Frequently Asked Questions

We understand you may have questions about Healthy Homes and what we provide. Please see the list of Frequently Asked Questions below to see if any apply to your query. If the answer you seek is not below, please

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Who is eligible for government / EECA subsidies?

You must meet the following criteria to be eligible;

  • Your residential home must be built before 2008
  • Be a homeowner/occupier
  • Your home must be located within deprivation zones 7,8,9 or 10 OR hold a valid community services card
What deprivation zone am I in?

Check this website here

Enter your address and match colour of your zone to the deprivation colour ranking.

Please note that;

Only zones 7, 8, 9 or 10 are eligible for our insulation grant

Only zones 8, 9 or 10 are eligible for our heating grant

If you are in dep zone 6 or below you are eligible for both grants if you hold a valid community services card.

I’ve already got insulation in my house, is it enough?

Many older houses in New Zealand do have some insulation in their ceiling or underfloor, in many cases this is well below the minimum standard. Homes built prior 1978 typically have no insulation, while those built between 1978 and 2008 will likely to have less than 100mm. EECA standards in New Zealand currently require a minimum of 120mm. Healthy Homes Tai Tokerau can do a free assessment on your home to let you know how much insulation you do have in your home and what you can do to bring it up to NZS4246 standards.

How is having my home insulated going to improve my family’s health and why should I insulate my home??
Having your home insulated will stop the feeling of dampness in your home, it will also significantly reduce the amount of mould. By insulating your home, you will help to improve any health issues you may have in your household i.e respiratory problems, asthma, chronic illness, flus and colds etc. Therefore reducing your visits to the doctor.
 
Insulating your home will keep your home warmer, drier and healthier.
What kind of insulation do you use?

Our products is supplied by one of the biggest Polyester Manufacturing Companies in Auckland – Autex Industries – 100% New Zealand made and manufactured. The polyester insulation is made from recycled PETA plastic bottles i.e milk and coke bottles. The polyester insulation we use is bonded using heat instead of traditional chemical binders, so therefore has no glues, chemicals, formaldehyde and is naturally resistant to fire, moisture, vermin, insects, mould and bacteria eliminating the need for any chemical additives. As well as being environmentally friendly, polyester insulation material is non-toxic, non-irritating, non-allergenic and safe for anyone coming into contact with it. Our polyester insulation products come with a 50 year performance guarantee giving you peace of mind.

What products can I get?
Funding can be used to install:
  • Ceiling and underfloor insulation, up to a required standard (please note you need to get both ceiling and underfloor insulation done, if possible, to qualify for funding).
  • Ground moisture barrier

Products we provide outside of funding

  • Ceiling and underfloor insulation
  • Ground moisture barrier
  • Wall insulation
Why should I choose Healthy Homes Tai Tokerau?

Healthy Homes Tai Tokerau is a joint venture partnership between two long established Northland charitable community enterprises – He Iwi Kotahi Tatou Trust from Moerewa and the Community Business & Environment Centre (CBEC) from Kaitaia. his partnership was established in early 2008 and to date we have retrofitted over 9,000 Northland homes. Healthy Homes Tai Tokerau is a community owned, not for profit charitable enterprise which is committed to working for our community. Take the first step in making your home warmer, drier and healthier with a free home energy assessment. We cover all of Northland!

What is an R value?
All insulation materials are rated for their performance in restricting heat transfer. Generally the thicker the better.
This is expressed as the R value, also known as thermal resistance or resistivity. The R value is a guide to its performance as an insulator – the higher the R value, the greater the insulating effect. R values are expressed using the metric unit’s m2/K/W, where:
  • m2 refers to one metre squared of the material of a specified thickness;
  • K refers to a one degree temperature difference (Kelvin or Celsius) across the material; and
  • W refers to the amount of heat flow across the material in watts.

Products which have the same R value will provide exactly the same insulating effect as each other, provided they are correctly installed.

What can I do to be more energy efficient around the home?
Here are some simple steps you can take towards being more energy efficient:
  • Insulate your ceiling and under floor. You lose approximately 42% of your heat through the ceiling and approximately 10% through the floor. So by having your home insulated you are trapping the heat making your home warmer and more comfortable.
  • Attach draught stops to your exterior doors.
  • Change your lights to energy efficient bulbs. For every normal bulb that you replace with an energy efficient bulb, you will save approximately $110.00 over the bulbs lifetime.
  • Attach window seals to all windows.
  • Have your windows double glazed. We understand this is an expensive option. A more affordable alternative is to purchase thermal curtains for your main living areas.
  • Get into the habit of switching all appliances off at the wall when you are not using them. When appliances are left on standby they continue to use energy, therefore, costing you more money.

How can I save even more on my power bill?

For more energy efficiency and energy saving tips like us on Facebook or head over to energywise.govt.nz