“It’s made a massive difference like you wouldn’t believe.”

That from one of the Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust (ŌCHT) Tenants after the last of more than 2000 heat pumps were installed on Friday (31 July).

ŌCHT Chief executive, Cate Kearney says despite losing around a month because of the Covid-19 lockdown, the heatpump installation programme is now complete and the next stage of the Warm & Dry Initiative (WDI) is well underway.

“The feedback we have had from tenants is really heart-warming,” she says. “Not only are they thrilled with the heatpumps, but the contractors who installed them have also been praised for their professionalism and personable manner. We are getting around twenty compliments a week from tenants who are loving their warm and cosy homes.”

The next stage of the Warm & Dry Initiative, a joint programme by the Christchurch City Council and the Trust aimed at improving the health and comfort of tenants in Council and Trust owned homes, involves draught stopping and a curtain programme.

“We are checking all homes for draughts and as a part of that, we intend to extend the Council’s curtain programme to upgrade all units. Heat can escape through windows, and properly installed curtains help reduce this loss. “We have been progressively installing thermally backed curtains, which drop to the floor and have pelmet tracks designed to reduce heat loss” says Council ‘s Head of Facilities, Property and Planning , Bruce Rendall. “Council’s Warm and Dry funding allows us to accelerate the programme and upgrade units, some of which have very thin or very old drapes.”

The WDI is part of the Healthy Homes upgrade (which addresses heating, insulation, ventilation and draughts in the tenant’s homes), and barring unforeseen circumstances, Ms Kearney says, it will be completed in May 2021, more than two years ahead of the date that legislation requires it to be done – July 2023.

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