According to the World Health Organisation, the minimum temperature for living areas should be between 18 and 21 degrees celsius, and 16 degrees celsius for bedrooms.
In addition, it is advised to keep indoor temperature at least 7 degrees celsius warmer than the outside temperature on cold days to avoid condensation forming.
Heating options
Below is a list of the advantages, disadvantages and indicative costs of the most common home heating options available.Heat pumps
Advantages- Heat pumps work by transferring free heat from outside the home into the room. They are effectively an air conditioner unit in reverse. As such, they can also can be used in reverse mode as an air conditioner during warm summer days. They are 200% to 500% efficient depending on the make and model. look for the Energy star rating or compare kW used vs kW produced.
- They have low running costs.
- They are a clean heating source.
- They filter the air, so heat pumps are considered suitable for people with asthma and airborne allergies.
- Heat pumps are expensive to buy and install. It can take a number of years to recoup the initial costs.
- Heat pump efficiency drops when outside temperatures drop below 2 degrees Celsius. Although some newer models have improved performance at lower outside temperatures.
- A standard Hi Wall heat pump is sometimes not well suited for older villa style homes with high ceilings.
- There can be a tendency to overuse heat pumps, leaving them on when it's not necessary, thereby negating the energy savings.
- Purchase and installation cost - $2000 - $5000 per unit (room),depending on size
- Maintenance - Filters need to be changed occasionally
- Running cost (cents / kWhr) - 6.5 - 8.9c
- Output - 3 - 7 kW
- Cost per hour - 19.5 - 62.3c (depends on kW rating and power setting used)
- Energy efficiency - 200 - 500% (depending on make and model)
Electric heaters
Advantages- Electric heaters are 100% efficient, meaning all the energy consumed is converted into heat
- They are a clean form of home heating.
- They provide heat immediately.
- If you choose an electric heater with a thermostat control, the temperature can be controlled accurately, and the heater can be used more efficiently.
- Electric heaters are cheap to buy and usually require no installation costs.
- Many electric heaters come with a timer (or you can plug in a separate timer switch), which means rooms can be set to be pre-heated.
- Electric heaters can be more expensive to run than non-electric options, depending on the fluctuating price of electricity
- Fan heaters are less energy efficient since some of the electricity consumed is used to power the fan.
- Purchase and installation cost - $50 - $500
- Maintenance - None
- Running cost (cents / kWhr) - 17.5c
- Output - 1 - 3 kW
- Cost per hour - 17.5 - 52.5c (depends on kW rating and power setting used)
- Energy efficiency - 100% (less for fan heaters)
Night store heaters
Advantages- Night store heaters work with Night and Day power plans to use electricity at night on the cheaper night rate to generate and store heat. The stored heat is then released during the day.
- They are suitable for homes where the occupants are home during the day
- They a clean form of heating
- Heat is created using the cheaper night time energy prices
- They are only considered 80% efficient because some of the stored heat is lost before it is released.
- There is a higher purchase and installation cost than regular plug-in electric heaters
- They are not so suitable for people who are out during the day and home at night (most households) since there is little heat left for the evenings.
- Purchase and installation cost - $1050 - 1150
- Maintenance - None
- Running cost (cents / kWhr) - 8.4c
- Output - 1.7 - 6kW
- Cost per hour - 14.28 - 50.4c (depends on kW rating)
- Energy efficiency - 80%
Log Burners
Advantages- Log burners are suitable for heating large areas such as the living room, or open plan homes.
- They are cheap to run
- If you have access to a free fire wood supply, they can be very cost effective.
- A wetback can be fitted to also heat your water
- They are attractive and often provide a feature for the main living area.
- They are not particularly clean, and produce smoke which pollutes the air.
- It is more difficult to control the amount of heat being output from a log burner. This means you may use more energy than you actually need.
- Log burners do not produce instant heat. It takes some the before the room begins to heat up.
- There is extra work and space required, chopping, stacking and storing firewood.
- Purchase and installation cost - $1500 - 6000
- Maintenance - Flue should be inspected every year. Average inspection cost $40 - 50
- Running cost (cents / kWhr) - 5 - 8c
- Output - 5 - 24kW
- Cost per hour - 25c - $1.92 (depends on kW rating of the logburner)
- Energy efficiency - 55 - 80%
Pellet Fires
Advantages- They burn cleaner than logburners, resulting in less polluted air
- Pellet fires are more energy efficient than logburners
- They are suitable for heating a large area effectively
- You have a greater control of the temperature
- They provide a feature for the room.
- There is less preparation of fuel and cleaning required
- A wetback can be fitted to some models to also heat the water in the home.
- They require storing of large pellet bags.
- They still require electricity to run.
- You need to clear the ashes regularly.
- They can be noisy.
- Purchase and installation cost - $2500 - 5000
- Maintenance - Flue should be inspected every year. Average inspection cost $40 - 50
- Running cost (cents / kWhr) - 7 - 9c
- Output - 10kW
- Cost per hour - 70 - 90c
- Energy efficiency - 75 - 92%
Flued Gas
Advantages- They are clean burning.
- The level of heat can be controlled easily.
- Flued gas provides a high heat output and the heat is instant
- Flued gas heaters don’t create dampness and health problems like portable gas heaters do.
- There is the added cost of buying or renting the gas bottle rental.
- They are more expensive to install than electric heaters.
- Purchase and installation cost - $2500 - 3000
- Maintenance - Occasional inspection required, once every 3 years on average. Average inspection cost $100
- Running cost (cents / kWhr) - 14 - 21c
- Output - 3 - 8kW
- Cost per hour - 42 - 168c (depends on output and gas costs)
- Energy efficiency - 60 - 80%
Unflued Portable Gas Heaters
Unflued portable gas heaters are not recommend for the following reasons. In fact they are banned in some countries:- They produce a lot of heat from an open flame which is a fire risk.
- They rely on combustion which reduces oxygen levels in the air and increases carbon dioxide levels.
- As they get older, they can deteriorate, becoming less efficient and releasing carbon monoxide into the air, which is toxic and dangerous.
- Using portable gas heaters in areas where people are sleeping is very dangerous. People who are asleep will not be able to respond if the carbon levels in the room reach a dangerous level, which could lead to asphyxiation.
- They release approximately 1 litre of moisture into the air, per hour.
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