Keeping Your Home Warm in Winter
The Waikato winter sure can be cold !
As the fog rolls in and the early morning frosts appear taking refuge inside your home from the cold outside seems like a great idea .
But many homes aren ’ t as warm as they should be . Warm and dry homes provide many cost and health benefits for you and your family .
If your home isn ’ t as warm as it could be there are a number of ways that you can help to keep your home drier and warmer this winter .
Insulate One of the most effective ways to warm up your home is to insulate it so you don ’ t lose the heat that is inside .
• The Government has just allocated $ 100 million in the 2013 budget to the Warm Up New Zealand Healthy Homes programme . The programme will target low-income households particularly those families with children and high health needs . The programme will provide grants for up to 60 % of the cost of insulation .
• Draught proof under doors and around windows ( you can buy draught proofing strips at hardware stores ).
• Hang good quality thermal curtains that generously fit your windows .
Heat
• Heat pumps , modern wood burners and quality flued gas heaters provide the best , most efficient forms of heat .
• Electric heaters , while much cheaper to buy , can be costly to run , so weigh up the running cost vs purchase cost benefits . Check the energy rating of products when buying them , the Energywise website has a good comparison of the types of heating and their energy efficiency .
• Avoid using unflued gas heaters , which release toxic gases and water vapour , which actually makes your house damper and has significant health risks . Ventilate
• Open up windows . Yes , even though it ’ s winter – just a little , for half an hour each day , and change the air inside your home so that you are getting fresh air in the house and letting moisture out .
• Do not dry washing inside . All of that moisture from wet washing has to go somewhere and will end up dampening and moulding up your home .
• Open up windows or turn on ventilation fans when showering or cooking .
• Use pot lids and shut doors so kitchen and bathroom steam doesn ’ t escape into other parts of the house .
• Clean all visible mould away as soon as it appears on ceilings , walls and windowsills using a spray bottle filled with a solution of three parts of white vinegar and two parts of water . Mould that grows on
22 walls and ceilings can be very toxic . So small steps …. big results . Some of these may seem like small steps but collectively they can all make a significant difference to the health of your home and the ongoing health of your precious family .
For more information check out : www . eeca . govt . nz www . energywise . govt . nz
Article supplied in part by Eleanor Cater , National Brand Manager for Parents Centre
New Zealand .