This winter the team is helping whanau in need in our community by supporting Jubilee Budget Advisory Service in giving their team valuable information and advice around heating their homes.

Awarua Synergy General Manager Sumaria Beaton-Sikisini said Awarua Synergy had winter warmth products they were donating to Jubilee to share with their clients.

“Invercargill’s Jubilee team is now equipped with home energy-saving knowledge after Awarua Synergy’s training. They’ll share these tips to help residents stay warm, dry, and healthy this winter,” she said.

Operations Manager of Jubilee Budget Advisory service, Caitlin Baker, said this time of year can be difficult for people who may already be under financial pressure.

“Like us, Awarua Synergy is all about giving practical advice relating to Energy Hardship and respecting the true needs of our community. We are so pleased to be able to share their winter warmth products and to have our team learn this crucial information that we can pass to our clients,” Caitlin said.

Working with Jubilee was the perfect fit, Sumaria said.

 

“At Awarua Synergy we know that sometimes heating your home can mean another bill that might be hard to pay but we also know how important having a warm dry house is to our community’s health and wellbeing,” she said.

 

“The good news doesn’t stop there! We have resources to help you access subsidies and discounts to stay warm this winter. Want to learn more? Free workshops are available for workplaces and community groups – contact our team!” Sumaria said.

Awarua Synergy provides free, unconditional home energy health checks throughout the region. They also talk people through ways to make sure they are getting value for money as well as finding ways to help heat their homes and keep them warm, she said.

Photos:

Sumaira Beaton-Sikisini, Awarua Synergy (left) gifting blankets, wool, hotties and PJs to Caitlin Baker Jubilee Budget Services (right)

 Sumaira Beaton-Sikisini, Awarua Synergy training the Jubilee team

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While it might not be as dramatic as a burst water pipe, a leaking roof or a leaky building, you might be surprised just how much of a difference escaping air can make to your energy bills and the comfort of your home. Kiwi’s often spend 80% to 90% of their time in their home, especially in the colder months. It’s therefore important that your home provides the best possible living environment. Many houses in New Zealand are cold and damp in winter and leaking air can significantly contribute to heat loss.  We look at 5 places air may be leaking in your home.

 

Roof Space

Heat rises and over 40% of heat can be lost through your ceiling, so it’s important to get rid of any draughts of areas of air leakage.  A properly insulated roof space can help you save on your power bills.  Your roof space might also be a treasure trove of storage space. Access points such as hatches or pull-down stairs often lack proper insulation and sealing, allowing warm air to rise and exit through the roof.

 

Floor

Almost half of New Zealand homes are not properly insulated and we’ve all been in houses where you can see through the floorboards! Not only does this allow air to escape, it also allows for rising damp from under the house.

 

Light fittings, plumbing and outside vents

Holes around plumbing, ducting, light fittings and wiring that comes through the walls, floors and ceilings may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of home energy efficiency, but they can be major culprits of air leakage.  Pet doors and vents from things such as a rangehood, a dryer or shower can cause a lot of heat loss.  Gaps around these fixtures, especially on exterior walls and the ceiling, provide an easy path for air to escape or enter your home.

 

Doors and Windows

We ask a lot of our doors and windows and even when they may seem solid they often harbour tiny gaps and cracks that allows air to slip through.  With temperature fluctuations, and as wooden doors and frames age, these gaps can get worse.  Using draft excluders and ensuring doors and windows fit tightly within their frames will help.

 

Chimney

Fireplace chimneys are designed to vent smoke and gases safely out of your home, but they can also be sources of air leakage. When not in use, a fireplace chimney can act as a direct pathway for warm air to escape, especially if the damper is not properly sealed. Invest in a flue sealer to block off the chimney opening when not in use, preventing unwanted air leakage and improving energy efficiency. Blocking off unused chimneys is a must.

 

Awarua Synergy can help

Many homes in New Zealand are under insulated, allowing air to escape and damp to enter.  At Awarua Synergy we are experts in ensuring your home is warm and comfortable to live in, whatever the weather outside.  We offer a free home assessment and advice on how to improve the comfort of your home. 

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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Southlanders are being urged to prepare for a warmer home this winter with Awarua Synergy.

Awarua Synergy provides solutions for a warmer and healthier home for southern families in need. They are working with local funders Te Whatu Ora and the Southland Warm Homes Trust, to deliver the Healthy Homes Initiative. This offers families access to subsidies covering the cost of heaters, thermal curtains, air purifiers, bedding, and more.

Terri Baker had just had her second child when Awarua Synergy trained home assessor Kiri Pudda visited her Gore home for an assessment. “I thought we were doing okay with the insulation and everything like that,” Terri said.

“We’ve got the insulation and our windows are double glazed because we got them all retrofitted over the years, and we had decent curtains.”
Kiri came in with her “expert eye” and made changes that have made a huge difference to the family of four, Terri said.

“Before we knew it, we had curtains on the front door, Curtain linings for the existing curtains in the children’s bedrooms, an energy-efficient mica thermic heater and flannelette sheets for my son’s room and an amazing Mitsubishi air purifier that we run pretty much 24/7 in our lounge and kitchen area.”

To have somebody come in and objectively look at your home and what you could be doing was eye-opening, she said.  “You think you’re fine, but you find there’s gaps and things that need tweaked.”

The Healthy Homes Initiative was established between December 2013 and March 2015 in the North Island and now recently launched in the Deep South. Initially targeting low-income families with children at risk of rheumatic fever who were living in crowded households, the breadth of the programme was expanded to provide warm, dry and healthy housing for a range of whanau throughout New Zealand.

Awarua Synergy also partners with EECA Te Tari Tiaki Pūngao Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority to help deliver the Wamer Kiwi Homes fund, which provides grants to cover the costs of purchasing and installing insulation and efficient heating for lower income homeowners.

“Awarua Synergy are just amazing and just so good at what they do, and everyone was fantastic to deal with,” Terri said.  “We’d had our house insulated earlier by Awarua, and our floors are mostly all wood but there’s no gaps in the wood now, no draughts and there’s hardly any condensation – it has to be really cold outside for the windows to fog up.”

“It’s such a great scheme, it’s for everyone and it’s great.”

 

Photo – Left Daughter Phoebe Baker and Terri Baker

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With winter on our doorstep, Awarua Synergy is striving to provide warm and healthier housing for southern whanau and community members in need.

Working with local funders Te Whatu Ora and the Southland Warm Homes Trust, they are delivering the Healthy Homes Initiative, which offers those in need access to subsidies to cover the cost of heaters, thermal curtains, air purifiers, bedding, and more.

Awarua Synergy general manager Sumaria Beaton said there was a real need for basic household items to help families during the colder months — items that help prevent hospital admissions.

The Healthy Homes Initiative is committed to helping those living in cold, damp, and unhealthy homes, focusing primarily on low-income families, pregnant women or women with a newborn baby, and children with rheumatic fever.

“This Healthy Homes Initiative funding is not just for those that are homeowners, it is also for those that are tenants living in rental properties,” Beaton said.

The initiative aims to increase temperatures in homes, particularly in bedrooms, during the colder months to help reduce respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, which can be worsened by cold indoor temperatures as a result of poor insulation and lack of air-flow.

Recently, an eco-panel heater was donated by Awarua Synergy and installed in the children’s sleeping room of the Murihiku Kōhanga Reo to help keep temperatures up during Winter.

With access to such resources, Awarua Synergy is acting fast to get to as many families as they can while the funding is still available.

Application for the initiative is completely streamlined and easy to access. To find out if you or someone you know is eligible for funding, the online form is available here.

For all other Insulation and Heating requirements, call Awarua Synergy on 0800 WARM SOUTH.

Apply Here
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Awarua Synergy general manager Sumaria Beaton is taking her healthy homes mission to one of the remotest areas of New Zealand.

She is travelling to the Chatham Islands where she will be running workshops with local residents around home insulation and heating, energy efficiency and the importance of avoiding humidity and moisture in homes.

“It’s a bucket-list item, but I’m also really excited to learn about how people living in the Chathams operate their own homes. They’ll probably educate me on a lot of stuff as well.”  She has been doing similar workshops all around New Zealand for the past three years.

“I’ve been travelling around South Island and training Whanau Ora navigators, and the Chathams trip is part of that.”  She’s excited about finding out how people operate their homes in a remote location.

The workshops around New Zealand are in addition to the numerous free workshops she has facilitated in Southland throughout the past decade or more.

Sumaria said she makes the workshops really interactive as she takes her suitcase full of home handywares everywhere she travels.

There were so many simple heating tips people could get on board with at minimal costs from using efficient showerheads, opening windows and ventilating for at least 20 minutes a day, putting backings on curtains, and rolling up old towels to prevent draughts.

“There’s an average of 1 tonne of moisture in a typical New Zealand home, that’s absorbed into all the wood and throughout the likes of carpet and furniture, so taking some small, achievable steps can make a big difference and help keep homes drier.”

“It’s giving people knowledge about how the whole of their house works, so they can figure out the priorities for their household.”

