Viewpoint – Home heating help

For many people winter can be a troubling time, struggling to afford the additional costs of heating, to ensure a healthy, warm home.

As a Government, we don’t believe anybody should face that worry. All New Zealanders should have access to warm, dry housing. We simply don’t accept that in New Zealand, people end up getting sick because they live in cold, damp houses.

Across New Zealand 6000 children are admitted to hospital each year because of diseases caused by cold, damp housing, such as rheumatic fever and asthma. That level of preventable disease is not acceptable in a country like New Zealand.

Recently the Government announced that around a million New Zealanders will be protected from the cold this winter, thanks to the Winter Energy Payment (WEP). This extra payment was first introduced last year, and in 2019, the WEP will run for an extended time, from May 1 to October 1.

The payment is available for every New Zealander aged 65 and over who receives NZ Superannuation or a Veteran’s Pension, as well as people receiving a main benefit, to heat their homes during the coldest months. It will give a million New Zealanders that extra bit of financial security to keep the heater on without having to worry about cutting back on other costs like food or doctors’ visits.

The annual payment is $450 for single people with no dependent children, and $700 for couples or single people with dependent children. You don’t need to apply; if you are eligible, you will get the WEP automatically along with your regular payments.

Scientific evidence from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that cold, damp housing can severely impact people’s physical and mental wellbeing. But I don’t need the WHO to tell me that – people in Rodney tell me themselves. I had many people last year tell me what a difference it made, helping them keep their homes warmer and themselves and their family healthier.

The WEP complements the work the Government is doing to ensure houses are well insulated and energy efficient. One example is the Healthy Homes Guarantee Act, which requires all rentals to be fully insulated up to the current Building Code standards and have a fixed heating source, like a heat pump or wood burner.

This Government is managing the books carefully, with the latest financial statements showing a solid, sustainable surplus. That puts us in a good position to be able to deal with whatever happens out there in the global economy.

We will measure our success differently too and soon will announce the first ever Wellbeing Budget. Sustainably growing our economy is important, but so is the health of our people, communities and the environment.