Keeping warm in winter

First, check if your home is insulated. This is the most important thing you can do to make sure your home isn’t wasting heat. By 1 July 2019, all rental properties must be insulated by law—read more about that law change here at Tenancy Services.

Seal up your doors and windows using affordable DIY equipment from hardware stores. Draught stoppers, which sit in front of doors sealing up the gap at the bottom of the door, cost under $10 and will help keep the heat in. Window insulator kits cost around $15 for two windows, and help you stay warm while reducing condensation. They can cut heat loss through windows by about 50%.

Close your curtains when the sun is setting and use double-layered curtains (or thick curtains) that sit close to the window and extend all the way to the floor. Your local curtain bank may be able to help you if you can’t afford curtains.

Set your heaters (including your heat pump) to between 18-22°C, the ideal temperature range for keeping you healthy and being energy-efficient. Most heaters won’t be able to heat more than just one room, so shut the door. A heater with a thermostat will shut off automatically once the room reaches the desired temperature.