HOT IN SUMMER, COLD IN WINTER: AUSTRALIA'S DRAUGHTY, POORLY INSULATED HOMES ARE HURTING OUR HEALTH, HIP-POCKET AND THE PLANET

A significant proportion of Australian homes are so inefficient to heat and cool that they are hurting our health, our household budgets, and our chance of reaching our net-zero by 2050 emissions target, a new report warns.

The report led by RMIT University found most of Australia's 10 million existing homes have poor energy and thermal performance, particularly those built prior to the introduction of energy efficiency standards in 2003, and retrofitting them could be tricky and expensive.

According to lead author Professor Priya Rajagopalan, home buyers are usually more interested in the cost, aesthetics and location of a home, rather than how well it's insulated or whether the windows are double-glazed, and it's costing us.

"Heating and cooling represent up to 50 per cent of energy used," Rajagopalan said.

"A poorly constructed building shell uses more energy to keep people warm or cool, which leads to an increase in carbon emissions and expensive power bills."

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