Healthy homes
Houses that are warm, dry and well-ventilated help to keep us healthy and well.
How homes affect your health
Your health is affected by your home. How it affects your health includes:
- where it is
- how well it is built
- how warm, dry, well insulated and well-ventilated it is
- how many people live in it
- how much it costs you to live there.
Cold and damp houses can cause illness such as asthma and serious chest infections. When homes are warm, dry and have plenty of room for everyone it means they are less likely to cause illnesses such as asthma and chest infections, and it makes it harder for infectious diseases such as rheumatic fever to spread.
Tips to help keep your home warm and healthy
- Insulate your home to keep it cool in summer and warmer and drier in winter. Try to keep the indoor temperature of your home at least 18°C where possible, or 20°C if there are pēpi, tamariki or elderly people.
- Draught-proof all windows and doors.
- Put a moisture barrier under your house if you can.
- Put lids on pots when cooking.
- Open windows in the bathroom and kitchen or use extractor fans to remove steam.
- Dry clothes outside.
- Open windows on fine days to let air through, and to reduce mould and dampness.
- Close curtains before it gets dark to keep the heat in — curtains are better than blinds.
- Avoid using portable or unflued indoor gas heaters as it increases moisture and releases toxins.
- Remove mould using a cloth or sponge and household bleach (1-part bleach to 9-parts water).
The safest, most efficient heaters include:
- heat pumps (especially with thermostats, which help keep costs down)
- electric heaters
- wood burners
- wood pellet burners.
Coal, gas and oil-fired methods of heating are not as safe or efficient. Unflued gas heaters can increase asthma and other respiratory problems and add pollutants to the air. Pollutants include dangerous carbon monoxide — high levels of this can lead to death. Gas braziers and patio heaters should never be used inside.
Burning treated timber or old furniture is dangerous as doing so releases poisonous chemicals into the air.
FAQ on installing wood burners — Ministry for the Environment | Manatū Mō Te Taiao
Consider using a dehumidifier to help warm your house.
- Dehumidifiers are more affordable to run than heat pumps.
- Dry air is less expensive to heat than damp air.
- Keep your dehumidifier in a central location and aim for humidity between 30% and 50%.
- If there is a pēpi in the household, consider keeping a dehumidifier in the room they sleep in.
If you have a heat pump, use the 'auto fan' mode. This keeps it working to maintain the set temperature.
If you need help with your winter energy bills
- Talk to Work and Income to see if they can help you with your winter energy bills.
- Your electricity retailer may be able to offer flexible payment plans.
- Connect with your iwi.
Power, gas, water bills or heating — Work and Income | Te Hiranga Tangata
If you need help affording firewood:
- contact your local community centre
- connect with your iwi.
If you are over 65, Age Concern can link you with social work support to help you access resources, services and information you may need.
To contact Age Concern:
- phone: 03 544 7624
If you need assistance affording bedding, curtains, heaters, or clothes, contact:
- St Vincent de Paul — phone: 04 499 5070
- The Salvation Army — freephone: 0800 530 000
Food, clothing and furniture — The Salvation Army
How to keep heat in
- Close your curtains at night to prevent heat loss from the windows.
- Open your curtains during the day to let the sun heat your home.
- If you use an alternative to curtains, like sheets or lavalava, make sure they are snug-fitting to prevent drafts of cold air.
- Check that draughts of cold air are not coming in around your windows and doors.
- Using a draught stopper or a rolled up towel at the bottom of doors can help.
How to keep the damp out
Damp houses are harder to heat and condensation can lead to mould growth.
Condensation is moisture on:
- walls
- windows
- furniture.
Damp and mould affect our lung health and are associated with respiratory tract infections and asthma.
To reduce dampness:
- open doors and windows to air out your house
- dry clothes outside when possible
- reduce condensation — put lids on pots when cooking and use extractors fans in the bathroom and kitchen
- remove condensation from windows with a towel or a condensation squeegee
- pull beds and mattresses away from the walls to let air circulate
- remove any mould with white vinegar or a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water)
- use a dehumidifier — they use less energy than a heat pump, and can help your heat pump run better.
The Healthy Homes Initiative
You may be eligible for financial and practical assistance to make your home healthier. The Healthy Homes initiative helps improve the warmth, dryness and healthiness of homes for:
- pregnant people
- low-income whānau with tamariki aged between 0 and 5 who have been hospitalised with a specified housing-related condition
- whānau on a benefit
- people that have, or at risk of catching, rheumatic fever.
Healthy homes — Health New Zealand
The role of public health
Public health supports other agencies with advice and information about housing quality. They also provide assessments on housing issues related to disease and illness, and can refer households to the Healthy Homes Initiative.