Beacon

A warm home is essential for health and comfort. Many New Zealand homes fail to maintain the average temperature recommended by the World Health Organisation (16 degrees Celsius); even those houses that meet this standard do so in a less than efficient way, meaning higher than necessary power bills, and a less than optimal use of scarce electricity resources.

The best type of heater for your home will depend on the job you want it to do. It is important the heater you choose fits the use and size of the room it is in. As a rough guide, the volume of the room (height x width x length), multiplied by 60, will give you the heating requirement in watts.

Electric heating options include radiant heaters, which have an element that provides direct heat; convection heaters, such as fan, panel and column heaters, which provide general background warmth; night store heaters, which store energy in ceramic bricks for later release; and heat pumps, which are effectively a “reverse refrigerator”, extracting heat from outside and bringing it indoors.

While open fires look good, they are inefficient, with much of the heat they generate disappearing up the chimney. However, modern equivalents such as low-emission wood burners and pellet fires, which burn compressed pellets made from sawmill waste, are both efficient and cost-effective.

Ensuring the heat produced is not wasted is as important as choosing the right heating source. As well as insulating ceilings, floors, and walls, consider blocking the gaps around doors or window frames with foam strips or other draught-stopping devices.

Windows, too, can be an avenue for escaping heat. Double glazing can halve the amount of heat lost through windows. Temporary double glazing, using plastic film taped over the window, provides an effective short-term solution at a fraction of the cost.