Is your home properly insulated?
A well-insulated Kiwi home has benefits that run deeper than a tall stack of Pink Batts.
Those benefits, including energy savings and improved health, far outweigh the costs of insulation. For example, a study conducted by the Wellington School of Medicine found that people living in insulated homes had fewer medical and hospital visits for respiratory conditions, and fewer days off work and school than those residing in an un-insulated home. In another survey of people living in homes that had been retrofitted with insulation, 38% of them reported improved health e.g. a reduced incidence of asthma among children.
There’s no question that an insulated home is a better home. But there is a question hanging around that we must address:
Is your home properly insulated?
Since July 1, 2019, it has been law that ceiling and underfloor insulation must be installed in rental homes, where it is reasonably practicable. It’s all part of the Government’s Healthy Homes standards, and landlords who have installed insulation as recently as 2016 will probably meet those standards. Currently, if the home has underfloor insulation, as well as ceiling insulation at least 70mm thick, and, both are in good condition, then everything should be AOK. Your landlord has probably met their obligation to provide you with a well-insulated home, and all the benefits arising from it.
But the word “probably” does not mean definitely, and as a tenant or even as a home-owner, you might have doubts about the insulation in your home. When there are doubts, there are even more questions!
Is that insulation in good condition?
Does it meet required standards as set down in the new laws?
Is the home actually insulated at all?
These are all very good questions, and ones that need to be answered. You want to know your home is as comfortable, as healthy, and as energy efficient as it can be. Meanwhile, landlords need to know that they’re meeting their obligations; not just moral ones, but legal ones as well. Green Dog can bring some much-needed clarity to the situation.
If you’re not totally 100% sure you’re living in a properly insulated home, get in touch with us. We’ll come around to your place, check out the insulation situation both below floor and in the ceiling, and let you know what we find. Best of all, we won’t charge you for it!
Remember, it’s your right to live in a cosy, healthy and energy efficient home.
So, contact Green Dog today for that FREE assessment.
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