What you can do this year
Try keeping cool with these actions
Top-up insulation
Fully insulating your home can halve the greenhouse gas emissions and costs associated with heating and cooling. With the right insulation in walls, ceilings and exposed floors, your house will gain less heat in summer and lose less heat in winter.
The higher the 'R' rating, the better the insulation. For houses in metropolitan Melbourne, the minimum recommended 'R' level for insulation is R2.5 to R3.0 for ceilings and R1.5 for walls.
Create some shade
External shading such as awnings, blinds and shutters can help reduce the heat absorbed by your house.
All windows should be shaded in summer, and east and west windows should be shaded year round. Verandahs and eaves are also valuable for providing shade for external walls.
Avoid unshaded paving in front of north facing windows. Deciduous trees or vines are a good way to provide summer shade and winter light near the house.
Keep it light
Light-coloured surfaces reflect heat, while dark surfaces absorb heat. Blinds, curtains, roofs and walls that are a lighter or mid-range colour will reflect more solar radiation and therefore reduce heat gain.
Don't forget the roof
Roofs are a major source of radiant heat gain. Reflective insulation provides the most effective resistance to radiant heat.
Unshaded skylights and roof glazing can overheat in summer and lose heat in winter, so they need to be designed carefully.
My Actions
Select an action and see how much green house gas you will save this year.
YOU SAVED:
