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Why warm up NZ homes?

New Zealand homes have not traditionally been designed to be energy efficient and warm. This means that energy is wasted when we heat our homes. If we are using solid fuel as our heating source it also means we are emitting more smoke than is necessary. Air pollution affects our health and ability to work and play. And living in a cold home can lead to ill health and long-term health problems, particularly for young, elderly or infirm people.

Warming up New Zealand homes has many benefits, including:

  • Improved health – a warmer home and improved air quality reduces the risk of many respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
  • Making a warm home more affordable – energy efficiency saves you money.

The main driver behind the Warm Homes project was the national environmental standard for air quality. This was introduced in 2004 and requires regional councils and communities to deal with poor air quality in their areas. In many urban areas the major source of air pollution is home heating. One of the air quality standards is for new wood burners. It means that only approved, low emission woodburner models can be installed, to help reduce the amount of air pollution.

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Save money and warm up

There are a number of improvements you can make to your home and which would quickly pay for themselves.

  • Immediate comfort benefits will arise from installing ceiling and underfloor insulation which will soon pay for itself.
  • A vapour barrier (durable water proof sheet) fixed to the ground beneath your home complements under floor insulation by keeping moisture out. Moisture in the home is something you want to avoid because it makes it more expensive to heat and encourages mould.
  • A cheap step you can take is to draught stop around windows and doors.
  • If you are considering getting a new heater, make sure it is low in emissions and high in efficiency. Our research has shown that the best heating appliances on both these criteria are: wood pellet fires, low emission wood burners, flued gas heaters and heat pumps. All of these heating types have low emission levels and low running costs.

There are a number of energy efficiency upgrades you can make to save money. Start with:

  • installing low energy light bulbs
  • fitting low flow shower heads
  • installing a hot water cylinder wrap
  •  where possible, insulating your hot water pipes.

If you want to make further improvements to your home, think about installing double glazing and insulating the walls.
Over time all these investments will pay for themselves with lower power bills, improved comfort and reduced health risks.

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Enjoy the heat not the smoke

Photo of a wood burner.

When good burning practices
are followed the glass on a
modern wood burner will stay clear.

Wood burner photo courtesy of
Harris Flame Technology

The way you operate your wood burner determines the amount of smoke coming out of your chimney. We love the ambience created by burning wood but the smoke could disturb our neighbours.

Smoke from your chimney will have a particularly bad effect on the health of your neighbours if they are old, young or of bad health. So, while you are enjoying your fire inside, spare a thought for those that may have to put up with your smoke.

Here are some simple tips to reduce the smoke and the impact on your community. These tips will also save you money because the more efficiently you burn the less smoke you produce.

  • Reload your burner often using small pieces of wood
  • Burn small bright fires
  • Follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions
  • Never overload your wood burner because it will smother the flames and create a smoky fire
  • Do not turn down your burner overnight – a slow smoldering fire creates higher emissions
  • Plan ahead – stock up on wood 6-12 months before you plan on using it in your fire
  • Pile wood loosely in a dry place so air can pass freely through the wood stack
  • Never use driftwood, painted or chemically treated wood because they release dioxins when they burn.

These tips are merely the basics for operating your wood burner. If you want to get serious about running your burner efficiently see the Warm Home Project links webpage.

Last updated: 25 November 2008