Anna and Michael in Fitzroy North
Anna and Michael worked for many years for an environmental not-for-profit organisation, so it’s no surprise they began their electrification journey for their Victorian terrace back in 2001. Electrify Yarra sat down with them to learn more.
Tell us about your electrification journey.
We renovated our single-fronted, semi-detached terrace in 2001 - replacing the old ‘lean to’ at the back with a new living room and kitchen. We installed double-glazing then - back then it was pretty unusual - as well as roof and wall insulation. We chose instantaneous gas hot water because that was the most efficient available at the time.
Anxious to keep reducing our environmental footprint, we installed a 1.5kW solar PV system in 2006 and were lucky to get one of the last generous feed-in tariffs. Sadly, it’s just about to expire!
Next, in 2018, we retro-fitted double glazing to almost all the original windows and doors. We also added honeycomb blinds and draught-proofed around the frames of the original double-hung wooden sash windows - they were a big source of draughts.
In 2019, one of our two gas space heaters broke down and the gas hot water system was beginning to show signs of its age. This was the trigger to take action. We searched around and found a single contractor that could manage the electrical, heating and plumbing project so we ‘bit the bullet’ and in a single day were able to install two split system heater/air conditioner units, a heat pump hot water system and an induction cooktop. We were finally all electric and could disconnect from gas!
Finally, this year we replaced some older LED lights to close some small ceiling gaps. We both got up into the ceiling and replaced the older insulation - it had compressed over the years. A bit of a tough job, but we noticed a real difference.
Why have you made your house all-electric?
Through all this work, we’ve been driven to make the smallest possible impact on the environment - that’s really motivating us, more than saving money, but we are happy to save money too! We wanted to walk the walk on climate change, not just talk the talk.
What have you learned along the way?
Finding good trades is really hard but critical. We started by checking out tradie trucks in our street and chatting to those neighbours getting work done to see what their experience was like.
Even with good tradies, we found we still had to do quite a bit of our own research. As an example, they recommended the usual wall-mounted split system heater/air conditioners. We like being near a floor mounted unit and feeling the warmth. Also, the overwhelming need in this house is heat - much more than cooling. So, we found some great floor mounted heat pump units and had them installed.
Also, you’ve got to keep a really close eye on the work as it’s done. Even the best tradies will make their own decisions on where pipes are placed or holes are drilled - and they aren’t always the best or most attractive choices. In our case, we had three trades - plumber, heating work and electrical all going on at the same time, so there were minor things that maybe could have been done more neatly.
What’s on your electrification wish list?
We haven’t had a car for years, so we’re not planning on getting an EV. We’re avid walkers and pick up an Uber or car share when we need it.
We would like to expand the roof-top solar system at some stage. With the feed-in tariff going down, it makes sense to get more panels, and maybe update our existing panels for more efficient ones. We have more roof space from the extension we built, and might also be able to add more on the pitched roof.
We might look at battery storage some day as well.
After this work over the years, we’re really happy to have a very comfortable, efficient home, with the lightest possible environmental footprint.
