Placeholder Content Image

Snug but unsafe: your heater may be harming your health. What are your safest choices?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-cowie-191638">Christine Cowie</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bill-dodd-1280161">Bill Dodd</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888"><em>University of Tasmania</em></a></em></p> <p>We now have a dizzying array of heating technologies to consider, besides the fire that warmed our ancestors.</p> <p>Salespeople will highlight any number of features and minor conveniences. You will be made aware of limited-offer discounts, product warranties, trends in certain Nordic countries, or their low cost (at least in the short-term). What you are less likely to read on the box is, well, the stuff that really matters: the long-term effects on your health and the health of your family, your neighbours and the environment.</p> <p>Yes, a heater should keep you warm affordably. After all, a warm home is vital for your health. But would you run a heater that you knew was increasing the likelihood of your child developing asthma, your partner developing lung cancer, and your neighbour or your grandparent suffering a stroke or heart attack?</p> <p>Many <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105429">peer-reviewed studies</a> have found domestic heating to be a major source of air pollution and of ill health in Australia. So which heaters are high-risk and which are low-risk? Let’s consider, firstly, the most dangerous heaters.</p> <h2>Extreme-risk heaters</h2> <p>Two rules reduce the risks:</p> <ol> <li> <p>never burn anything (wood, gas or other fuel) in your home without adequate ventilation such as a chimney, exhaust or flue</p> </li> <li> <p>never use an outdoor appliance (heater, cooker, barbecue) inside.</p> </li> </ol> <p>Concerningly, a 2022 <a href="https://asthma.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/AA2022_Housing-Survey-Report_full_v4.pdf">Asthma Australia survey</a> found 7% of Australians used an unflued gas heater.</p> <p>When gas or other fuel is burnt indoors it releases a range of <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.786585213635569">particles and toxic gases</a>. Most dangerous of all is <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/npi/substances/fact-sheets/carbon-monoxide-0">carbon monoxide</a> (CO). This colourless, odourless gas can build up in unventilated homes, resulting in serious poisoning and death.</p> <p>A recent <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-29/sydney-family-use-bbq-as-indoor-heater-inhale-carbon-monoxide/104039702">case of carbon monoxide intoxication</a> left three people unconscious in a Sydney home after an outdoor barbecue was used inside as a heater. Outdoor heaters, cookers and barbecues are especially potent sources of carbon monoxide and should never be brought inside.</p> <p>If you have a gas appliance in your home, even if it is ventilated, install a <a href="https://www.energysafe.vic.gov.au/industry-guidance/gas/gas-information-sheets/gis-36-carbon-monoxide-alarms-domestic-use">carbon monoxide alarm</a> for as little as $30.</p> <h2>High-risk heaters</h2> <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724012087">The evidence</a> is now very clear: wood heater smoke is a potent source of air pollution and significant cause of ill-health in Australia.</p> <p>The more often you burn, the greater the risk. One <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108128">large population study</a> found even infrequent wood heater use (30 days or more each year) increases the risk of lung cancer by 68%.</p> <p>Wood heaters spill smoke into the home when refuelling. They also suck smoke from outside back into the home as air is drawn up the chimney.</p> <p>If you can smell your wood heater, it is harming your health and exposing you to a toxic mix of particles and gases.</p> <p>For the wider community, the cumulative health impacts of wood heaters are significant.</p> <p>Less than <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/4602.0.55.001Main%20Features5Mar%202011?opendocument&amp;tabname=Summary&amp;prodno=4602.0.55.001&amp;issue=Mar%202011&amp;num=&amp;view=">10% of Australian households</a> use a wood heater. Yet they are the largest source of particulate air pollution in most Australian cities and towns, including <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Air/sydney-air-quality-study-stage-2-program-report-220644.pdf">Sydney</a>, <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171069">Melbourne</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.52176">Canberra</a>, <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171069">Adelaide</a> and <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17093264">Hobart</a>. Even in temperate Sydney, wood heaters emit <a href="https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Air/sydney-air-quality-study-stage-2-program-report-220644.pdf">more of this pollution</a> than all the cars, trucks, boats and buses combined, and more than coal-fired power stations and industry.</p> <p><a href="https://safeair.org.au/">Centre for Safe Air</a> researchers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171069">estimate</a> wood heaters cause between 558 and 1,555 excess deaths a year in Australia. That’s roughly equivalent to the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">annual road toll</a>.</p> <p>Fine particles (2.5 microns or less in diameter – also known as PM2.5) are a major component of wood smoke. PM2.5 increases <a href="https://www.epa.gov/air-research/air-pollution-and-cardiovascular-disease-basics">rates of heart disease and stroke</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3978%2Fj.issn.2072-1439.2016.01.19">lung disease</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.218">dementia and other neurological conditions</a> and <a href="https://asthma.org.au/about-us/advocacy/air-quality">asthma attacks</a>. Risks of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003718">adverse pregnancy outcomes</a> and <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/air-pollution-and-childrens-health">poorer learning outcomes in children</a> are also increased.</p> <h2>Low-risk heaters</h2> <p>Evidence suggests there is no “safe” level of air pollution, with health effects <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.044">seen at very low levels</a>.</p> <p>Even ducted gas heating, where most of the toxins are ventilated, <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/informit.786585213635569">can expose residents to low levels</a> of PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. Over time, this can have a range of <a href="https://safeair.org.au/the-health-impacts-of-gas-use-extraction/#gf_1">health impacts</a>, including worsening asthma and respiratory symptoms.</p> <p>Burning gas for heating also adds to greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p>As Australia transitions to a zero-carbon society, some states and territories are phasing out installation of new wood heaters, such as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-24/canberra-to-phase-out-wood-heaters-by-2045/102769162">in the ACT</a>, and gas connections, such as <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/strategies-and-initiatives/victorias-gas-substitution-roadmap">in Victoria</a>. Subsidies to help people replace unhealthy heaters are excellent investments in the environment, public health and health equity.</p> <h2>Healthy heaters</h2> <p>Ultimately, heaters that do not rely on burning fuel inside the home are the safest, and often more affordable, heating option.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-17/cleaning-filters-in-reverse-cycle-air-conditioner-to-save/102594652">well-maintained</a> reverse-cycle air conditioner, sometimes called a heat pump, actually cleans the air inside your home.</p> <p>These air conditioners have the additional benefit of cooling your home in summer. As heatwaves become more severe and frequent, efficient cooling is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778823004152">increasingly important for health</a>.</p> <p>As for affordability, an efficient reverse-cycle air conditioner can be up to <a href="https://www.climatechoices.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/1862663/Sustainable-Household-Scheme-A-guide-to-reverse-cycle-systems.pdf">seven times as efficient</a> as a gas wall heater in the energy it uses for a given amount of heat.</p> <p>There are many other <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/heating/electric-heaters/articles/which-electric-heater-type-is-best">electric heating technologies</a> – such as fan heaters, oil column heaters, panel heaters, or infrared heaters – that do not release toxins into the home.</p> <p>Heater manufacturers are often reluctant to talk about the health impacts of their products, and regulators are slow to catch up with the science.</p> <p>By thinking about heating in terms of health, you can make your home safer for yourself and the people around you.</p> <p>After all, there’s nothing cosier than a healthy home.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/235102/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-cowie-191638"><em>Christine Cowie</em></a><em>, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Air Quality and Health Research and Evaluation, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney; Senior Research Fellow, South West Sydney Clinical School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bill-dodd-1280161">Bill Dodd</a>, Knowledge Broker, Centre for Safe Air (NHMRC CRE), and Adjunct Researcher, Media School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a></em></p> <p><em>Image </em><em>credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/snug-but-unsafe-your-heater-may-be-harming-your-health-what-are-your-safest-choices-235102">original article</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

