Insulation quality improving, but not good enough

“The government is committed to insulating at least 188,500 homes by 2013, but as well as quantity, we are insisting on top quality installations that are safe and result in maximum performance,” Minister of Energy and Resources Gerry Brownlee says.

The latest round of Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart home insulation audits reviewed insulation and clean heating work done on 478 homes during April. It found three cases – less than 1 per cent of audited work – where potential safety issues existed, while 32 per cent had minor quality issues.

“In every case where an issue is found in an audit, it must be put right at the installer’s expense, and where safety issues are discovered all other work done in the audit period by that installer is checked.

“I have been told by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), which administers the programme, that the installers are pulling out all the stops to deliver a top quality programme and I will be watching closely to make sure this happens.

“I have made it clear to EECA that poor quality work by the installation companies will not be tolerated.

“This has been reinforced to the businesses delivering the work throughout the country through a number of sanctions and penalties imposed for poor performance.

“This is a good programme. More people than ever before are getting their homes insulated and that is good for them, and good for the country,” Mr Brownlee said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media