My home was freezing cold in winter… inside was just about the same temperature as outside. And that is really not good when you live in the Macedon Ranges near Melbourne Victoria.

Having spent 4 years living in the United Kingdom, we were used to living in a thermally comfortable home where it was cosy inside even though it was bitterly cold outside and sometimes even snowing. Harsh winter winds did not impact us at all – until we went outside! There was no question that our home would be cosy and cheap to run.

Have you ever wondered why homes in colder climates than Australia like Europe, Scandanavia, Canada and parts of North America manage to live through bitterly cold weather conditions for months on end and live in homes that are cosy and snug?

Indeed, we often hear people from those colder climates complaining that they have never been so cold as living through a Melbourne winter!

I wondered why our home was freezing cold, costing a fortune to heat and cool and I’m not even going to admit to having twice the national average of carbon missions!

It all comes down to the two core issues with Australian homes that compromise our thermal comfort – uncontrolled ventilation and unmanaged heat exchange.

It’s proven that the more you control the ventilation in your home, and the more you manage the heat that is exchanged through the ceiling, walls, floors and windows of your home, the more comfortable you will be with much lower energy bills.

Which home do you have?