Healthy Homes campaign set to resume

9 April 2006

Healthy Homes campaign set to resume

With winter almost upon us, Contact Energy’s award-winning Healthy Homes campaign kicks off its second season tonight.

The Healthy Homes public awareness campaign is an ongoing initiative featuring simple steps that Kiwis can take to make their homes warmer and healthier, and their power bills lower.

The campaign, featuring the cartoon birds Tui and Beatrice, will begin running on television this evening.

Contact Energy Communications Manager, Pattrick Smellie, said the campaign was timed to coincide with the onset of cooler winter weather.

“The campaign promotes cost-effective measures that households can take to ensure people are warm and comfortable this winter, while still saving energy,” he said.

Mr Smellie said although the campaign had been planned for many months, it was particularly timely given the increasing interest in New Zealand’s low hydro lake levels.

“This campaign is part of Contact’s ongoing commitment to promoting the benefits of energy efficiency in the home,” he said.

The Healthy Homes campaign recently won the Supreme Award at the EECA Energy Wise Awards, with the judging panel noting that the campaign had been tailored to make the uptake of energy efficiency measures easy.

The judges said the Healthy Homes programme had led to many households enjoying an improved standard of living, saving money on their energy bills, with New Zealand reaping the benefits of the efficiency gains.

“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,” said Mr Smellie.

He said there was clear evidence 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.

“What Contact’s Healthy Homes programme is seeking to do is to demonstrate this value and to ensure New Zealanders understand the steps they can take to ensure their homes are healthier and more energy efficient.

“At this time of the year there are very clear incentives for households to manage their energy use efficiently,” he said.

“Following the Healthy Homes advice could see benefits to people’s health, comfort, power bills and the national electricity supply.”

ENDS

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