paul, pleae let me know how to heat my house better duringwinter monthes. It also gets cold here in new mexico.joyce abeitaisleta pueblo
i understand what the families in your story are going through - it is hard being cold, my flat is also often so cold that you can see your breath, especially in the mornings and in winter. it is usually about 10 degrees inside :( when you wake up in the morning, shivering, you know your house is cold! we only heat the lounge with a electric heater because we can't afford to heat anywhere else, everyone knows how ppor students are, but our bloody landlord wouldnt consider insulating unless it was an excuse for him to put the rent up!!i would like to say that the families at greatest risk (on lowest income) will never be able to afford the insulation their homes desperately need without FULL funding by the government. how the hell is anyone supposed to be able to pay $5000 (about one third of some peoples annual income!!)for insulation? MONEY DOESNT GROW ON FUCKING TREES!! cut the funding off at $50,000 per year income for small families and $80,000 for large ones, and give the money to the poor and the sick who really need it!the insulation and energy efficiency requirements of new homes also need to be reconsidered; right now we have some greedy rich bastards building multiple cheap houses to the minimum (inadequate) insulation standard, then hocking them off at the highest price possible. these sort of people need to GO DOWN!better go sleep in the fridge now, hell its almost warmer than the rest of the flat!
I think the insulation is a great move but more should be done. Education on heating homes and how to keep them warm and DRY is just as if not more important. An oven with a element turned on is like a warm house but without the element you could have a chilly bin. Insulation can hold the heat in but it will also hold in the cold. It is worse if the air is damp. People cause dampness and advise has to be given as to how to minimise it, also it should be pointed out that normal activities cause dampness. Damp air is harder to heat and it cools down quicker. It is extremly bad for the health and can couse serious health risks. I have a few pages that I can fax if you are interested. It shows how much water we put into the air, how to minimise it and how and when to heat the house (incl how not to heat the house)Please let me know if you want to see it.
Hi there, I notice that some of the prices mentioned above and they seem very expensive. I branz tested fibreglass insulation to many home-owners around the country. WE have free deliveries once to twice weekly to most areas of New Zealand. Insulating a 100m2 home with R2.2 insulation costs around $600 and you need to spend half a day getting dusty in the ceiling (but you can hire a handyman or student to do this). Underflor product are a little more expensive but like all insulation you can buy it as you can afford it. It is a shame I cannot apply for subsidies to sell you DIY insulation product otherwise a lot of people would be paying only hundreds to insulate their homes themselves. Why don't you give me a call and see how easy it can be o8oo 2o6 2879. Eeven tennants are doing it and taking it with them. Thanks Carla
We have just moved into our new old home, and like many it lacks insulation. While the kids get a kick out of blowing "smoke" out of their mouths in the morning and evenings, my husband and I find it far more difficult. We applied for underfloor insulation under the low income earners scheme, only to be told there was no funding left and to try again in August. My husband suffers from Cardio Pulmonary Disease and this made no difference. While we are greatful this opportunity exists, August is right in the middle of winter and we are freezing now. Even in August there is no guarantee we get insulated.
We all appreciate the efforts to insulate our homes but the schools our children go to are often colder then the home environment. Some schools are so limited in budget that they have to switch the heaters off at a given time due to budget constraints. Its a bit of get your own house in order before advising others to the government. Perhaps the schools should apply for the same advise and funding?
Hi, I refer to the comment on this piece about the average insulation cost being around the $3000 mark. My husband and I earn well under the $100,000 cut-off for the 1/3 rebate (which is only up to $1125). We got a quote for ceiling and under-floor insulation + water cylinder wrap. Our quote for 122.5 sq m was $4696.47. We have already spent $3500 on a heat-pump, but most homes need two!! Needless to say, the only thing we will be spending is another freezing cold winter in our home with us, an old man and a child all having nice 'fresh' bedrooms to sleep in.