How can you cool down at home - sustainably? Get our staff favourite easy tips: from curtains to wet heads, fans to hot water bottles, insulation to starry nights and more.
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Earlier this month there was some great news for housing in New Zealand – the Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill was passed into law. We now have clear national policy direction for the delivery of healthy rental housing, and landlords will need to comply with these new standards when offering properties for rent.
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Whether your team won or not, we’ve got a new government that’s going to make some changes. Our chief executive Philip Squire reflects on what that might mean for our work in the environment, healthy housing and social equity.
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Sustainability Trust and the Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand (ERANZ) are partnering to deliver Access to Electricity — a project to help low-income households have better access to warm, dry homes.
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Heat pump? Put a jumper on! Insulation? Nah, too expensive. Subsidies? Yeah nah probably not eligible. Cassia on some of those winter myths...
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Sustainability Trust chief executive Philip Squire is one of four inspiring people to be shortlisted for the Vector Energy Leadership Award in this year's EECA Awards.
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A little inspiration for those of us that are doing our best to live sustainably, meet Ken and Anne Simpson.
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Electricity prices have increased 70% over the last 20 years and that’s accounting for inflation. So what can you do about it? Here's some help to understand what makes up your bill, then how to reduce it.
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What makes a good heater? Ultimately, a heater needs to deliver warmth to where you sit or sleep, but there is plenty of science and technology behind how they work that can be confusing.
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We're very pleased to announce that Sustainability Trust has been recognised for its community impact in the national NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards.The Trust won the Airbnb Community Impact Award for its work supporting families to create healthier, more energy-efficient homes, helping schools and businesses to reduce their carbon footprints and empowering communities to live more sustainably.
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Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act came into effect today and set a new standard for insulation in rental properties. It’s good news for tenants and landlords in establishing baselines for a healthy home, and is a real sea change on energy efficiency. Sustainability Trust chief executive Philip Squire shares his views.
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Watch a video of Samantha McAllister's story - she was able to get cheap insulation to improve her family's health.
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The quality of the air inside your home can directly affect your health and, because we spend more time there, we’re more likely to be affected by pollutants inside our homes. Poor air quality can cause stuff like condensation, mildew, water stains on windows, swelling and rotting wood and bubbling and flaking of paint. It all brings down the quality of the air we breathe in our homes, contributing to respiratory conditions such as asthma.
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Did you see our Home Energy Assessor, Jonny Parker, on Campbell Live? Jonny had 2 minutes to talk about some pretty important things, so here's a bit more on free and cheap things to make your home warmer and drier.
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In the cooler weather, I could feel cold air coming in through the southerly facing windows. After installing ceiling and underfloor insulation through Sustainability Trust, the heat loss through the windows became much more obvious.
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You may have heard something last year about the Government’s plan to make insulation compulsory in rental homes – we think it’s a good plan, but the detail needs a bit of work.
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Many Wellington homes suffer from weeping windows and musty damp conditions. Here are my top tips of what to try before investing in a ventilation system.
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Heating water makes up 30-40% of a total electricity bill per month through summer and winter so it’s very important to make sure your system is set up correctly and working as efficiently as possible to avoid wasting money and energy.
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Unflued gas heaters seem a cheap, convenient way to get direct and controllable heat. But the moisture and toxins that pump into our living environments are polluting and bad for our health.
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Buying a home? Check out our tips on what you want and do not want to see in your future home.
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