As Sydneysiders shiver through their coldest day in nearly four decades and Melburnians get buffeted by high winds, a thermal comfort expert has suggested people can better protect themselves by getting better homes.

It has always baffled Professor Richard de Dear, whose work has led him to shuttle back and forth over the years between Sydney, Brisbane and Copenhagen, that winter always feels colder in Australia than it does in the Danish capital.

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Houses better designed for winter – or even retro-fitted for it – with fewer cracks, better glazing and better insulation, would have left Australians more comfortable this week, Australia’s leading expert in the niche field of thermal comfort says.

Either way when the cold hit his Sydney home this week, Professor de Dear, who works with the University of Sydney’s school of architecture, opted to curl up with the cat rather than try to heat the surrounding space.

This sort of direct heating is always most efficient, he says.

For those who do wish to heat their houses, new advice is not always what you would expect.

Used correctly, says Professor de Dear, the reverse-cycle air conditioner you are warned against overusing to chill the air in summer can be one of the most energy-efficient and cost-effective ways of heating a room.