ANZ Bank New Zealand today announced $100 million in interest-free loans to help Kiwis insulate their homes. ANZ’s CEO, David Hisco, said the bank would make available to its home loan customers interest-free loans to help cover insulating their houses. “Cold, damp and mouldy homes are a major problem in New Zealand, resulting in many health problems, expensive energy bills and degradation of properties,” Mr Hisco said. “ANZ wants to help New Zealand resolve this major social, environmental and economic problem.

Properly installed insulation can transform an unhealthy home literally overnight and vastly improve the quality of life – particularly for children.” The interest-free loans will be available to ANZ customers who currently have home loans from next month. The loans will be repayable over a maximum of four years and be for a maximum of $5000 per house for up to two houses.

They will be available to homeowners and landlords who use registered builders and certified insulation installers. Mr Hisco launched the initiative today at the Expol insulation plant at Onehunga with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Ms Ardern said dry, healthy homes have been a priority of the Government. Its new Health Homes Guarantee Act requires rental homes in New Zealand to meet minimum heating and insulation standards.

The Government offers $2000 insulation grants, and acknowledges the work of organisations that help make New Zealanders’ homes warmer and drier. Mr Hisco said insulating the floor and ceiling space of an average three to four-bedroom home would cost about $5000-$7000. A $5000 interest-free home insulation loan would cost a homeowner about $100 a month to pay off over 48 months. He said ANZ’s purpose as a company was to shape a world where people and communities thrive and to do that it had decided to focus strongly on three areas that customers and staff told it were important to them – housing, environmental sustainability and financial literacy.

*The interest free home insulation loan initiative is subject to ANZ’s normal terms and conditions, including affordability and LVR restrictions, and will be reviewed after six months. 

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And the winner is…

The Southland Warm Homes Trust (SWHT) is pleased to announce the winner of its 2017 Southland Property Management Company of the Year Award is Pride Property Management for the second consecutive year.

The award was presented to Pride Property Management at a function on Wednesday 29th November 2017.

Southland Warm Homes Trust Chairman, Jim Hargest said the award recognises property managers who are actively improving the living conditions of tenants and supporting the vision of the SWHT.

 “Pride Property Management has continued to be proactive in helping make healthier living environments for tenants.  They have been engaging with landlords and promoting energy saving ideas with tenants.  They have also been actively insulating many of the properties under their management,” he said. 

This is the second year the award has been offered and a range of entries were once again submitted from across the region.

“All the entries had a strong focus on improving the energy efficiency of rental properties and meeting the Tenancy Services rental property insulation regulations.  The Trust was impressed by the effort and commitment Southland property management businesses have towards improving the energy efficiency of rental properties, especially ahead of the July 2019 Tenancy Act legislation when all rental properties will be required to meet a high standard of insulation,” Jim said. 

Awarua Synergy General Manager Sumaria Beaton said, as the service providers to the SWHT, when working with Pride Property Management it was noted they were always proactive in ensuring the team had safe access to tenanted properties, and required Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA) subsidy paperwork was completed in a timely manner. Therefore making our job a lot easier, and building a good working relationship.

The 50% subsidy offered by SWHT and EECA on insulation costs for eligible rental properties is due to end in June 2018.  Anyone interested is encouraged to contact Awarua Synergy (0800 WARM SOUTH). 

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Awarua Synergy was a runner up!

 

In 2017, on Friday 23 June, during the Puaka Matariki KUMA hui, the Suzanne Spencer Memorial Business runner up Award was presented to Awarua Synergy

Background

Suzanne Spencer was a mentor, advisor, supporter, advocate, and tireless supporter of numerous businesses and business people in the Māori community in Otago and Southland.  Working for Te Puni Kōkiri, Suzanne used her extensive network across the country to establish and organise what became the Māori Business Network, Te Kupeka Umaka Māori ki Araiteuru, or KUMA.  

Unexpectedly passing away in 2012, the Māori business community wanted an appropriate acknowledgement of Suzanne’s vision for Māori economic growth, and contribution to the local economy through new and growth businesses run by and with Māori innovators, entrepreneurs and caiman.  So, with the blessing of her husband Frank and her daughters Jackie and Esther, the Suzanne Spencer Memorial Business Award was launched, to be passed on to a KUMA business at each annual hui.

