| Mahurangimatters 1 May 201344

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Questionmarks are hanging over a Government subsidy for home insulation despite a push to extend it.

Future uncertain for Government insulation schemeThe Green Party won the Heat Smart policy as part of a post-election deal with the National Party in 2008 and around 204,000 homes have been insulated at a cost of $347 million since.But a cost-benefit analysis by Reserve Bank chairman Dr Arthur Grimes has recommended the scheme be aimed at low-income earners only.Energy Minster Simon Bridges says the Government has been considering whether to stop or extend the subsidy once it ends in September.Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei says the programme has created $1.3 billion of health benefits but reports linking poor home heating to asthma and rheumatic fever to damp housing shows more needs to be done.“New Zealand has one of the highest asthma and rheumatic fever rates among developed countries. Home insulation can play a big part in reducing those rates. Now is the time to ensure the insulation scheme continues and has the opportunity to broaden its reach.”Results of a study by University of Canterbury PhD student Rachel Webb suggest there’s a “highly significant positive relationship” between home heating and asthma hospital admissions. Another report on rheumatic fever prepared for the Ministry of Health

found cold, damp homes were a “social and economic barrier”.Green Party housing spokesperson Holly Walker says Statistics New Zealand’s Perceptions of Housing Quality report shows renters are twice as likely as owner-occupiers to say they live in cold damp houses and that families with children, along with Maori and Pacific families, were even more likely to report living in unhealthy and uncomfortable homes.Labour Party health spokesperson Annette King says it’s time the Government required all rental properties to be insulated with affordable, non-polluting heating.She says the latest evaluation of the Government’s rheumatic fever prevention programme shows a lack of follow-up on kids’ throat swabs is affecting their health.“The report says that even if there was adequate follow-up after swabbing, the programme is in danger of failing because it doesn’t address the underlying causes of the disease such as un-insulated housing, poverty and a lack of access to health care.”Director of Albany-based Eco Insulation Martin Wylie says the Heat Smart Policy has allowed his company to go for customers across the board.

“It has been one of the Government’s most effective schemes with $5 saved on health costs for every $1 spent, but they’ve made a commitment to banks and the market that they wouldn’t introduce any more programmes.“They’re saying ‘read my lips, there’s no more money’ despite it having a good payback.”Mr Wylie claims it will be difficult to find large numbers of low-income families unless there’s a subsidy for all families.“It’s true the most need is at the lower end but it’s extremely inefficient to target and it’s unlikely you’ll get large numbers

of people in the low income group.”He says if the policy is dropped, it will lead to around 1500 job losses around the country.It takes half a day for Eco Insulation workers to install insulation in ceilings and underfloors. The company only uses environmentally friendly products including an earth-based fibreglass and polyester made from recycled bottles. Mr Wylie says it costs around $3000 to insulate an average home, with $1300 available as a subsidy. If you’re on a low income the Government pays 60 percent of the cost if you have a community services card.

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Mahurangimatters 1 May 2013 | 45

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As winter approaches, we’ve picked the brains of local home heating experts for some advice on how to keep cosy.

Top tips for keeping warmAngela Brangwynne of Elite Window Rodney explains the latest building code requires new homes to meet an efficiency value so they achieve a certain value of warmth.“It’s made up of the insulation properties of the roof, wall and ceilings,” she says.“The trend is for bigger windows and three-panelled doors. It lets people open their house out and let the outside in, but the more glass you have, the more heat loss you experience…which is why double-glazed windows have become so popular.”Rachel Fox of Flooring Xtra Warkworth recommends using a dense underlay as it offers thermal insulation and good acoustic properties. “Carpets this season are trending to longer, more dense pile heights with a softer feel, adding warmth to homes this winter.”Viv Guest of Guthrie Bowron Warkworth suggests trapping a layer of insulating still air between the window and the room to limit heat loss.“Savings of up to 40 percent can be

achieved with heavy duty lined curtains and boxed pelmets,” she says.“If heat is a big issue, then avoid the vertical, conventional or timber blinds, as three do not give a good air seal.”Derek Cuthell of Air Con North Auckland says heat pumps have soared in popularity in the last 15 years but it is crucial to make sure you have the correct sized heat pump for the area you’re heating.“They’re a lot cheaper than fire, you don’t need a permit from council, there’s no dust and dirt and no lifting of firewood.”Mr Cuthell says positive pressure ventilation systems like HRV and DVS are being superseded by what is known as “balanced ventilation”.“It takes the warm, moist air out and takes the cold, fresh air in from outside. It passes through a polymer core that transfers 85 percent of the heat over into the fresh air coming in so it recovers the heat.“They’re more efficient than the positive pressure system and they’ll reduce your heating bill.”

