Rt Hon Helen Clark
Prime Minister of New Zealand.

30 March 2007 Media Statement

EnergyWise grants for sustainable, healthy homes

30,000 New Zealand homes have now benefited from insulation and energy efficiency measures under the government's EnergyWise home grants programme, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today.

Helen Clark today visited the Urwin family of Ellerslie, Auckland, whose house is the 30,000th household to receive an EnergyWise grant.

"Pursuing greater energy efficiency in the home is one of the most important things New Zealanders can do to help make our country more sustainable," Helen Clark said.

"The good news is that the same steps, which make our homes more energy efficient, like installing insulation, will also make them much healthier to live in.

Helen Clark today heard how the Urwin family expects the programme to make a big difference for the health of their three-year old son Jack, who suffers from respiratory problems and regularly ends up in Starship Hospital with pneumonia in winter.

"For every dollar spent on insulating old, cold houses, there is close to a two dollar benefit in health savings from fewer hospital admissions and less time off work or school.

"There's no doubt that a more sustainable New Zealand will be a much healthier New Zealand," Helen Clark said.

Under the EnergyWise home grants programme, the government provides $1 for every $2 contributed by project co-funders. The Urwin family home is part of the Snug Homes Auckland project, which is jointly funded by EECA, the ASB Community Trust, Auckland City Council, Manukau City Council, Procare Network Auckland, Procare Network Manukau, Auckland District Health Board and the Starship Foundation.

The EnergyWise home grants programme is just one of several initiatives the government has underway to improve the energy efficiency of homes. Housing New Zealand's Healthy Homes programme, run in partnership with Waitemata and Counties Manukau District Health Boards and Auckland Regional Public Health Service has invested $75 million since 2001 in retrofitting and insulating homes and has helped 4,500 families to date. Housing New Zealand also runs an Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme, which has seen 12,000 state houses retrofitted over the past five years as a result of the government's nearly $20 million investment.

In addition, the Ministry for the Environment's $1.25 million Warm Homes Programme aims to ensure that all New Zealanders can adequately heat their homes and has begun funding local government projects and research programmes into how that goal can be achieved.

ENDS

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