Heating and cooling can account for about 40% of
energy use at home. The typical South Australian home uses more
energy for heating than cooling.
If you're a buying a new heater, talk to a heating specialist about the best option for your needs and costs associated with buying, installing, running and maintaining the heater. For example, if you are thinking about buying a gas heater but don't have gas connected to your property, you'll need to consider the gas supply as well as the gas used. If you already have gas connected for water heating and cooking, it may be more cost effective to install a gas heater than an electric one.
You can use the following table as a rough guide to work out the heat output (in watts or megajoules) needed per square meter of your home or heating area.
| Home type |
Required heater output per square meter of floor area |
| Uninsulated home |
130 watts or 0.47 megajoules per hour |
| Insulated ceiling only |
100 watts or 0.36 megajoules per hour |
| Insulated ceiling and walls |
80 watts or 0.29 megajoules per hour |
| Energy efficient home |
60 watts or 0.22 megajoules per hour |
Note: these figures are based on rooms with 2.4 metre ceilings.
Some heaters will have an
energy rating label that you can use to compare the
energy use and efficiency of smaller appliances. The more stars the better. You can also compare the estimated running costs of new appliances on the
Energy Rating website.
Buying a new heater may be a good time to consider your best options for
cooling as well.
There is a wealth of information available on the South Australian government website about
heating your home efficiently and saving on heating costs. Check it out to make sure you're using the best heater for your needs.
Source: Energy Partners
