An audit found 32 % of houses that had insulation installed in April under a government scheme had quality problems and three had safety issues.The audit of 478 home fitted out under the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme in April found 32% had min
An audit found 32 % of houses that had insulation installed in April under a government scheme had quality problems and three had safety issues.
The audit of 478 home fitted out under the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme in April found 32% had minor quality issues.
These could include missing labelling or an access manhole not covered. More serious quality issues included gaps in insulation.
The rate of detected quality issues has fallen since early in the programme with 60% of houses having quality issues before December,
Of the 478 homes, three – less than one percent – had potential safety issues.
That could include insulation being too close to a heat source which is a fire risk.
The number of potential safety issues before December was 3.2%.
Any potential safety or quality issue must be rectified by the installer at their cost. Installers whose work is found to have potential safety issues will be sanctioned and could be dropped from the scheme if such work is repeated.
To date 11 companies have been given a warning for a serious issue.
In the first 10 months of the scheme 43,430 households have been insulated and/or had clean heating installed.
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee said poor quality work would not be tolerated.
"We are insisting on top quality installations that are safe and result in maximum performance," he said.
He said he had told the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), which administers the scheme, to ensure installers delivered top quality work.
It was still a "good programme," he said.
"More people than ever before are getting their homes insulated and that is good for them, and good for the country."
The scheme allows homeowners to get funding for up to 33% of installing ceiling and under floor heating, to a maximum of $1300, and up to $500 towards clean heating.
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