June/July 2016 News
Did you know that BRCT helped establish Cosy Homes and supports the Cosy Homes Trust alongside our other work? The Cosy Homes Trust has the mission to make ‘Every Dunedin home warm and cosy by 2025’ and we work with Cosy Homes to make that mission a reality. Right now, for example, if you live in North East Valley/Pinehill and are eligible for the Warm Up NZ scheme, you are probably eligible for a free Home Performance Assessment from BRCT. Please get those you know who would benefit from this to contact us. Those who sign on get an assessment, diagnosis of the problems and priority recommendations so they can make improvements. We do have another opportunity as well. If you live anywhere in Dunedin (ie within the limit of 40 kms from the centre of the city which of course includes Blueskin Bay), own your own house and are committed to lowering your carbon emissions, you could receive a free extended Home Performance Assessment. That should make you both warm and cosy and help improve your carbon footprint! Again, contact us. This is part and parcel of our work to assist the Cosy Homes mission.
BRCT Home Performance Assessor Inspecting inadequate underfloor insulation
We’ve been working hard this past month on the Climate Safe House project, which is about a model relocatable warm and cosy home, an example of what might replace dilapidated homes in high hazard areas. This project involves working with many partners, and in particular with the Otago Polytechnic. We are also very happy to have Enphase, a global energy technology company, as a sponsor. It is about increasing the resilience of our community and adapting to our changing environment. Work on the Blueskin Wind project is detailed in the energy column.
In terms of services, we continue to process requests for insulation and firewood, and provide energy advice over the phone or to visitors popping in. It gave us a warm and cosy feeling recently when we saw 12 bales of mammoth underfloor insulation delivered to a resident keen on making their family home more thermally efficient, just as the cold began to bite.
In June we had a visit from the Community Energy Network board and one of their two-day meetings was held at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary conference room. The view from the Ecosanctuary was appreciated by all - what a stunning community asset!
The ‘Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill (No2)’ is receiving public submissions at present, and we aim to make our opinion known. The bill’s purpose is to ensure that “every rental home in New Zealand meets minimum standards of heating and insulation”. You can find us on Facebook as Blueskin Resilient Communities Trust, on Twitter as @BlueskinPower and you can call 03 4822048 or call in to visit and find out more about any of our work. Our office is located in Waitati at Waitati School, our website is www.brct.org.nz and you can contact us by email at: [email protected].
By Scott Willis