Weather sealing

Many Victorian homes have windows, doors and vents that do not seal tightly, allowing hot or cool air to escape.

Installing weather sealing products prevents air from escaping, keeps the temperature of your home easier to control, and requires less energy to keep you comfortable.

Eligibility

All Victorian households that want to seal their household windows, doors, chimneys and vents are eligible to participate.

Your participation is voluntary.

Living in a rental property?

If you’re living in a private rental property, you are eligible to receive a discount on weather sealing. We recommend that landlords and tenants work together when doing any upgrades to a rental property.

Available upgrades

You can:

• seal your doors
• seal your windows
• replace or modify your ceiling or wall fan
• seal an unsealed wall vent
• seal a temporary chimney
• seal a permanent chimney
• seal an evaporative cooler vent.

Note: Sustainability Victoria has tips on how to find and fix draughts to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient.

Households with gas heating

Burning gas can release dangerous gases that can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and require a supply of fresh air to operate safely.

Some gas heaters (such as flueless gas heaters installed in chimneys and open flued gas space heaters) draw air from within the home for combustion and therefore require adequate ventilation. For more information on ventilation for gas heaters, see the Energy Safe Victoria website.

From 31 May 2023, homes with open flued gas appliances or flueless space heaters, will not be eligible for weather sealing activities through the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program.

Excluded appliances include:

• open flued gas space heaters
• open flued ducted heaters installed in cupboards
• indoor open flued water heaters
• flueless space heaters.

We recommend you seek advice from an accredited provider on your home's suitability for weather sealing through the VEU program.

For all households with gas heating, we recommend you service your gas heater at least every 2 years to ensure it is operating safely.

Recently renovated or weather sealed homes

If your home has recently been renovated or weather sealed and you have an open flued gas space heater or flueless space heater, you are encouraged to engage a qualified gasfitter to check for carbon monoxide leaks.

Find more information

Further information on flueless and open-flued gas appliances can be found on the Victorian Building Authority and Energy Safe Victoria's websites:

• Carbon monoxide safety program | Victorian Building Authority (vba.vic.gov.au)
• Open-flued gas space heaters | Energy Safe Victoria (esv.vic.gov.au)
• Victorians in renovated homes urged to have open flued gas space heaters serviced | Energy Safe Victoria (esv.vic.gov.au)

Key steps when organising a weather sealing installation

To get a discount on the installation of weather sealing you must:

1. You must install an approved product
   Hint: research these products for their suitability and quality. There are a lot of products approved for installation as part of VEU. Not all products are of the same quality or suitable for every environment.
2. You must work with an accredited provider
   Hint: get quotes from several providers. Accredited providers offer different types of products, services, expertise and costs. Make sure to get a quote from several accredited providers on the final installed price of the appliance, which includes the discount.

Working with accredited providers

An accredited provider is:

• any business that is approved to deliver or facilitate installations in the VEU program
• responsible for helping you get a discount on an installed appliance through the VEU program.

When doing an installation through the VEU program, accredited providers can either:

• use their own tradesperson, or
• work with a tradesperson of your choice.

Accredited providers will be able to explain:

• the steps to take part in the program
• the types of products can you install to get a discount
• the necessary qualifications of the tradesperson who installs the weather sealing.

Remember: you must work with an accredited provider to get a discount on an installed appliance through the VEU program.

How to check if a person or business is accredited under the VEU program

Go to the Essential Services Commission’s VEU Registry of Accredited Persons and:

• select the ‘Business Name’ drop-down menu
• scroll until you see the accredited provider you are searching for.

Note: accredited providers often work with installers who are not listed on the registry.

How much discount you can expect

Indicative discounts for different homes and options

Apartment

Townhouse

Houses

*This figure is based on a certificate price of $60.

The final installed price of the appliance, which includes the discount, is up to the accredited provider and will depend on several factors, including:

• certificate price (which fluctuates)
• location
• installation costs
• the accredited provider’s administrative costs.

For more information on the certificate price under the VEU program, please see Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs).

Can't find an accredited provider in your area

Please note that as VEU is a market-based program:

• not all accredited providers listed above will necessarily be offering weather sealing at present
• accredited providers can choose when and where they undertake upgrades.

Page last updated: 28/08/23