If you own or rent one of Australia’s 6m-plus homes built 30 years ago or more, the words “coldest start to winter” can be especially depressing.
These older dwellings are leaky, rely heavily on heating and cooling, and emit more carbon than modern homes. This exacerbates health problems, spikes bills and notches up emissions. “Before time” houses, built prior to the National Construction Code’s introduction of energy standards in 2003, typically score just 1.8 stars on the 10-star nationwide house energy rating scheme. New builds are generally rated between 6 and 7 stars.