Placeholder Content Image

If you’re renting, chances are your home is cold. With power prices soaring, here’s what you can do to keep warm

<p>If you’re feeling the cold this winter, you’re not alone. About a quarter of all Australians have trouble keeping their homes warm enough in winter. That figure is likely to soar this year, due to poor quality housing and the rapidly escalating energy crisis. </p> <p>Renters are particularly at risk, but our research has shown many home owners are in the same boat as well. We’ve collected data over the last few years on how many Australians have cold homes, find it <a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-heatwaves-our-cold-houses-are-much-more-likely-to-kill-us-83030">difficult to stay warm</a>, and can’t afford their heating bills. </p> <p>What counts as cold? The World Health Organization recommends a <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-CED-PHE-18.10">minimum home temperature</a> of 18℃ for health and wellbeing. About a fifth of Australian renters, for example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01136-5">have cold homes</a>. Our <a href="https://able.adelaide.edu.au/housing-research/research/healthy-housing-cre/cold-in-australian-homes#0">current research</a> has shown this applies to home owners as well, with 26% of people across all housing types unable to stay warm at least half of the time during winter. </p> <p>Australia’s energy crisis is likely to see soaring rates of energy poverty, meaning being unable to keep your home warm or cool enough. Here’s why this is such a problem – and what you can do about it. </p> <h2>Cold homes affect our health</h2> <p>If you’re cold at home, you have a higher risk of developing <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-017-1379-0">respiratory problems</a>and <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jhypertension/fulltext/2014/08000/Stronger_association_of_indoor_temperature_than.8.aspx?casa_token=TFv1eApy3hQAAAAA:9tc6eHiZCAk72mWgrmcgSxQT7kLczUDd7XNpXvNvoIFcMF6pJPSGpORK3SI-Veu4oc994saGXCWuJFBCs3pYN4g">high blood pressure</a>. People in the coldest homes face a higher risk of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935114003661?casa_token=vWpvR-oc8iMAAAAA:q72pW312N2oWIm1Gf9jpTTGUr3sH8uM_DankOAVzziVRT8_OPPnPjxJzDIC_x5j4Pr7O_Uuq">dying in winter</a>. Cold can have a flow-on impact on our health system, which is already struggling.</p> <p>Australia’s south-east has had the coldest start to winter <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2022/06/09/cold-winter-weather-australia/">in decades</a>. Melbourne hasn’t been this cold this early since 1949, while Sydney hasn’t seen these temperatures in early June since 1989.</p> <h2>Double trouble: cold weather and the energy crisis</h2> <p>If you’ve been hit by the recent cold snap, chances are you’ll have been reminded how cold your home can get. This is not a surprise given how badly <a href="https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/research-data-and-insights/research/energy-efficiency-and-reducing-emissions/household-retrofit-trials">existing homes</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-still-building-4-in-every-5-new-houses-to-no-more-than-the-minimum-energy-standard-118820">new housing</a> perform in keeping an even temperature.</p> <p>The cold has made many people doubly worried, because the energy required to heat our leaky, poorly insulated homes is about to get <a href="https://theconversation.com/expect-more-power-price-hikes-a-1970s-style-energy-shock-is-on-the-cards-183911">very expensive</a>. </p> <p>Early results from <a href="https://able.adelaide.edu.au/housing-research/research/healthy-housing-cre/cold-in-australian-homes#0">our survey</a> of over 350 Australians found 25% of people were experiencing shortages of money to the point they will be unable to adequately heat their homes. One third of our respondents said energy was unaffordable. Some reported making trade-offs, such as skimping on food or healthcare to pay energy bills. </p> <p>These people are experiencing energy poverty, where a household is unable to properly heat or cool their home or face significant financial difficulty doing so. </p> <p>While data about energy poverty in Australia is patchy, we know around 180,000 households <a href="https://vcoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Persistent-Energy-Hardship-FINAL-Web-Single-Page.pdf">in Victoria</a> had persistent bill payment issues as of 2018, and 45,000 households were consistently unable to heat their homes. </p> <h2>Energy price increases hit lower income households hardest</h2> <p>Lower income households are