Showerdome giveawayEnjoy the benefits of a warmer, drier, healthier home with Showerdome - a New Zealand invention consisting of a clear acrylic dome, which prevents steam from forming when fitted on a shower top. It saves the household money in energy costs, maintenance, and offers significant health benefits as shower steam is not able to flow into adjoining rooms; reducing condensation, mould, mildew and mites. We have one Showerdome to give away, valued at $276 including a DIY self-install kit (installation by a trained Showerdome installer is available at standard pricing). For more information, visit www.showerdome.co.nz. To enter, send your full name, phone number and address to Showerdome giveaway, Mahurangi Matters, PO Box 701, Warkworth. Alternatively, enter by sending us a private message with the competition name as the subject, to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mahurangimatters). Closes May 19.

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| Mahurangimatters 1 May 201346

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Warming up your house may be easier than you think, says the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s (EECA) senior technical adviser, Christian Hoerning.

Choosing efficient heating

“There are simple, low-cost changes that will make a difference, as well as investments to give you long-term benefits.”Effective low-cost or free solutions include closing curtains as soon as the sun goes down, blocking the chimney in any unused fireplaces, and installing draught seals around doors and windows. Installing underfloor and ceiling insulation are also one of the most cost-effective investments home owners can make for a warmer home that’s easier to heat, he says.“If your house is not insulated, or has old insulation that is probably not performing well, good quality, well-installed underfloor and ceiling insulation could halve your house’s heat loss.”Grants for installing underfloor and ceiling insulation are available through EECA’s Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme. All homeowners (including landlords), living in houses built before 2000, are eligible for a grant of 33 percent towards the cost of installing ceiling and underfloor insulation, up to a maximum of $1300.So far more than 204,000 homes have been insulated through the programme. Keeping the heat in by insulating is the first step, but insulation will be more effective if you have heating to complement your insulated home, according to Mr Hoerning. Clean, effective forms of heating include modern wood and wood-pellet burners, Energy Star-qualified heat pumps and Energy Star-qualified gas heaters and fireplaces.“If you are in the market for a new

heat pump, make sure you go for a correctly sized and installed Energy Star one. The efficiency of any heat pump relies on it being the right size for the space being heated – if it’s too small it will have to work harder and cost more to run. Ask your supplier to size the heat pump specifically for the space being heated.”Mr Hoerning says the most efficient gas space heaters now also have a blue Energy Star mark. This means that they’re most efficient at converting gas to heat and are healthier for your family because they are flued, he says.“Avoid unflued or portable gas heaters as they pump moisture and noxious gases into the home, making it damp, unhealthy and more expensive to heat. What’s more, electric heaters are much safer and cheaper to run.”Mr Hoerning says modern wood and wood-pellet burners have low running costs, especially if you have access to free or cheap firewood and you can easily heat large spaces and hot water in winter through a wetback system.

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Mahurangimatters 1 May 2013 | 47

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As cooler weather closes in and home heating begins to crank up, moves to ban domestic open fires are moving forward at Auckland Council with the possibility that a ban could be in place next winter.

Fire ban proposal heats up

Council’s proposal to ban domestic open fires and require the phasing out of pre-2005 woodburners as homes are sold, was presented to the Regulatory and Bylaws Committee last month.The proposal first went before the regulatory and bylaws committee in February last year, and was sent back for further work, particularly around implementation.Council’s policies and bylaws manager Andrew Pickering says in order to meet the 2016 Environmental Standards for Air Quality (AQNES) requirements, Council needs to begin reductions in the emissions from home heating fires as soon as possible.He says small particles from home heating fires make up 72 percent of all small particle emissions in the winter months in the Auckland region. The emissions from these small particles can have serious effects on public health.Mr Pickering says there are a number of ways that Council can achieve reductions in emissions, including the creation of a bylaw, and officers are still working through the options as

well as researching the management of domestic fire emissions in Auckland.He says his team is currently collating information from the latest Home Heating Survey 2012, which will be included in the presentation to the committee.The presentation will also cover the existing situation regarding the use of open fires and wood burners, the health effects from small particulate emissions, the legal obligations placed upon Council, the consequences of non-compliance with AQNES, and the costs and benefits of options to reduce emissions from home heating fires.Mr Pickering says after the presentation to the committee, Council will be seeking the views of the local boards, iwi and other affected parties.The 2006 Census shows there were 26,000 open fireplaces in the Auckland region and around 78,000 old woodburners.Council is also assessing the options for regulating transport emissions in line with the air quality standards, which will require Government regulation.

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