Green Party: Building code out of date and won’t ensure warm, dry homes

In response to calls for a compulsory energy rating for buildings the Green Party is renewing calls for the building code to take better account of energy efficiency.

“New Zealanders are living in damp and cold homes that have low energy efficiency due to a failure to retrofit our old housing stock and bring it up to modern standards”, Green Co-leader Marama Davidson said today.

“Each and every home in Aotearoa should be meeting high standards for energy efficiency, especially when being rented out.

“Homes that are properly insulated and energy efficient are warmer and drier, and don’t need to be heated at an extortionate cost. This is better for people and for the planet.

“We need to pull out all the stops to reduce our energy use in the fight against climate change. Draughty, damp buildings suck up energy to heat and are making people sick. New Zealanders shouldn’t have to choose to between sitting in freezing cold homes or being able to afford the rest of their living costs.

“New Zealand also needs to enforce a housing Warrant of Fitness for rental homes. This would help with the chronic problem being faced by an increasing number of New Zealanders who are in long term renting. Houses are not up to standard and a lack of insulation is resulting in cold damp homes that are making kids sick.

“A housing Warrant of Fitness combined with a updated building code would ensure that homes are warmer and drier, so that New Zealanders aren’t getting sick because of the home they live in and we are doing all we can to reduce our emissions from energy use”.

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