Get cool or warm without burning up all your cash!

No matter what sort of climate you live in, there are always days that feel uncomfortable at either extreme. Even in Melbourne, a notoriously variable city in terms of weather, there are plenty of sweaty summer days where it seems like an effort just to think and at the other end, some bone chillingly cold winter days! Most homes need to be both heated and cooled at different times of the year, and even different times of day. Today we check out some common-sense, but not very commonly used, tricks for increasing the efficiency of your current home heating or cooling system, or even changing your own temperature without ever touching a switch.

1. Use weather stripping

Weather stripping keeps draughts out, helping isolate both the hostile air of outdoors, and of rooms of your house that aren't in the current Melbourne ducted heating and cooling zone. It is cheap to buy and easy to self-install.

2. Use automatic closers

If you have small kids, you've probably done your fair share of 'storming and slamming' ... storming over to the open door, slamming it shut and then yelling "Who left the flipping door open?". Install automatic closers on your doors - they could save you as much as a few dollars a week.

3. Use blackout curtains

As well as letting you sleep in during those early sunrises of summer in some parts of Australia, blackout curtains do a lot to keep the outside weather in, and improve the efficiency of your Melbourne ducted heating and cooling.

4. Put a blanket over the back of the couch

But not to keep the couch warm ... to stop you from feeling that you need to turn the heater up because you are now losing heat by sitting still! If the blanket is accessible, it will be used. If it isn't people will generally take the easy way out, and just turn the heat up.

5. Know the value of a degree

By setting your Melbourne heating or cooling system a degree cooler in summer, or a degree warmer in winter, you could be adding as much as 7% to your total heating and cooling bill. It's a good motivation to put a jumper on rather than maintaining a tropical indoor environment in winter!

6. Pay attention to your thermostat location

if your thermostat is in a draughty area, or close to an external door, or positioned close to the roof for an air conditioner, then you are probably doing more heating and cooling in your Melbourne home that necessary.

7. Do it (to) yourself

That is, heat and cool yourself rather than use your whole-home heating and cooling in Melbourne! Use a space heater on the lowest setting under your desk ... pop an extra jumper on ... put a wet towel around your shoulders in summer, or read a book in a cool bath for a while. Really, it is YOU that wants to be cold, not the house! Sometimes it may be appropriate, and cheaper, just to heat or cool your own body.