Opinion: Making kiwi homes a warmer place to be

Jamie Strange, Labour List MP. Photo / Supplied

To start the month of August, the Government has launched the Warmer Kiwi Homes insulation programme.

These grants can cover up to two thirds of the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation.
The first year of the programme will focus on insulation grants.

Separate grants for heating will be available from July 2019.

I'm proud that our Government has invested in this programme, because too many homes are cold and damp, leading to preventable diseases such as rheumatic fever and asthma.

This has proven to be a huge personal cost to those afflicted, but also adds cost and pressures to our health system.

This Government is focused on the fence at the top of the cliff, rather than the ambulance at the bottom.

This, along with other initiatives and programmes our Government has announced, such as the Winter Energy Payment and Best Start, makes me proud of the positive steps we are taking to make New Zealand an even better place to live.

To be eligible for the grant, you must:

1.Own and live in a home built before 2008.

2.Have a Community Services Card or SuperGold combo card, or own and live in a home in an area that's lower-income (If you're not sure you live in a lower-income area, you can ask when you apply for the grant).

3.Be referred by the Healthy Homes Initiative.

To apply, please contact a local company who installs insulation and is part of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme.

This company can check your eligibility and help you through the process.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, which runs Warmer Kiwi Homes, is encouraging community organisations to contribute funding to make the cost to homeowners as low-cost as possible.

I would like to acknowledge and thank the many community organisations who are investing additional funding in insulation programmes, lifting the level of funding available in grants and making a significant difference to the wellbeing of our Hamilton communities.

If you need further information the Warmer Kiwi Homes insulation programme, please contact my office: 07 839 6803.