Want to save on power bills? It could be as simple as stopping air from escaping your home – ABC News

Air leaks are the biggest barrier to keeping your home warm in winter and cool in summer, according to an energy efficiency expert.
Key points:

• Chimneys, vents, and hidden cracks can all impact the energy efficiency of a house
• The CSIRO says there are various simple fixes to stop air escaping from your home
• Decreasing “leakiness” can have a significant impact on how much you pay for power

Michael Ambrose, a senior experimental scientist with the CSIRO, is blunt when describing the energy efficiency of Australian houses.
“Australian homes rule the roost when it comes to leakiness,” Mr Ambrose said.
“It’s never really been considered an issue.
“We are lucky in that we have a very temperate climate, but means that we haven’t really seen the need to address it.”
But with many of us spending more time at home than ever in the depth of winter, addressing the problem now could help decrease power bills.
“Many things make a house leaky,” Mr Ambrose said.
“But the main thing is where we have got gaps between our nice air-conditioned indoor space to the outdoor space under doors, around windows, inside cupboards.
“If you have an older home that is raised off the ground, not on a slab, it can be through floorboards.”
Increased home energy efficiency will bring down bills.(ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
It’s also worth checking cupboards, particularly in kitchens and laundries, for hidden leaks.
“[Gaps] can also be hidden away in cupboards where old services were connected a dishwasher, washing machine,” Mr Ambrose said.
“When they are removed the piping is removed and often the hole that the services came through is left there and no plugged up, and air can escape.
“Go looking, try to find those holes in the laundry and kitchen, you can just get expanding foam

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