And what to do when the “free draught proofing” trail goes cold.
If you have tried to access draught proofing through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program and found yourself calling disconnected numbers, leaving messages that go nowhere, or being politely told “we don’t do that anymore” - you are not imagining it.
The scheme still exists and the Victorian State Government certainly thinks its a great idea. Finding someone to actually come and draught proof your home can be a very different matter. And that is deeply annoying, because draught proofing is one of the best first steps you can take if your home is cold, draughty, hard to heat or too hot in summer.
So what is going on?
The VEU scheme still offers weather sealing discounts
The Victorian Energy Upgrades program includes weather sealing upgrades designed to help seal doors, windows, gaps and vents so heated and cooled air does not escape from your home.
In practice, many householders are finding it much harder to find active installers for draught proofing than for bigger-ticket upgrades like heat pumps, reverse cycle air conditioning, solar or hot water. This does not mean the whole program has vanished. It means draught proofing has become one of the harder upgrades to access.
Why the “free draught proofing” model got harder
Draught proofing is fiddly work. A proper job involves travelling to the home, working out where the leaks are, matching the right product to the right gap, installing carefully, completing paperwork, and meeting program requirements.
That is a lot of effort for a small upgrade. For years, many VEU businesses relied on high-volume marketing to make small upgrades stack up commercially. Then the rules changed. Cold-call telemarketing under the VEU program was banned from 1 May 2024, followed by a ban on doorknocking from 1 August 2024. The change was designed to protect consumers from pressure sales tactics, but it also removed the high-volume marketing model many small-upgrade providers had relied on.
Good for consumer protection.
Much harder for the old “send teams everywhere doing quick installs” business model. Add compliance requirements, paperwork, audits and tight margins, and it is not hard to see why many providers moved their attention to larger upgrades. Draught proofing did not stop mattering. It just became less attractive to many scheme operators.
The registry problem
You can search the official VEU public registry for accredited providers. And you should, if you still want to try the scheme. But being listed does not always mean a provider is actively offering draught proofing in your suburb, taking new bookings, answering calls, or willing to do small weather sealing jobs.
That is where homeowners get stuck. The government page says the upgrade exists. The registry lists providers. Click here for ESC “Find an accredited provider” page.
But the actual pathway from “I want draught proofing” to “someone is coming to fix my house” can feel like chasing a unicorn, especially if you do not live in the CBD!
The one-time problem
There is another trap worth understanding. Under the VEU scheme, weather sealing certificates are generally limited by product category and premises. In plain English: once the relevant certificates have been claimed for your address and product category, you cannot claim them again just because the first products failed, peeled off, cracked, flattened or were not the right fix.
That matters, because if a free or heavily subsidised install uses low-cost products that do not last, you have used up the scheme opportunity without getting a durable result. Free is only a bargain if it actually fixes the problem. A cheap seal that falls off, squashes flat or ends up in landfill is not comfort. It is admin with adhesive.
Why product quality matters
Draught proofing is not just “stick something over the gap and hope”. Different gaps need different products. A single hinged door that opens needs a different solution from a french door, or a cavity sliding door. A chimney needs a different solution from an exhaust fan. Timber windows are different from aluminium sliding doors. You get the idea.
This is why we get twitchy about one-size-fits-all draught proofing.
A sad strip of foam may look like action, but if it does not suit the gap, compress properly, stay in place or last through seasonal movement, it is not solving the problem. It just created a landfill and frustrated the householder with yet another solution that did not work.
So what should you do instead?
If you can find a good VEU draught proofing installer, and they are using appropriate products properly, great. But if you are tired of waiting, chasing, ringing, emailing and wondering if anyone is coming, you have another option.
Do it properly yourself. Draught proofing is one of the most DIY-friendly comfort upgrades, as long as you know where the leaks are and what product suits each gap.
Start by finding the actual draughts. Then fix them in order, starting with the biggest offenders.
Start with the big leaks
Chimneys
An unused open fireplace can be a giant heat escape route. If your fire is rarely used, a Chimney Draught Stopper can block the chimney when the fireplace is not in use.
Much better than shoving an old pillow up there and pretending it will not eventually smell like damp sheep.
Exhaust fans
A standard exhaust fan can be a 24/7 ceiling hole when it is not running. A Draft Stoppa opens when the fan is on and closes when it is off, helping reduce unwanted air leakage through bathroom, toilet, laundry and kitchen fans. For 3-in-1 bathroom units, you will also need the correct adapter plate.
Wall vents, floor gaps and trim
Old wall vents, skirting gaps, floorboard gaps and trim gaps can all leak air. For small gaps, UltraClear is our preferred sealant because it applies white, dries clear, stays flexible and cleans up with water while wet. Which is much nicer than wrestling with silicone and wishing you had never started.
Doors
External doors are common draught culprits, especially older timber doors with uneven gaps. For a proper result, seal the sides, top and bottom — not just the bottom.
Our Draught Dodgers door kits use proper seals designed for real doors, real gaps and real Australian homes. Not a temporary foam strip having a very short career, ending in landfill.
Not sure where the draughts are?
That is normal. Draughts are sneaky little blighters. They hide around doors, windows, vents, chimneys, floorboards, skirting boards and in places your house has kept secret for decades.
That is why we created Find and Fix My Draughts.
Maurice, our Technical Director, was locked in a film studio for a month (we did feed him!). And he got to talk about everything draught proofing. To be far, Maurice can talk about draught proofing underwater with a mouth full of marbles!
He excitedly walks you through your house, shows you where draughts hide, how to test for them, and what actually fixes them. It saves you buying random products that just don’t work.
The bottom line
The VEU weather sealing scheme may still exist, but finding an active draught proofing installer can be frustrating. If you can access a good provider, excellent. If you cannot, do not sit in a cold house waiting for a phone call that never comes.
Draught proofing is worth doing (and we say i'ts worth doing WELL).
Your home still needs to hold the warm air in winter and the cool air in summer.
And with the right guidance and the right products, you can stop chasing “free” and start fixing the leaks properly.
Free is lovely. Warm in winter is better. Cool is summer is also pretty ‘cool’!
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