Cosy up for a healthy home and lower emissions
16 Jun 2025
Winter is here, and so are higher energy costs. Houses with poor insulation, drafts, and damp are more expensive to heat. But heating bills aren’t the only challenge we face in the colder months; living in a cold, damp home can also cause serious health problems, such as asthma and chest infections.
What’s so good about a Healthy Home?
Having a warm, dry, energy efficient home brings a rage of benefits that are good for your health, good for your wallet, and good for the climate too.
A 2024 evaluation of the Healthy Homes Initiative concluded that having a warmer, drier home brings significant benefits, including fewer hospitalisations and doctor trips, fewer school absences, and better employment outcomes.
Improving your home’s energy efficiency is a simple way to lower your emissions. The NZ Green Building Council has calculated that improving the performance of our homes and buildings could reduce emissions equivalent to taking half of New Zealand’s petrol cars permanently off the road, and save the country almost $40 billion.
What you can do to have a warmer, drier home
There are simple and cost-effective actions you can take to create a warmer, drier home. These include:
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Reducing draughts by filling gaps and checking your window seals
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Minimising moisture by installing extractor fans in your kitchen and bathroom, using a lid when cooking, and opening windows for at least 20 mins a day
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Installing thermal curtains, ideally all the way to the floor
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Checking your home insulation and whether you might be eligible for an insultation grant.
You can check out Healthy Home Kits from the library to test how your home is performing for warmth and dampness. We also offer a range of online guidance to make your home warmer, drier and more affordable.
For in-person advice, we suggest reaching out to:
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Warm Up Ōtaki, a programme for anyone in Ōtaki and Te Horo with a Community Services Card. Warm Up Ōtaki can help you to keep the heat in, reduce damp and mould, get free curtains, and do minor home repairs. Council is a proud supporter of Warm Up Ōtaki.
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Sustainability Trust, who offer free home assessments, advice and products for low-income households across Kāpiti and the wider Wellington region.
If you live in a low-income area, have a SuperGold Combo Card, or a Community Services Card, you may be able to get a grant of up to 80% to buy a new heater and/or 90% for home insulation. You can find out more about Insulation grants on the Sustainability Trust website, and whether you're eligible for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's Warmer Kiwi Homes programme.
For more advice about creating a warm, dry, energy efficient home, we recommend:
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Gen Less for practical steps to save energy and lower your power bills
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Eco Design Advisor for resources and how-to guidance to improve your home’s performance
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Rewiring Aotearoa’s Electric Homes report for more information about how electrifying your home, such as switching from gas heaters to efficient heat pumps, can potentially save you thousands of dollars each year.
Working together to reduce emissions
Council has set an aspirational goal to become a ‘net zero’ emissions district by 2040. Achieving this goal is about more than emissions cuts and targets – we want to maximise the economic, social, and community benefits of decarbonisation for everyone who lives and works in Kāpiti.
Making homes warmer, drier and more energy efficient is a great example of how we can create a better Kāpiti.
Council has released a draft Emissions Reduction Strategy which identifies emissions from energy and buildings as a key area of focus. It sets out examples of what Council is already doing to help reduce emissions and proposed pathways for further action. We'd love to hear what you think about our draft strategy.
Public consultation closes Sunday 22 June. For more information about the strategy and how to have your say, check out: Emissions Reduction Strategy | Have Your Say | Kāpiti Coast