Natalia’s Story
Natalia works in sustainability strategy and reporting and lives with her partner in a 1950s home in Ashburton. She is one of the first people to get a free Home Energy Assessment using Electrify Boroondara’s volunteer Home Energy Guides (HEG) program.
Tell us about your home
The house I live in belongs to my partner's family. It was built in the 1950s and has not been renovated, apart from the wiring which was replaced. It has a gas heater in the living room but no cooling.
Why did you ask the Home Energy Guides to visit your home?
I'm really interested in sustainability, using less energy and reducing emissions. I've been on a journey to be sustainable myself and have realised how hard it is. Also, our home is very cold. We need to retrofit the house and do some maintenance to make it comfortable.
What happened when the HEGs came to your house?
They asked me lots of questions like when was the house built? Where do you spend most of your time? Are we intending to spend money in the next few years on the house? What appliances do we have?
I took them on a tour and then I left them to do the assessment. When they finished, we had a conversation about what we could do, four things to prioritise, the benefits, which ones were cost effective, and which ones can be done over time. It was really good because they had samples of materials for sealing draughts and energy efficient blinds.
The first thing they suggested is draught proofing. We realised we have a lot of gaps where cold air is coming in like the little door where wood used to be put into the house. We don’t use that anymore so it could be sealed. They asked if we would be happy to do the draught sealing ourselves or hire someone? Neither of us is good with doing things at home so they gave us some guidance on how to find professional options.
The HEGs also suggested we upgrade to efficient showerheads to save energy by heating less water and install ceiling insulation to help keep us warm in winter and cool in summer. They mentioned zoning as a key step. The idea is you focus on where you spend most of the time, and just heat or cool those rooms. Now I remember to close the doors because before we just left the doors open all the time and of course, heat was escaping.
Other suggestions included applying for a rebate when we decommission the gas heating, improving the thermal efficiency of window coverings to make the house more comfortable, getting a reverse cycle air conditioner (we already have plans to get one) and investing in a solar system. The HEGs said we have a good case for solar given the orientation of the roof.
What was the outcome from the Home Energy Guides visit?
The HEGs explained everything in plain English, not scientific terms. The knowledge of why it’s going to make a difference was really helpful.
It was valuable to get an understanding of things that could impact our energy consumption so much. Then having that guidance as to where to start and what to prioritise was key.
I feel very pleased. We are at the beginning of the journey and there's a lot to do in the house, but now we have priorities and a list of cost-effective things we can do. We know the smallest steps will help.