The previous recipients of the Award have been:

2012: Ngāi Tahu Law Commission

2013: Te Anau Holiday Park 

2014, Awarua Synergy, and 2017 runner up

2015: at the ten year commemoration of KUMA hui, there was a joint presentation to all who had been members continuously for ten years.

Runner Up Award

The award nominations were based on innovation within a business, as runner up award our application was based on our Lean Management programme and the implementation.

Our team attended a six-month Lean Management training programme with Venture Southland and Lean Management specialist Clinton Yates.  The programme has been a game-changer for our team.    Based on a Japanese concept, many world-leading companies have adopted lean principles, the core idea is to maximize customer value while minimizing waste.  Simply, Lean means creating more value for customers with fewer resources.  A Lean organisation understands customer value and focuses its key processes to continuously increase it. The ultimate goal is to provide perfect value to the customer through a perfect value creation process that has zero waste.

Since implementing the programme, our business has increased productivity by at least 30%.  The area with the most improvement for our team was producing a process map.  Our industry is prone to changes from subsidy levels introduced by government, clean air rules with loan schemes, and the Landlord tenancy act changes requiring Landlords to do insulation.  These changes can create confusion within a team.  Since Lean Management, the implementation of changes to our process has been a lot easier for the team to understand resulting in good customer service.

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New laws going into effect for rental properties

Woman in a blanket with a mug protected by smoke alarm

The government has announced it will be strengthening new residential tenancy laws.  The government want to see every NZ rental property insulated within four years.

Housing Minister Nick Smith announced plans to strengthen residential tenancy laws, including requirements for landlords to provide smoke alarms and insulation, and to declare the standard of insulation on tenancy agreements.

Our team is very excited about the new announcement as we see plenty of tenants living in poor, cold, damp conditions and are reliant on the landlord to go ahead with insulation.  This will make a huge difference to many families here in the Deep South struggling to warm their homes and keep their families warm and healthy.

In the near future, our team will able to install quality smoke alarms our local Fire Service recommend once we have been given full training on how to install them correctly.

We understand parts of the government have been trying to implement a type of Warrant of Fitness scheme for rental properties but due to the complexity, this hasn’t been implemented.  However, the latest news announced is a great start and will help many families here in the Deep South.

We are also pleased to be working closely with our local Invercargill Fire Service team.  We will be offering a service of supplying fire alarms and installing them with our insulation work.  The local fire service has kindly offered training for our installers and we will be using the same brand smoke alarm they use.

Beat the chill factor – chat to the expert team at Awarua Synergy today on 0800 WARM SOUTH for your FREE, unconditional home energy health check!

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Proudly on the road to energy efficiency

Bluff Marae with a worker helping with energy efficiency

The next part of the longterm Marae Energy Efficiency plan progress is underway, just this week the team at Awarua Synergy have installed a small scale Wind Turbine at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff, Southland, over the next few weeks the electrical work will be completed.  

The small scale turbine is part of a larger energy-efficient plan that started a few years back, the initial plan started with insulation, then replacing old fan heaters with heat pumps, replacing lighting with LEDs, solar PV, and now part installation of the wind turbine is being implemented. 

The Bluff Marae has over 10,000 visitors every year resulting in a large energy bill, the introduction of these systems will reduce these high costs.

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Pride Property Management takes home the title

The Southland Warm Homes Trust (SWHT) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2016 Southland Property Management Company of the Year Award is Pride Property Management.

Southland Warm Homes Trust Chairman, Jim Hargest said the team at Pride Property Management displayed a strong level of support to both tenants and landlords encouraging energy efficiency ideas and insulation improvements to rental properties in Southland during the year.  These improvements helping to make a healthier living environment for many tenants.

“Several entries were submitted for the award and the Southland Warm Homes Trust were impressed to see the effort and commitment Southland property management businesses have been making towards improving the energy efficiency of rental properties,” Mr Hargest said.

This is the first year the Southland Property Management Company of the Year Award has been offered to property managers in the region.  The award recognises property managers who are actively improving the living conditions of tenants and supporting the vision of the SWHT by providing energy-saving information and ideas to tenants, and working with landlords to make warmer, healthier rental properties.

The award will be presented to the team of Pride Property Management at a function on Thursday 26 January 2017.

