Heating your home
There are several factors to consider when you are looking at choosing the right heating for your home, including the amount of heating you need, and the running costs and environmental impacts of the different heating options
Insulate first
Before looking at your heating, get your insulation sorted - you'll be able to use a smaller heating system and your home will be cheaper to heat.
Find more information on insulating your home.
What size heater do you need?
It's important to match the size of the system to the space you want to heat. Use the heater sizing calculator to get an idea of what size heater a room needs to keep it at a healthy temperature. EECA also recommends seeking professional advice about heater sizing from your heating supplier.
Running costs of heating options
Click on the graph below to see a larger version showing indicative running costs for different types of heating systems[1]. Note that actual running costs can vary a lot depending on your actual fuel price and how well you use and maintain your heating appliance.
Environmental impacts of heating options
To minimise the environmental impacts of your heater, there are several things you can do.
- Choose a heating option that uses renewable energy and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions
- Whatever heating option you prefer, choose the most efficient model for the job
- Use and maintain your heater properly - there's more information on the pages relating to each heating option (see related pages below).
What type of heater suits you best?
How you use the rooms that you want to heat often determines the types of heater that you should be considering.
Rooms you use regularly
For rooms that you regularly use it is well worth investing in suitable, fixed heaters which enable you to heat them effectively and cheaply. Clean, effective forms of heating include modern wood and wood-pellet burners, ENERGY STAR qualified heat pumps and high star-rated, flued gas heaters.
Rooms you use occasionally
For rooms that only get used occasionally, for short periods of time, electric heaters which are cheap to buy but slightly more expensive to run can often be sufficient. There are different types to suit different needs.
Read more about different types of heater and find out which type suits you best »
Related pages:
Related tools:
Heater sizing calculator
This calculator helps you work out what size heater you need for different rooms in your house.
[1] Based on typical highest and lowest heater efficiencies. Does not include purchase/installation and maintenance costs.
Fuel cost assumptions: Electricity 26c/kWh; Wood pellets 67c/kg; Firewood $95/m3; Natural gas 13c/kWh; LPG (45kg bottle) $2.33/kg plus $117.34 annual rental charge (19c/kWh including bottle rental assuming a total annual gas consumption of about 7000 kWh); LPG (9kg bottle) $31.50 per refill. For unflued gas heaters 30% of the heat produced is assumed to be lost due to the need to leave a window open. Note that fuel costs can vary greatly depending on location, retailer and plan.
*Natural gas price includes a portion of fixed charges assuming a total annual gas consumption of 7000 kWh. Actual cost depends on your tariff and actual total gas consumption.
