There’s nothing like coming home to a toasty warm house in the middle of winter. That’s especially true if you get home after dark, which is basically any time after 5pm at this time of year. I love it so much that I’ve been tempted to leave the heating on all day just so I can come home to a pre-warmed house, although I’ve managed to refrain. It’s a bad idea; no one should be doing that. It would be so nice, though…

I’ve been researching other ways to retain heat in a house, though. It seems there are a few things you can do, like having decent ceiling insulation to stop the warm air escaping as quickly. You can block draughts under doors with those sausage dog stoppers, and minimise heat loss at night by closing curtains. This is all geared towards containing warmth, though, which depends on having warmth to contain in the first place, and it’s mostly dissipated by the time I step through the door at around 7pm. 

My father says I’m soft when it comes to the cold, and that I should be able to deal with the 20 minute transition periods between warm spaces. I can deal with them, of course. I’d prefer not to, but I’m cognisant of the fact that my liking for seamless warmth can lead to inefficient energy use if left unchecked. Most people can stand to turn their average heater temp down by around three degrees, according to the guy who does my heating repairs and servicing. Melbourne has been around three degrees warmer than average this year, so that seems reasonable to me. 

It’s all takes a bit more consideration than I bargained for when I signed up for the central heating installation. Melbourne winters, I thought, are best tackled with a constant stream of warm air delivered by heating with abandon from all angles. I’ve since learned that I need to check myself when it comes to my heater usage. If I don’t, I can expect an avalanche of gas bills and ecological admonishments from friends and family.