Australian homes can be made climate-ready, reducing bills and emissions – a new report shows how
December 15, 2023
Gill Armstrong, Climateworks Centre and Michael Ambrose, CSIRO Millions of homes were built before Australia introduced housing energy efficiency standards in 2003. They’re leaky. Gaps around windows, doors and between building materials allow air to move in and out. So people tend to compensate, with more heating and cooling. It’s costly and damaging for the […]
5 tips for getting off gas at home – for a cleaner, cheaper, healthier all-electric future
August 21, 2023
Trivess Moore, RMIT University; Alan Pears, RMIT University, and Nicola Willand, RMIT University Burning gas in our homes to cook food or heat air and water has become a contentious issue. Gas is an expensive, polluting fossil fuel, and there’s mounting evidence to suggest it’s also bad for our health. Five million existing Australian households […]
Keen to get off gas in your home, but struggling to make the switch? Research shows you’re not alone
July 24, 2023
Sangeetha Chandrashekeran, The University of Melbourne and Julia de Bruyn, The University of Melbourne More than five million households in Australia are connected to the gas network. Tackling climate change requires homes and businesses to move away from gas, and instead embrace electric appliances as the power grid shifts to renewable energy. People can save […]
All-electric homes are better for your hip pocket and the planet. Here’s how governments can help us get off gas
June 19, 2023
Esther Suckling, Grattan Institute If every Australian household that uses gas went all-electric today, we would “save” more than 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over the next ten years. That’s because there are more than 5 million households on the gas network, and the avoided emissions per home ranges from 5-25 tonnes over […]
Enhancing home thermal efficiency report released
May 18, 2023
The RACE for 2030 Cooperative Research Centre (RACE for 2030) commissioned this Opportunity Assessment on Enhancing home thermal efficiency (Research Theme H2), to identify priority research areas to accelerate the adoption of home thermal efficiency. It was conducted through a combination of desktop research (systematic review of Australian and international literature), consultations with key stakeholders […]
Want an easy $400 a year? Ditch the gas heater in your home for an electric split system
March 24, 2023
Rachel Goldlust, La Trobe University Earlier this month, regulators flagged electricity price rises in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Like many people, you’re probably wondering how you can minimise the financial pain. Getting rid of gas and electrifying everything in your home can save you money. Modelling by not-for-profit organisation Renew showed […]
How to maximise savings from your home solar system and slash your power bills
January 23, 2023
Wasim Saman, University of South Australia Soaring electricity prices have made 15% of Aussies think about installing solar panels, a recent survey found. Another 6% were already weighing up the move, on top of the 28% who had panels. With costs falling, the average system size is growing rapidly. Households now typically install 8-10kW solar […]
Top 10 tips to keep cool this summer while protecting your health and your budget
January 3, 2023
Ross Gordon, Queensland University of Technology; Gordon Waitt, University of Wollongong, and Theresa Harada, University of Wollongong With energy prices and temperatures both rising, keeping cool in summer is an increasingly costly challenge for many Australians. Energy bills are predicted to increase by 50% over the next two years, adding to the cost-of-living crisis. For […]
7-star housing is a step towards zero carbon – but there’s much more to do, starting with existing homes
September 19, 2022
Gill Armstrong, Climateworks Centre; Alan Pears, RMIT University; Margot Delafoulhouze, Climateworks Centre, and Trivess Moore, RMIT University Energy-efficiency standards for new homes in Australia are being upgraded for the first time in a decade. New homes will be required to improve minimum performance from 6 stars to 7 stars under the Nationwide House Energy Rating […]
In an energy crisis, every watt counts. So yes, turning off your dishwasher can make a difference
June 22, 2022
Anna Malos, Monash University and Emi Minghui Gui, Monash University Australia’s east coast energy market has been on a rocky road for the past few weeks. It begs the question: how could the market change to avoid the next crisis? To date, discussion has largely focused on the need to generate more energy. But there’s […]