more at risk from the cold. That’s because they’re more likely to live in homes that are in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10852352.2016.1197714?casa_token=D_2YbBQ9wRkAAAAA%3A5Z_XqM42cmGunbSwhVJ-EaaHrtV4w3nORhDq9ZoaqAMBx700PldV7_9VVPdAWy7mm2hi3KYLOij3">poor condition</a> and hard to heat. One quarter of low income households told us they struggle to stay warm. Insulation may be a key factor, with 25% of our respondents reporting their rental properties did not have insulation. </p> <p>Insulation matters, because heat escapes homes through <a href="https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/glazing">single-pane windows</a>, or poorly insulated walls and ceilings. As a result, poorly insulated homes <a href="https://environmentvictoria.org.au/resource/10-tips-warm-house/">cost more to heat</a>. </p> <p>This makes life harder for low income renters, given they have little control over insulation or other home modifications. Worse still, heaters that are cheap to buy are often the most <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/top-tips-improve-home-energy-efficiency/#:%7E:text=Shoot%20for%20the%20stars%3A%20Top%20tips%20to%20improve%20your%20home's%20energy%20efficiency,-26.11.21%20By&amp;text=Compared%20to%20a%206%2Dstar,amount%20of%20electricity%20we%20use.">expensive to run</a>. </p> <p>While an efficient reverse cycle air conditioner would save money and heat the space better over the longer term, it is often difficult for renters to negotiate installation with property managers or landlords – especially given the intense competition for rentals at present in many cities. That can mean renters will suffer in silence, unwilling to ask for something that will make their lives better.</p> <h2>What can renters do?</h2> <p>Low income renters face real threats from energy poverty this year. While we need systemic change to improve the outlook for Australia’s renters, there are low-cost DIY ways to improve how <a href="https://www.yourhome.gov.au/">your house retains heat</a> this winter. </p> <p>The first step: check your current heating appliances are working efficiently. Many people don’t clean the filters on their reverse cycle air conditioners. This makes them less efficient, and can drive up energy bills.</p> <p>Poorly sealed windows and doors make it hard to stay warm. </p> <p>Using <a href="https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/heating-and-cooling/insulated-curtains.htm">thermal curtains</a>, and keeping them closed makes a big difference. Putting a piece of plywood or even a scarf between the curtain rail and the wall to make a <a href="https://environmentvictoria.org.au/2011/07/05/take-the-chill-out-of-winter-with-diy-pelmets/">DIY pelmet</a> also helps keep the heat in. If you have single glazed windows, consider <a href="https://renew.org.au/renew-magazine/buyers-guides/window-buyers-guide/">window films</a> as a way to improve performance for a fraction of the cost of double glazed windows.</p> <p><a href="https://blog.csiro.au/draught-proof-house/">Sealing the cracks</a> around windows, under doors and around the wider home is also important. Silicon or expanding foam can be used for gaps and cracks. Draughts under doors can be stopped with door seals or door snakes.</p> <p>Close the doors to your bathroom, laundry and other rooms not in use to keep the heat where you need it most. Hanging a blanket over a doorway can also be a cheap way to seal off a room and concentrate heat.</p> <p>It’s also worth checking what rebates and concessions your state government or council is offering. These might include energy efficiency improvements or extra help with heating costs. If you’re renting, your home must meet <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/energy-efficiency/minimum-rental-standards">minimum standards</a>, so make sure you check what you are entitled to as these vary by state. </p> <p>Everyone deserves a warm home. Our health and well-being depend on it. Building new, energy efficient homes is only part of the answer. We also have to make our 10.8 million <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/total-value-dwellings/latest-release#:%7E:text=Total%20value%20of%20dwelling%20stock,-Download&amp;text=Range%3A%206400000%20to%2010400000.&amp;text=End%20of%20interactive%20chart.&amp;text=The%20preliminary%20estimate%20of%20the,in%20the%20December%20quarter%202021.">existing dwellings</a> warmer.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-youre-renting-chances-are-your-home-is-cold-with-power-prices-soaring-heres-what-you-can-do-to-keep-warm-184472" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Home & Garden

