Homes in North America and Europe — even in comparable climates — are more than 50 per cent more efficient when it comes to heating and cooling.

The average overseas home exceeds a seven-star energy rating, while most Australian homes still lag well behind that benchmark, even after almost two decades of awareness.

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The National Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme, which governs home energy star ratings for new dwellings, assumes living room heaters are switched off between midnight and 7am.

The problem is that this warmth dissipates quickly in most Aussie homes because of the poor insulation, resulting in cold living areas.

The scheme also assumes a heating thermostat setting in bedrooms of 15 degrees between midnight and 7am – lower than the 18 degrees recommended by the World Health Organisation.

“(These) assumptions suggest that being cold at 7am, when most of us are getting ready for work and school, is acceptable,” Dr Willand said.

“By contrast, energy efficiency ratings in other countries will assume heating in all rooms and at all hours of the day and night.”

Poor thermal design is only part of the problem. Many Aussies remain unaware of the health risks of cold indoor air, including respiratory illness, cardiovascular stress, and the spread of mould.

Retrofits – including proper ceiling insulation, draught sealing, window upgrades, and thermal assessments – are now being recommended. Many states offer rebates to help with the cost, but take-up remains modest.

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