A mould covered ceiling. Cold, damp houses are more common among renters a new survey has showed. Photo / Ben Fraser.
New Zealanders living in cold, damp homes are toughing it out during winter to save money on their power bills, according to a new survey.
The latest State of the Home Survey for the Auckland University of Technology and HRV home ventilation company, found four out of 10 people tried
to reduce their power bills during winter by using as little heating as possible.
And almost half of the 1040 respondents said that cold, dampness and condensation increased the cost of heating their homes, the survey conducted by research company Buzz Channel showed.
More than a third believed these cold and damp conditions were responsible for worsening their health and that of children, which had increased doctors visits and medical costs.
The knock-on effect was that people uprooted their lives to move out of mouldy, damp housing, while about 230,000 people are taking 10 sick days each year, with renters taking more.
