The City of Playford is committed to supporting our community to live sustainably. While we can’t provide personalised advice, this page connects you to trusted local and national resources to help make your home more energy-efficient, comfortable and resilient to South Australia’s changing climate.

Whether you own, rent or are building a new home, the information below can help you take practical steps to reduce energy use and manage household costs.

All new Class 1 homes in South Australia must meet a minimum 7-star energy rating — a requirement in place since 1 October 2024. This means new homes are designed with improved insulation, shading and ventilation to support year-round comfort and lower running costs.

There are also additional choices you can make during the building process to further improve comfort and efficiency.

A good place to start is Homes for Tomorrow, which provides practical guidance and checklists for new builds.

Want to learn more?

• Homes for Tomorrow “No-Cost and Low-Cost Checklist” Download the PDF here.
• Resilient East “New Homes: Efficiency by Design” Download the PDF here.
• Your Home – Australian Government guide. More information here.
• Sustainable Homes Webinars (Renew / LGA SA) – in particular the Introduction to Sustainable Building & Renovating. View the webinars here.

If you’re living in an existing home and want to reduce energy costs, a good first step is understanding how your home currently uses energy. This allows you to focus on improvements that will have the greatest impact.

Doing a simple home energy audit can help identify where energy is being lost and where practical upgrades could make a difference.

You can:

• Use the South Australian Government’s online home energy audit tool. Link here.
• Borrow a home energy toolkit from Playford Library, click the link here and search "Home energy toolkit."

Looking for quick wins?

• Resilient East – 10 Free Things To Do In Your Home Download the PDF here.
• Resilient East – 9 Things On a Budget You Can Do In Your Home Download the PDF here.

Want to learn more?

• Resilient East – Climate Ready Homes (Existing Homes resources). More information here.
• Your Home – Renovation and upgrade guidance. More information here.
• Sustainable Homes Webinars (Renew / LGA SA) – in particular the Summer Comfort and Winter Comfort sessions. View the webinars here.

Even if you’re renting, there are practical steps you can take to improve comfort and reduce energy use. While renters may have limited control over major upgrades, many small changes can still make a noticeable difference — and often don’t require landlord approval.

A useful starting point is the Renters Guide to Sustainable Living, developed by Renew.

You can:

• Use the South Australian Government’s online home energy audit tool. Link here.
• Borrow a home energy toolkit from Playford Library, click the link here and search "Home energy toolkit."

Want to learn more?

• Sustainable Homes Webinars (Renew / LGA SA) – in particular the Summer Comfort and Winter Comfort for Renters sessions. View the webinars here.

Many of the resources linked on this page have been developed by other local councils, the Local Government Association of South Australia, Renew, the South Australian Government and the Australian Government. We acknowledge and thank these organisations for investing in practical tools and guidance to support households across South Australia.