By 3 News online staff
Residents of one of New Zealand’s coldest towns won’t be so cold any more now they have had their houses insulated for free.
Ophir in Central Otago recorded the second lowest New Zealand temperature of -21.6C in 1995 and was chosen by Knauf Insulation to have the homes of 50 residents, commercial and public buildings insulated for free using EarthWool.
It has taken a year and cost more than $200,000 for all the often old buildings to be insulated, with each house having to be approached in different ways.
The installers found each house had to be approached differently, with some having walls and roofs insulated, and others only able to have one or the other.
Stuart Dunbar, Knauf Insulation general manager for New Zealand and Australia, says the company wants to promote community values.
“We believed this was a useful way to demonstrate our commitment to improving energy efficiency in New Zealand and help some very hardy South Islanders become more comfortable in their homes.”
Residents welcomed the insulation initiative and Knauf received some great feedback.
Knauf Insulation claims EarthWool is more environmentally friendly than other brands of glasswool insulation.
The product is made using recycled glass bottles and has no added formaldehyde. It uses renewable materials to bond the fibres together, rather than petrochemical products.
It also claims to be 100 percent recyclable.
3 News