A celebratory breakfast was held last week to honour the progress that Energy Options Ltd and its Healthy Homes Marlborough project has made since the first home was insulated in August 2006.
HHM began in partnership with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), and the main focus of the project is to maximise the benefits of insulation.
HHM is part of a nationwide push to insulate those pre-1977 homes which meet the criteria, to improve ceiling and underfloor insulation.
International health studies have proven that not only does insulation reduce energy costs by making homes more efficient, it will also reduce mould, mildew and cold, damp and other unhealthy living conditions.
At the breakfast, two people who have had their homes insulated had the opportunity to speak about the way HHM has helped them.
Phillipa Simmonds spoke of how her children suffer from asthma, and how cooler air can generate breathing |
problems. Since getting the insulation, Phillipa said her children breathe easier, they now no longer need a heater in every room and the family’s consumption of firewood has decreased because the house retains heat.
Gina Lachner described how she too suffers from asthma, and when the air gets cooler she constantly coughs.
“There was a time where I couldn’t be here this early in the morning because of my coughing,” Gina said.
Now that her home is insulated, her cough has hardly been a problem, with the frequency of attacks dropping dramatically.
After the installation is complete, dwellers experience a decrease in energy consumption and warmer, drier homes which in turn improves the householder’s health.
Over and above the benefits to householders, the project uses both local resources and contractors to complete the task at hand.
In poorly insulated homes, heat loss is substantial. |
EECA statistics indicate that 42 percent of heat is lost through the ceiling, 24 per cent through the walls, ten per cent through the floor, and the other 24 per cent through windows, chimneys and doors. So far, 130 Marlborough homes had ceiling and underfloor insulation installed by Energy Options Ltd under the HHM project, with very positive outcomes.
This is EECA’s first project in Marlborough, and the aim is to insulate 250 homes, at a cost of $600,000.
Major funding for the project is currently provided by the Marlborough Electric Power Trust, Nelson Marlborough District Health Board and EECA with a minimal contribution required from homeowners and landlords. Local support is also contributed by Work and Income.
The Marlborough District Council did not allocate any funding to the project in 2006, but is reviewing its stance on the issue and may contribute this year. |
