Why Do What We Do?
When I was 7, my 5 year old brother got Pneumonia.
It was a scary time, even though I was very young I understood the severity of the situation because of my parents' reactions. I remember how worried they were, and I remember my brother staying for days at the hospital with alternating parents. Thankfully, he eventually got better and he’s stronger than ever today- a rugby player and just going into 2nd year at university. As soon as he improved, we moved - a home that gave my brother pneumonia was obviously not one that we should stay at. It was difficult, but once we were in our new house Liam didn’t get sick again. I’m very thankful that my parents were able to move houses and were financially stable enough to do so, but many families are unfortunately not in this situation with the luxury of choice.
Thousands of New Zealanders face cold and damp homes everyday and don’t have the choice that my family did. Many landlords also refuse to make much needed improvements to renters living conditions until it becomes necessary by law. Half of renters in New Zealand report mould in their flat- a staggering amount. This mould is directly linked to many respiratory illnesses- pneumonia being among them. Another leading cause of respiratory illnesses is cold homes- and with the average rented home being below 18°C (recommended lowest temperature indoor should be by WHO) it’s no surprise that renters are unsatisfied with their housing conditions.
So what do renters do? There are a number of strategies that can help keep a home warmer- and a couple that don’t break the bank.
1. Keep curtains open during the day, closed once the sun goes down
During the day, the sun is a free source of heating- but during the evening your curtains can act as an extra level of insulation. Closing your windows and closing your curtains at night will keep the inside of your home warmer.
2. Moving your couch away from the radiator
While it’s lovely to have the warmth of the radiator on you while on the couch, it absorbs a lot of the heat that could be heating the whole room.
3. Open your windows during the day
Opening your windows keeps your home dry, which decreases dampness, and also makes it easier to heat. Adding this into your routine to allow for an hour or two of airflow a day can improve you and your homes health.
4. Not using unflued gas heaters
Unflued gas heaters exhume harmful fumes into your home. They can be even more detrimental to your health than damp or cold, with the additional potential dangers such as carbon monoxide (which is deadly) and nitrogen dioxide (which has been shown to aggravate asthma).
5. Installing a solution - Heat Pumps, Extractor Fans
Both of these solutions have higher setup costs but represent a great investment for your home, which pay for temselves over time. Heat pumps, according to EECA, are the lowest cost option after installation out of all heating options. Extractor fans are very efficient ways of removing moisture buildup, and cost a cent or less an hour to run.