A Winter-Ready Home

Get smart with heating

Smart control

There’s nothing quite like getting out of the shower in winter and having a toasty, fluffy towel waiting for you. The key is timing – you can’t have your towel rail on all day but you need to allow it to heat before you shower.

The solution? “Get and set timers or a time schedule to control features such as heated towel rails and underfloor heating” advises Oliver.

Alternatively, invest in a Wiser IR Converter which uses infrared technology to communicate with common household appliances such as TVs, air-cons and Hi-Fi (stereo) systems. Combined with other Wiser products such as the Wiser Temperature/ Humidity Smart Sensor, which can detect the temperature in a room, you can trigger a series of actions to take place automatically, such as turning the bathroom fan or heater on when the room gets humid. It’s completely customisable with the Wiser by SE app so that you can set it up in a way that works for you.

Invest in underfloor heating

Underfloor heating is a worthwhile investment if you experience the worst of the Australian cold snaps.

As with the heated towel rails and bathroom fans, by installing smart features that allow you to set timers and schedules, you’ll be heating when you need to and saving energy – and costs – when you don’t.

Assess your insulation

“Make sure you have sufficient insulation in your home as this helps keep the house cool in summer and helps maintain the warmth in winter” recommends Oliver. Particularly if you live in an older home, it might be time to re-insulate.

Be winter-safe

Check your switchboard

Homes use more power in winter – lights are on for longer, extra appliances are being used, the list goes on – so ensure your switchboard can handle the extra load. Double-checking now can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Use our handy home safety checklist to inspect yours.

Inspect your appliances

“Increased use of things like electric heaters and electric blankets can cause house fires, especially if these appliances are old and have not been maintained or inspected before use” explains Oliver.

Ensure that any of the heating appliances you’re using are still safe to use. Update any that aren’t. For added peace of mind, talk to your electrician about installing the right kind of protection in your switchboard. Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) are a really good addition to any home as they detect arc flashes and shuts down the circuit to help prevent fires.

“Also check the operation of your smoke alarms every month” recommends Oliver.

Turn it off

“Always turn heaters off when you are leaving, supervise children whilst using heaters and keep objects away from heaters” advises Oliver.

A key benefit of a Clipsal Wiser Smart Home is that you can schedule timers for when you’re out of home – as well as double-check that they are turned off, wherever you are, using the app.

Light it

Light up the driveway and entranceway with outdoor lighting and use sunset switches on garden lights to activate at dusk and switch off at dawn. Consider ambient sensor lighting indoors for stairwells or hallways, or a Night Walk sensor light for children’s bedrooms and use long-life low energy LED downlights for instant energy saving.