1 March 2006
Contact Delighted at Recognition for Healthy Homes Initiative
Contact Energy’s Healthy Homes programme tonight won the Supreme and Community Awards in the 2006 EECA Energy Wise
Awards in Auckland.
Contact’s Healthy Homes programme includes an energy efficiency public awareness campaign; sponsorship of six community
insulation retrofit programmes; sponsorship of the Wellington School of Medicine’s research programme into housing and
health; and sponsorship of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation’s work in tackling New Zealand’s very high rates of
asthma.
Contact Chief Executive, David Hunt, said he was delighted that Contact’s commitment to promoting energy efficiency had
been recognised through the Awards.
“The benefits of energy efficiency are clear, not only in helping households manage their consumption of energy, but in
the numerous health benefits that come from living in a warm, dry home,” he said.
“Contact’s Healthy Homes programme seeks to demonstrate this value and to ensure New Zealanders both understand and can
take action to make their homes energy efficient and healthy for families.
“We are doing this because it makes both business and social sense.”
Mr Hunt said the evidence was clear that people living in well insulated homes experience fewer visits to the doctor,
fewer admissions to hospital for asthma or respiratory conditions, fewer days off work or school, as well as reduced
power bills.
“The next stage of Contact’s Healthy Homes public awareness campaign is due to kick off this winter and the community
insulation retrofit projects that Contact supports will shortly have fully insulated around 2,000 homes across New
Zealand,” he said.
“Contact’s Healthy Homes programme will continue to make New Zealand households warmer, drier and healthier. With winter
just around the corner, the messages of this campaign once again become more pertinent and relevant.”
ENDS