Think Brick Sustainability Blog

A recent Newspoll survey of 1700 people shows a disturbing trend: 59% Australians believe that to make a house comfortable the #1 solution is air conditioning. Not only is the expensive to buy and install, but it means that Australians have large, on-going cooling (and heating) running costs (and let’s not even think about the greenhouse gas emissions!)

After air-conditioning, the #2 solution for Australians to improve the comfort of their home was insulation: perhaps not that surprising given the media attention on the back of the Federal Government’s stimulus plan that included large rebates for installing insulation.

The other overwhelming trend throughout the survey was the number of Australians that believed it was too expensive to make a home energy efficient (62% in general, and 41% of people over the age of 50).

These results show a population that is misguided, and, who arguably have been conned! Installing an air conditioner, especially for an entire house, is expensive: anywhere from $2000 – $5000 (or more) is not uncommon.  On top of these upfront costs are the on-going running costs.

According to Sustainability Victoria cooling an entire house for 4 hours a day can cost between $71-$102 per month, and if using a 1-2 Star reverse cycle air-conditioner to cool a single room, it costs approximately $42-$47 per month.

Given that many people probably use an air conditioner for more than 4 hours a day throughout most of January and February, and then use the same reverse cycle units to heat their houses for the rest of the year, the annual running costs of air conditioning and heating could be anywhere between $1000 – $2000 per annum!

So if we consider this over a 10 year period, with an upfront cost of $3000 and an annual cost of $1200 (very conservative figures especially given electricity prices across the country are set to rise over the next 12 months, even before the emissions trading scheme increases prices further), the total cost of the #1 solution for 59% of Australians is approximately $15000.

Investing that same $15000 over same time frame (ie $3000 up front and $1200 per year) would not only deliver a more energy efficient house, but a more enjoyable living experience! Trees or shade clothes to provide enjoyable outdoor areas and natural indoor environments with ventilation and light!

If building a new house, the $15000 would be an even better investment: a solar passively design house with the right orientation, lots of ventilation and light, practically no need any form of artificial heating or cooling, and better still, a house that will last longer than 10 years and be highly sought after in the years ahead as those electricity prices continue to increase!