Placeholder Content Image

How to warm up your house without a heater

<p>There’s nothing worse than being cold, especially when you’re trying to relax inside on a winter’s day! While the usual tricks of switching on the heater and closing up the windows work a treat, there are bunches of other ways to stay warm without an astronomical heating bill. Try one of these on for size this month.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Close things up</strong> – Unused rooms in your house? Shut them off. Keeping doors closed won’t just prevent cold air from moving into the rest of the house it’ll actually help contain the heat you’ve already generated.</li> <li><strong>Change your sheets</strong> – There’s nothing better than a snugly warm bed in winter. Switching your standard cotton sheets for the flannelette variety and adding a couple of heavy blankets are a simple way to stay warm without the need for a heater.</li> <li><strong>Consider a rug</strong> – An eye-catching rug may add to your interior styling but it can also be a valuable asset against the cold. Your floor accounts for up to 10 per cent of heat loss if not properly insulated making a rug an easy and affordable barrier against the cold.</li> <li><strong>Turn off your bathroom fan</strong> – Got an exhaust fan running in the bathroom or kitchen? Turn it off! Exhaust fans are designed to pull hot air out of your home, the opposite of what you want to achieve. If you do need to run them, do so sparingly.</li> <li><strong>Go back to basics</strong> – When was the last time you popped a hot water bottle on your tootsies or used a heat pack to stay snug? These “old fashion” ways to stay warm may seem quaint but they work fantastically well (and cheaply!).</li> <li><strong>Rug yourself up</strong> – All the home warming in the world won’t do any good if you’re wandering around under dressed. Jackets, long sleeve tops, hats and dressing gowns are all perfect insulation against the cold. Focusing on heating up yourself can give you that warm feeling while also helping slash your heating bills.</li> </ol> <p>How do you stay warm in winter? Any tips and tricks to share? Tell us in the comments below.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/06/can-your-house-be-too-clean/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Is it possible for your house to be too clean?</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/toxic-items-in-your-home/"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">10 toxic items in your home that might surprise you</span></strong></em></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/05/tips-for-maintaining-wooden-floors/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">4 commandments of looking after wooden floors</span></em></strong></a></p>

Home & Garden