A recent report by EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) on its Warmer Kiwi Homes programme has found that families who were provided with heat pumps, experienced a dramatic improvement in their health. The proportion of respondents stating that they were in excellent or very good health rose from 46.2% before heat pump installation to 61.5% after installation.
Warmer Kiwi Homes provides government grants for lower-income homeowners, to cover 80% of the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation and 80% of the cost of an approved heat pump, up to a cap of $3000. Thanks to additional funding from local trusts in many regions of the country, insulation and heating installs can be more affordable or even free. Policy initiatives like this, which encourage more efficient heating and improved thermal comfort in homes, are important in reducing the occurrence and severity of respiratory disease and related hospitalisations.
For this reason, The Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ (ARFNZ) is delighted to welcome Warmer Kiwi Homes as a new sponsor in its Friends of the Foundation programme.
"We all know that healthy homes are a vital part of the picture when it comes to respiratory health," says Letitia Harding, Chief Executive of ARFNZ. "
Too many Kiwis live in cold, damp housing, which has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory infection, asthma exacerbation and potentially asthma development. It’s great to have Warmer Kiwi Homes come on board as Silver Sponsor, as our values are a perfect fit. They’re doing such amazing work in the healthy homes space, and this is something we want to get behind in any way we can."
"We all want a warm, dry, healthy home, but that’s especially important if you have a respiratory condition, as putting on another jersey doesn’t help if you’re breathing in cold air," says Warmer Kiwi Homes Manager Eddie Thompson. "Well-installed insulation and efficient heating is vital to improve the health and well-being of your family. We’re so pleased to partner with the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, who share our focus on healthy homes for all New Zealanders."
About the Warmer Kiwi Homes Interim Report: The Warmer Kiwis Study is being led by Motu Economic & Public Policy Research. This study specifically focuses on the heat pump component of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme, and works directly with a group of about 160 homeowners, who have received, or will receive a grant for an efficient heater. Motu is collecting new data on health and wellbeing, the indoor environment in homes (including temperature and humidity), and electricity consumption to investigate the actual improvements achieved through EECA’s programme. Read the Warmer Kiwi Homes Interim Report here.
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