Free insulation gifted

A Mamaku resident now has free home insulation thanks to Bay of Plenty Regional Council and WISE Better Homes. The two organisations had a stand at last month’s Home and Leisure Show in Rotorua that gave away free home insulation to one lucky winner. Mamaku local Lorraine Olding won and gifted the prize to a neighbour. The lifestyle property home she owns is already insulated, so when she heard she’d won, her former home - dairy farm accommodation that she remembers as damp and cold - sprung to mind. "Mamaku is known for being a few degrees colder than it is in town. When I lived in this home it was very cold, always had condensation and had mould growing," Lorraine said. "The family living in the home works really hard on the farm, so it’s nice that they can come back to a warm home after a hard day’s work. They have really noticed a difference since the insulation was installed by WISE Better Homes a couple of weeks ago. It’s easier to warm and the home feels a lot drier." The prize aimed to promote EECA’s Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes programme. "I think the scheme is a great idea. It will be a huge help for people who can’t afford to insulate their homes," Mrs Olding said. The Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes programme provides free ceiling and underfloor insulation to low-income households with people who have health needs related to cold, damp housing. Regional Council Senior Planner Marion Henton, who manned the Home and Leisure Show stand, said there was a lot of interest in the initiative. "It’s been a chilly winter and a lot of people do not have insulation or efficient heating in their homes. Regional Council provides and supports this programme to help property owners with warming their homes. Some property owners didn’t know they were eligible for free insulation and in some cases heating," she said. WISE Better Homes Chief Executive Anaru Marshall was pleased the insulation had made a difference for the family in Mamaku. "Over the last 18 months we have insulated more than 500 homes in Rotorua under the EECA programme for families," he said. "Our aim is to reduce the incidence of respiratory illness and conditions such as asthma and rheumatic fever by insulating Rotorua homes." "We are also trading old wood burners and fireplaces for brand new heat pumps. Good heating and good insulation makes a huge difference in people’s quality of life." Anaru said, "Without the funding support from EECA, Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust, Bay Trust, Rotorua Lakes Council, Southern Trust and the Regional Council our work would not happen." If you want to know more about funding available to assist with insulating your home or cleaner heating, phone 0508 238 837