The good news is that you can save money with a high energy-rated home.

The bad news is that householders will not achieve much lower energy bills unless they take other measures.

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Building industry figures claim new homes with high energy ratings can save their owners several hundred dollars over 12 months.

But these same people say these ratings, which apply to the home’s “skin” or fabric, need to be coupled with the sensible use of heating and cooling systems as well as other internal electrical appliances. Improved insulation also helps.

The Housing Industry Association’s Building, Development and Environment director Kristin Brookfield says how much a person saves on their energy bills can come down to “lifestyle and what temperature people set their airconditioner or heaters at”.

Like a warm blanket, insulation can improve energy efficiency.

Ms Brookfield says the energy rating relates solely to the power people use to heat and cool their homes. It applies to the shell of the home and covers elements such as insulation, door seals, double glazing and orientation of the home’s living areas to the northerly sun.

New homes in all states except New South Wales and the Northern Territory must be six-star energy rated.

“It does not relate to the other electrical appliances used in the house,” she says.

Turn the heating and air conditioning down to save.

“Heating and cooling is currently estimated to use 40 per cent of a house’s total power usage. The other main uses are hot water and appliances. The annual estimated saving to a homeowner who has a good energy rating will be a few hundred dollars.

“But of course if the home has a poor energy rating then the bill might be significantly more, and making improvements to an existing home can make a real difference.’’

Ms Brookfield says an energy rating for a home may be a good start to knowing how much power you will use and what your energy bill might be, but it’s “only part of the story”.

“The building rules don’t control the number of appliances you might have in the home and they don’t manage how often you actually turn on your air conditioner or heater and what temperature you set it to. So it’s important for homeowners to understand what their power bill is telling them.”

The HIA spokesperson says while a high energy rating, like six stars for new homes, can make a difference to your energy bill it’s important to remember the person living in the home is in control of how much energy is used.

“If we are going reduce power use and improve environmental outcomes from housing, we need to focus on the eight million homes built before the star ratings were introduced,” she says.

“There are many cost effective ways to improve existing homes that can make a real difference to the energy used, hence saving homeowners money. For example if you don’t have insulation in your roof, install some.”

Henley Property Group managing director Peter Hayes says with six-star energy rated homes, householders can save up to a third on their annual energy costs.

And Mr Hayes suggests they will save even more in the long term. But the Henley chief believes more can be done to improve energy efficiency in the home. He says new homes need better seals to ensure energy does not escape.

“No one has really dealt with the leakage in the fabric of the home,” he says. “Sealing the house is a bit like taping up the home, especially around windows.”

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