By Andrew Taylor March 8, 2021
“Almost one-third of Sydney residents leave their homes to cool down during hot weather, while 55 per cent of people do not turn on their airconditioners because of the cost of energy bills.
A survey of how people cope with hot weather found nearly half of all apartment dwellers leave their homes for a cooler location such as a shopping centre, cinema or library, compared to 27 per cent of people who live in houses.
The survey conducted by the community-based Sweltering Cities found 62 per cent of people aged 25-34 did not turn on airconditioning at home because of concerns about cost.
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Amanda Forbes lives in a three-level townhouse in North Parramatta with her husband Jake, daughter Harriet and brother Grant.
Ms Forbes said it was difficult to cool her home because there was so much open space and no awning over the back sliding doors meant “the sun just directly pours into the house”.
“The vertical blinds which most renters would be familiar with do nothing in terms of reducing the amount of heat that can come into the house,” she said.”