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Energy Efficiency Conservation (Warm Healthy Rentals) Amendment Bill
By | Jul 28, 2010
Green Party MP Gareth Hughes is currently promoting his new member’s bill that will help ensure that warm, healthy residential properties are the norm in New Zealand, not the exception.
This is achieved through the introduction of minimum energy performance standards for residential rental accommodation, providing a legal framework that achieves efficiency and health gains for tenants and taxpayers while enabling the capital investment to be reflected in the value of the property.
The majority of the 1.6 million occupied houses in New Zealand do not have sufficient levels of insulation or efficient clean heating devices and a significant proportion do not meet World Health Organisation guide lines for adequate internal temperature.
“Adequate housing is a essential that all New Zealanders should be guaranteed. We know that there are a lot of cold damp rentals out there and that lots of people have to live in them because they don’t have the money to move.
“Cold, damp housing has a big impact on people’s health which has flow-on effects for how they get on in education and employment.
“Sick days from cold houses lead to lost productivity and strain on the health system, which will be made worse by the fact that you now need a medical certificate to take a day off.
“This policy will not only protect people’s health, it will protect the planet by lowering emissions from energy production.
“Landlords will benefit by having the value of their properties increased when they insulate them, and it will encourage them to take advantage of the $323 million home insulation scheme that the Greens set up.
“I will be touring around the country to see our coldest flats and homes to get a first hand view of how people are living, and to talk about solutions for what is a big problem that affects a whole range of New Zealanders, especially the young and poor.
“I hope the Government will give all New Zealanders a fair go and support our bill to provide warm healthy homes,” said Mr Hughes.
This bill requires that standards be in place by October 2012, that all residential rental accommodation be efficiency rated and publicly notified by 2015, and that all residential rental accommodation meets the minimum energy efficiency standards by 2018.
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Janet Crawford
August 9th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
An excellent idea. I know from expereince the difference that a well-insulated and heated house can make to childrens’ health.