Draught proofing and insulating your home

Draught proofing

The average Victorian home built pre-1990 has draughts equivalent to having your front door open all the time.  In fact, draughts can account for up to 25% of heat loss from a home in winter.

Draughts come in many places around a home from chimneys, exhaust fans, walls vents, around doors and windows and cracks around skirting boards, floor boards, architraves and over the tops of windows.

The good news is that most draught proofing is easy to install and inexpensive.

Main benefits include:

  • Saves you money in heating and cooling costs
  • It’s the most cost-effective retrofit you can do
  • Reduces traffic noise
  • Stops windows rattling
  • Stops insects and dust, pollen and pollutants (and even mice) from entering your home.

More info information is available from the Sustainabillity Victoria guide to drought proofing a home

A note on safety

Do not undertake draught proofing if you have an unflued gas heater or any open flued heater. In a tightly sealed home, the gases from these appliances can present a carbon monoxide poisoning risk. With other gas appliances, special care needs to be taken including regular servicing and cooktop extraction to outside.

Insulation

Good insulation can make a big difference to your home’s performance all year round. A fully insulated home compared to a non-insulated home can reduce the cost of heating and cooling a home by around 40 to 50%.

Ideally, insulation should be installed in the ceiling, walls and floors of your home to create a sealed envelope which acts like a thermos in winter to keep heat inside, and like an esky in summer, to keep heat out.

Ceiling insulation is the most important insulation you can install in your home.  

There are new insulation discounts for ceiling insulation.  From 14 April 2026, public and community housing dwellings are eligible for discounts and from 1 October 2026, this will expand to all eligible Victorian homes with uninsulated or under insulated ceilings.

The VEU discount is expected to reduce the average ceiling insulation install cost by approximately 30–50%. More information at VEU.

Floor and wall insulation can greatly improve your house’s energy efficiency.

There are several factors to consider when it comes to bulk insulation:

  • Material (glass wool, polyester, cellulose, rockwool or sheep’s wool)
  • R value (higher the value, the greater the insulating effect)
  • Format (batts, blankets, loose-fill)
  • Environmental impacts (does the insulation have recycled content and how easily can the product can be recycled after use)

For more detail on insulation options and what R value to choose, visit Sustainability Victoria

Depending on your level of DIY skills, you may like to install insulation yourself, or you can use a professional installer.

Additional information about insulation can be found on the Your Home website

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