1. Keep it Small
A smaller home is cheaper to heat, maintains healthy indoor temperatures, is cheaper to build and easy to clean.    

2. Passive Solar Heating Costs Nothing
Find a site with good sunshine hours all year round.  Face main living areas and bedrooms to the north to get all-day sunshine.  

3. Insulate
Building codes provide minimum standards, aim to exceed these by about 30%, especially when you think about the Central Otago climate!  Avoid recessed downlights as these require holes in your insulation.

4. Look Carefully at Heating Options
There are many on the market, so choose carefully.  Solar heating is great for supplementing your heat choice.

5. Water Efficiency
With water metering coming, reduce water usage through efficient fittings and appliances.  Consider grey and rain water harvesting for garden irrigation.  Climate suitable planting can drastically reduce your irrigation costs.

1. Improvements
Take every opportunity to improve insulation, when re-lining walls, or reroofing.  Insulate under timber floors and on top of concrete ones, if possible.  Extra ceiling batts should be put in, and recessed downlights removed.  The more insulation you have the less heat you will lose.

2. Windows
Some frames will allow double-glazed units to be retrofitted, if not, consider replacing windows.  Make sure all doors and windows fit snugly and are draught proof.  Floor length curtains will retain more heat inside your home.

3. Heating
Few heatpump models will perform efficiently in this climate, so choose carefully.  Low-emission wood or pellet fires are a greener option than electric heating and when combined with simple heat transfer systems can provide cheaper space heating.  

4. Energy Efficiency
Replace old, inefficient heaters, appliances, light bulbs and immersion heaters with new, energy efficient ones.  Fit timers and thermostats to towel rails, and insulate cylinders and hot water pipes.  Have a look at solar water heating.

5. Water Efficiency
Fix leaks, replace old taps, and shower heads with low-flow and aerated fittings.  Look at rainwater harvesting and greywater systems for sensible garden watering.