“The Southland Warm Homes Trust has been helping Southland families live in warmer, healthier, and more energy-efficient homes since 2008.  Through the support of Government and local funders, and in conjunction with local service provider Awarua Synergy, subsidised home assessments and insulation installations have been delivered by to more than 5,000 families across Southland,” Mr Hargest said. 

Under the current Tenancy Act legislation, from 1 July 2019, all rental properties will be required to meet a high standard of insulation.  To help with this transition, the Government introduced the Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes Rental initiative, which with additional support from the Southland Warm Homes Trust, enables Southland Landlords to access a 50% subsidy for the cost of insulating eligible rental properties.

The Southland Warm Homes Trust is joint funded by Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA), and local funding providers Electricity Invercargill Ltd, The Power Company Ltd, The Community Trust of Southland, Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council, Environment Southland, Gore District Council, The Southern Trust, NZ Oil & Gas Ltd, and The Guy Waddell Charitable Trust. Additional support is provided to the SWHT from the Southland Electric Power Supply Consumer Trust, Well South and PowerNet Ltd.

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Great work Dave Tyagi and Michelle Collins!

Big congratulations to Dave Tyagi and Michelle Collins for achieving level two of the Home Performance Advisor Course.

HPA certification ensures our advisor’s service clients based on the core principles that, advice should be: independent, based on best practice and good science, personalised and in the best interests of the client. It ensures the highest level of competency and professional standards are met, and advice is delivered in an honest and ethical manner.

Southland residents can have confidence that when they engage with Awarua Synergy’s certified advisor’s they will get high quality, individualised advice, and be provided with a robust set of recommendations and actions to help improve the performance of their home and quality of their life.

Awarua Synergy has been providing home insulation and heating services to Southland residents for more than 10 years, Awarua Synergy delivers part of these services on behalf of the Southland Warm Homes Trust. “Our team have years of local experience and training, the latest Home Performance certification adds to the competency of our team members, we want to ensure the advice we give fits your unique needs within your home,” said Sumaria Beaton, Awarua Synergy General Manager.

HPA advisors have custom ID proving their accreditation. The Home Performance Advisor training programme was developed by not-for-profit leaders Beacon Pathway, Community Energy Network and The Enviroschools Foundation, through a collaborative initiative.

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A successful project with more success to come

The Bluff Healthy Homes Project has celebrated 10 years of successfully ensuring the people of Bluff have protection against the cold winter climate.

This has been accomplished by insulating more than half the homes in New Zealand’s southernmost town, as well as providing one-on-one home education packages to help people unlock the benefits of energy efficiency, eco-friendly heating, and sustainable living.

After a year of research and development, the Bluff Healthy Homes Project, run by Awarua Research and Development (a subsidiary of the Te Runaka o Awarua Charitable Trust) was launched in 2005.

The launch of the Bluff Healthy Homes Project was a memorable day occurring at the Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff. Ta Tipene provided a welcoming speech and guests included representatives from one of our main sponsors, Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, local, regional and national funders and marae whanau.

“The Bluff Healthy Homes Project proved to be so successful that we were encouraged to offer some of its best products, services and ideas to the great people of Southland with the Southland Warm Homes Trust (SWHT) and that’s how Awarua Synergy was born”, says Sumaria.

The SWHT was formed in 2008 to deliver insulation, heating assessments and installations on behalf of the Energy Efficient and Conservation Authority (EECA) programme. 

Awarua Synergy has since brought warmth, drier air and power savings to more than 5,000 homeowners and tenants in the Southland region.

The SWHT is a provider for the Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes project which offers ceiling and underfloor insulation to low-income households with people who have health needs related to cold, damp housing.

It is estimated that every dollar spent on the project results in a $5 return on investment for society with the improved living conditions and quality of life for families. It also reduces tax payer’s dollars on hospital emissions and another further $3 return on the local economy.  This results in many benefits including more productive adults at work, healthier and happier families and reduced medical costs. 

Awarua Synergy is also constantly looking for new ways to educate the community about the benefits of insulation and engaging a specialist.  “We actively meet with local Maori health providers, attend the Southland Energy Conference and present at over 20 regional events per annum. We also host school groups to teach them about the benefits of eco-efficiency and using natural resources for energy such as solar,” explains Sumaria.

