Ashburton Courier: May 28, 2020

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Page 16, Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday May 28, 2020 Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Preparing for Winter Extra funds for insulation, heating An extra 9000 Kiwi homes will be eligible for government’sinsulation and heatingprogramme due to a $56m funding boost, says Energy and Resources MinisterMegan Woods. The Covid19 Response and Recovery Fund was set up to ensurethe additional New Zealand houseswill be Warmer Kiwi Homes through the programme. “Insulation and heating helps to prevent respiratory illness,and the WarmerKiwi Homes programme protects the most vulnerable peopleinour communities,’’she said. “Over 20,000 insulationand heating retrofits have alreadybeen delivered since Warmer Kiwi Homes was launched in July2018 and (the) announcement will ensuremore low income people will get achancetohave awarmer, drier,healthier home.” “The existing programme already covers twothirds of the cost of insulationand/orheating retrofits, but we knowthat coming up with the restofthe money to get retrofits done, is still out of reach for many lowincomepeople and families. “That’s why we are increasing the grant proportion available for lowincome households from 67 per cent to 90 per centofthe costs of an insulationand/or heating retrofit to deliveranestimated 9,000 additional retrofits. “We’re alsoproud of the significant thirdpartyfunding that has been leveraged through the programmetodate. With the Government now meeting90per centofthe cost,weexpect that topups fromthirdparty community organisations will makeretrofits freeofcharge to many applicants. The Warmer KiwiHomes programmeispart of Labour’s Confidence and Supply Agreement withthe GreenParty. Greens’ Housing spokesman Marama Davidson said ensuring lowincome people are not shut out of well insulated homes with good, efficientheating sources is vital. “By insulating homesand providingefficient heating systems, we’re helping to ensure that noone is forced to live in acold, damp home, whichweknow leads to poor health outcomes. “Investing in qualityinsulation and efficient systems is awin for Insulating homes and providingefficient heating systemshelps prevent poor health. people, the planet, and the economy. This investmenthas long been advocated for by the Greens.” The Warmer Kiwi Homes will also provide jobsand is goodfor the New Zealand economy with 90 companies, employing more than 1300 contractors acrosstheir businesses, to deliver Warmer Kiwi Homes. The funding will provide confidence in the viability of this important sectoraswerecover from the impact of Covid19. More than 90 per cent of the insulationproducts installed throughWarmer Kiwi Homes are manufactured in New Zealand. ends 17/7/2020Lening criteria, $50 Annual Account Fee, $55. Establishment or $35 advance fee, T&C’s apply. *Promo ˆOffer ends30/6/2020, T&C’s apply.See www.flooringxtra.co.nz fordetails. 2279721
Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday May 28, 2020, Page 17 Preparing for Winter Getting through the winter season There are manythings householderscan do to help themselves cope withthe cold of the winterseason,which officially starts on Monday. If you planahead for the unexpectedly cold, or themost extremeweatherconditions,life may be moreendurable when things are at theirworst;this includes makingsure you have adequateinsurance to cover your property. Keeping informed on the weather forecast may be a nationalpasttime but it does help, especially if you are considering travel,ormakingsure you have the right suppliesinthe house. Heading into the colder annual season consider what you may needathome to survive the harsh reality of winter; woodburner/ electrical heating source, layering clothingtostay warm,food and water. But thereare also extra things to considersuch as ensuring the gas barbecue bottleisfull before winter forpeace of mind; it can be usedfor cooking. If snowispredicted,itmightbe helpful to movethe equipment into the garage or under a verandah, whereyou can get Layering is the best way to keep warm. access to it should you need to use the barbecue for cooking the familymeals. But make surethere is adequateventilationifusingit for cookinginanenclosedspace. Keepasnow shovel handy if snowispredicted to low levels;it may soundvery northern hemisphere but this simplepiece of equipmentmightbethe only means by which you canget to yourfirewoodsupplyorto clear the driveway. Keepingagood supply of batteries to fit portable radios will enable you to keep in touch through localradiobroadcasts and keepyou informed. In the eventofasevere snowstorm or an earthquake, civil emergency messages willlet you knowwhat is going on and what action, if any, you needtotake. But in apower outagethe household should haveaready supply of torches which should alsohave fresh batteries. Everyone should know where they can be found,along with the candles and matches. In these events acellphones can be alifeline but it needs power. So amobile phone carcharger is alwaysgood for peaceofmind. And if you have apay as you go deal, it would be agood idea to top up the creditwith abit extra overthe winterperiod. Something many of us take for granted is asupply of clean drinking water. There are no guaranteesofwater supplyinthe event of adisaster so make sure you have at least aweek’s supply based on three litres of water per personper day. This amount should be the minimum keptinstorage,whether in bottles with sealed lids or larger storage tanks. By rationingitout there should be enough for drinking purposes even if showers and baths have to be forfeitedfor the duration. Peoplewho relyonwell water for the householdwill know that when the powergoes off, so does the watersupply. That not only means nothing comingout of the taps but no flushing of the toilet either. Keeping containers of water storedfor loo flushing and hand washing is part of the preparation for the unexpected. One thing to consider is a generator which can be a lifesaver, however, there are guidelines that need to be followed. Householdersshould not expectageneratortorun the household as per normal, however a5kVA generator willgenerally supplythe basicneeds of a household by running different appliances at differenttimes. Curtains, blinds help keep the heat in Having the right curtains and blinds can keep your home warm and comfortable. It’s afinding from Consumer NZ who say installing wellfitted curtains and blinds will go along way towards keeping heat inside your home. Awellinsulated home can lose about 45 percent of heat through its windows. That drops to 30 percent for an uninsulated home (but that’s only because more heat disappears through the roof and walls). The right window covering will stop nearly twothirds of that heat from going out the window. Honeycomb blinds were the star performer they retained more than 60 percent of the heat lost through a bare window. Air is agood insulator, as long as it’s not moving, and the honeycomb structure creates alarge, still air gap between the cold windowpane and the warm inside air. If you prefer curtains you are better to select heavy and long. Consumer NZ testing showed heavy lined curtains are better than the coated thermalbacked types and, for the best result, you should fit them down to the floor instead of stopping them at the sill. It’s was essential they were fitted properly close to the window and within the frame and will minimal gaps at the top, bottom and at the sides. Honeycomb blinds topped our test, but we found roman blinds and roller blinds were effective as well, as long as they were fitted correctly. Even venetians worked but keep those slats closed. The findings say regardless of personal preference or budget, any curtains and blinds are better than nothing. If you’ve got any uncovered windows, put up something. Consumer NZ also investigated a few cheap ‘hacks’ to improve your curtains for winter such as hanging a blanket behind curtains or rolling up atowel and placing it on top of the curtain rail. To make the best use of your curtains and blinds, Consumer NZ advises people keep them open during the day over winter to make the most of the sun. Close them as soon as the sun sets to trap as much heat as possible. You should also fix any draughts in the windows which can be detected by using alit candle.
Page 1 and 2: Call Paddy to get a free apprasial
Page 3 and 4: Local news at www.starnews.co.nz As
Page 5 and 6: New World owner/operator Jeremy Roo
Page 9 and 10: Topping up the food of our native b
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Page 31 and 32: SITUATIONS VACANT Operations Co-ord

Ashburton Courier: May 28, 2020

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