Aussie homes are being called “glorified tents” costing residents hundreds more on their energy bills each year as pressure grows to build in higher efficiency standards.
That chance comes this July when the country’s building ministers get together to review possible changes to the National Construction Code—NCC—which is only done once every 3 years.
I can only hope they act. For over a decade energy efficiency requirements for new homes have remained stagnant at a 6-star minimum. We in the industry know we can do a lot better.
That urgency was recently highlighted in a Climate Council report called “Tents to Castles”. It recommended that pushing new builds from 6 to 7 stars would make a huge difference—basically ushering in a 25% cut in emissions.
And an all-electric house can save an average $450 per year on heating and cooling costs, the Climate Council found.
Its a message we and our partners like the Australian Registered Cablers have been making for some time. We created the Smart Wiring protocol and Wiring Basics to make sure every home—new or old—met high environmental and technological standards.
And it’s been updated every year to accomodate innovations like roof solar, battery storage, electric car charging, smart lighting and 5G.
The Climate Council are saying we need to start building “climate resilient” homes and we agree. It doesn’t add much to a homes costs if the planning is done ahead of time—and the cost savings, convenience and comfort are added incentives.
Climate change may seem a big topic beyond our control but we can make big differences at home. I know the industry is ready & I hope our political leaders are too.
Cheers, John Fennell
Climate Council: https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/report-energy-guzzling-aussie-homes-costing-homeowners-hundreds-dollars-year/