Living in the Southern Highlands means experiencing four distinct seasons – from frosty winters to warm summers. This unique climate can put significant strain on your home’s energy efficiency. As experts in the region, our team at Building Versatility understands the importance of a thorough home energy audit to ensure your house is performing at its best year-round.
Here are five tell-tale signs that it’s time to schedule a professional home energy audit:
1. Inconsistent temperatures between rooms
Do you find yourself needing an extra jumper in the study while the living room feels tropical? Uneven temperatures throughout your home are a clear indicator that you’re due for a home energy audit. In the Southern Highlands, where winter temperatures can drop below zero and the wind chill lowers the feel-like temperature even more, these temperature variations can be particularly noticeable and uncomfortable.
What an energy audit can reveal: A comprehensive home energy audit will identify insulation gaps, air leaks, and heating system inefficiencies that contribute to temperature inconsistencies. A professional auditor will use thermal imaging to pinpoint exactly where heat is escaping or cold air is infiltrating.
2. Skyrocketing energy bills
If you’ve noticed your energy bills climbing faster than Mount Gibraltar, it’s time for a home energy audit. Southern Highlands homes often see significant energy usage during our cold winters and warm summers, but unexplained increases could signal efficiency issues.
What an energy audit can reveal: A detailed assessment can identify energy-draining culprits such as:
- Outdated or inefficient heating/cooling systems
- Poor insulation in walls, floors, or ceilings
- Air leaks around windows and doors
- Energy-hungry appliances that need upgrading
3. Visible condensation on windows
The Southern Highlands’ combination of cold mornings and varying daytime temperatures can lead to condensation on windows. While some condensation is normal, excessive moisture on your windows could indicate poor ventilation or inadequate insulation.
What an energy audit can reveal: A professional home energy audit will:
- Assess your home’s ventilation systems
- Check for proper insulation around windows
- Evaluate your home’s overall moisture management
- Recommend solutions to prevent heat loss through windows
4. The age of your home
Many Southern Highlands homes have stood for generations, each with its own unique character. However, if your home is more than 10-15 years old and hasn’t had an energy assessment, it’s likely due for a home energy audit. Building standards and energy efficiency technologies have evolved significantly over the years.
What an energy audit can reveal: An audit can identify outdated features that may be impacting your home’s energy efficiency, such as:
- Old insulation that has settled or deteriorated
- Inefficient window designs
- Outdated heating or cooling systems
- Opportunities to implement modern energy-saving technologies
5. Drafts and cold spots
In the Southern Highlands, where winter winds can be particularly biting, drafts are more than just an annoyance – they’re a sign of energy wastage. If you can feel cold air seeping in around windows, doors, or electrical outlets, it’s time for a home energy audit.
What an energy audit can reveal: A thorough assessment will:
- Use blower door tests to identify air leaks
- Check the effectiveness of weather stripping and seals
- Evaluate the condition of your home’s thermal envelope
- Recommend appropriate draft-proofing measures
Why choose Building Versatility to implement your home energy efficiency plan?
At Building Versatility, we understand the unique challenges that Southern Highlands homeowners face. We highly recommend a professional home energy audit by one of these accredited professionals to identify and prioritise the actions that will provide the most value in terms of improving your home’s energy efficiency. They will provide you with a detailed report outlining:
- Current energy efficiency issues
- Prioritised recommendations for improvements
- Potential energy and cost savings from suggested upgrades
- Specific solutions suited to Southern Highlands homes
Our team will will then help you implement that plan.
Take action today
Don’t wait until the next energy bill shock or winter cold snap to think about your home’s energy efficiency. If you’ve noticed any of these signs, it’s time to schedule a professional home energy audit. And when it comes to implementing the actions, Contact Building Versatility today to discuss your needs.