“We are proud of how we have developed from the Bluff Healthy Homes project, operating out of a small building at our marae to the professional company we are today and want to continue to improve the living and health conditions of as many Southland families as possible,” she adds. 

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Don’t let these solar myths darken your days

  1. Too Cloudy: Solar panels do not work in cold, cloudy places/states. UV light is all that’s needed and even the cloudiest of places have excelled. Germany, who ranks low in sunny days, is the solar energy capital of the world. In fact, when the solar panels are cold, they are able to better conduct electricity.
  2. Not Enough Sunshine Hours – Southland has more solar energy hours than Germany
  3. High Maintenance – Solar panels require constant maintenance. The panels rarely require maintenance or cleaning, plus the average warranty lasts 25 years!
  4. Harsh Climate – The solar panels cannot withstand harsh climates.  The panels we use can withstand harsh conditions
  5. North Roof – I cannot use solar energy because I don’t have Northern roof exposure. North/West roof exposure is also effective for photovoltaic systems. Another option is a ground-mounted system in which case all you need is a relatively flat, unshaded area.
  6. Panels Inefficient – According to the U.S. Department of Energy, solar panel efficiency has more than quadrupled since the 1970’s.
  7. Selling My Home – I won’t live in the home long enough to make my investment back. Actually, a solar system increases the value of the home.
  8. Power company rates – I won’t get my payback as the power companies don’t pay good rates now, even with rates being low, it’s still a good return, the secret is ensuring you use the free solar when its produced, for example, it’s best to set up appliance’s to work during the sunshine hours to make the most of your solar system.
  9.  I Won’t Get My Return – If you calculate the correct size system and how the occupants will use the system, there is a guaranteed return on investment
  10. I’m Too Old – Retirement is the best time to look at reducing overheads, retired customers a more likely to use the system more efficiently and get the best return, like vacuuming, baking and using everyday appliances during the day when the sun is shining and producing solar.
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Teaching through action

Borland Lodge Adventure and Education Trust are leading the way by investing in one of Southland’s largest Solar PV systems, the system will help reduce energy costs on-site and provide a valuable education example for school students who visit the lodge.

Awarua Synergy is proud to have worked with Borland Lodge and Venture Southland on one of the largest solar installs in Southland.  Our team have installed a 24 kW solar photovoltaic system, this includes 3 arrays of 30 panels in each array with a total of 90 panels.   

Borland Lodge Adventure and Education Trust is a Charitable Trust is a regional outdoor educational facility which serves schools and community groups throughout Southland as well as many Otago groups. Borland Lodge is situated at the gateway to Fiordland National Park in southern New Zealand – a World Heritage area. It is 12km west of the Southern Scenic Route, between Lake Manapouri and Lake Monowai, south of Te Anau.

Borland Lodge has been operating for 40 years and the trust recently completed an upgrade of the existing facilities and has built new accommodation, eco-centre and amenity facilities at the camp. The Manapouri – Invercargill transmission line traverses through the lodge site. The building of the Manapouri power station and the transmission line has been a strong element of the lodge heritage, which was the location of the Pig Creek construction camp. Energy is a significant operating cost and this project is aimed at both reducing the energy cost as well as promoting the benefits of renewable energy and the role of the grid in the distribution of power.

This is a ‘non-profit’ ‘public good facility’ caters for the outdoor education needs of 150 schools, community groups and territory institutions from throughout Southland and Otago. The project will contribute directly to the community as the facility provides over 1000 bed nights per month in support of the many programmes which run from Borland Lodge.

Energy efficiency and electricity interpretation is an important aspect of the Borland experience. The Borland Lodge Adventure and Education Trust have been fundraising for capital cost contributions for a solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the lodge.

This project has provided an opportunity to develop the skills of the community and industry as well as creating awareness of energy technology and a focus on educational and ongoing interpretation opportunities.

This solar PV project will provide a sustainable future beyond the support of the Trust support as any funding assistance will contribute to the capital cost for the PV system. The lodge manager will carry out routine maintenance and panel wash down and any ongoing maintenance will be covered initially by the supplier, inverter and panel guarantees.

The next stage of the project will be installing education billboards to explain how solar works and the display of the solars daily production.

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