Different areas had different climate peculiarities – such as many parts of Southland having issues with dampness, whereas in Central Otago people had to combat a more bitterly cold, but drier atmosphere.

Sumaria is a member of the Insulation Association of NZ board and is also part of the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment energy hardship expert panel and reference group.

Gathering a lot of technical information together and translating it into everyday language was a big part of the challenge, she said.

“I really enjoy the lightbulb moments for people at workshops, like getting answers to questions they’ve thought about for years.”

Seeing people achieving warmer more healthy homes was a hugely rewarding part of her reason for starting Awarua Synergy almost 18 years ago, she said.

 

“I love when people put insulation in or get their heating changed over, the huge difference it makes for them.”

 

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Eleven Awarua Synergy staff have just graduated with a new BCITO insulation qualification that keeps them at the leading edge of a fast-changing industry.

The Invercargill-based company is anticipating another busy year as it ticks past 10,000 homes insulated in the region, and with an increased focus on Southland homes being liveable in both extremely cold and extremely hot conditions.

Awarua Synergy general manager Sumaria Beaton said during the past year they had been able to catch up on demand that built up during Covid-19, with more than 10,000 Southland homes now insulated by the Runanga-owned business since it began in 2005.

“We’ve caught up the Covid backload and we’ve got a really solid, dedicated team who have been doing an amazing job during the past year to assist Southland people to make their homes warmer and healthier places to live,” Beaton said.

She said the new staff qualifications were based around understanding the legal requirements for the use of insulation in new buildings and residential rental properties – as well as up to date knowledge around methods, tools, equipment and health and safety requirements.

Insulation needed be done by professionals as ill-fitted product can reduce effectiveness by up to half, she said.

New insulation standards have been required by rental properties since July 2021 and all new builds must now meet the insulation standards set out by the Building Code to create thermally fitted insulated buildings.

Beaton said the new qualification formally recognised the knowledge and skills of people in the industry who were striving towards achieving healthy homes for customers.

Awarua Synergy had a strong focus on climate change and future proofing homes so they would be resilient in both extremely cold and extremely hot conditions, she said.

“With Southland recently experiencing 30 degree plus days it’s important to remember that insulation works to keep houses cools in summer as well as warm in winter.”

Sun reflects into ceiling cavities and insulation stops heat from trasferring into your home, she said.

Beaton said she also anticipated that people needing to use their heat pumps for cooling would begin to become more common as temperature extremes became more common.

People were encouraged to get in touch with Awarua Synergy prior to winter to avoid the annual rush as temperatures plummet, she said.

The great year for the company was backed up by an overwhlemingly positive customer survey late last year, with a satisfaction rate of more than 90% across the more than 250 people surveyed.

Picture: Graduating with their new BCITO insulation qualifications are Awarua Synsergy staff ( L-R Back) Rahui Kapene, Darryn Jackson, Cornelius Cuthers, Tahna Ryan, Shanan Kapene, Alex Tini. (L-R Front) Sunia Fiso, Carlyn Kuresa, Josiah Tui and Qasvin Fifita. Jordaine Wixon is absent.

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Awarua Synergy had the privilege of hosting Matt and Sarah Brown who together, co-founded the movement ‘She Is Not Your Rehab’ this week.  Monday they held talk at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff with many from our Maori Social & Health Services attending, and then Tuesday morning with Awarua Synergy at their team meeting.

Awarua Synergy have a largely male workforce, working in a highly stressful industry, and we are delighted to bring Matt and Sarah south to tell their stories and korero this week.

Te Rau Aroha Marae, Bluff

Awarua Synergy are proud to support the ‘It’s Not Ok’ and ‘She Is Not Your Rehab’ messages addressing domestic violence and abuse within our communities – as they recently did the ‘Mates In Construction’ programme, that builds and strengthens communities in the workplace and across the construction industry.

 Awarua Synergy team (only some of them!)
Left – Matt Brown, Jackie Bragg & Ana Notoa (Awarua Synergy), Sarah Brown

Matt Brown, is a New Zealand born Samoan and an internationally acclaimed barber, hair artist, communicator, husband, and father of three children known for ‘giving great cuts’ and ‘inspiring great men.’

He is a survivor of family violence and childhood sexual abuse and shares his story with the men who frequent his busy Christchurch and Palmerston North barbershops, My Fathers Barbers, as a way to foster vulnerability, healing, and connection. He has facilitated multiple barbering programs inside Christchurch Men’s Prison, Te Puna Wai O Tuhinapo, a Christchurch youth justice facility and was named a Corrections NZ patron in 2020.

Matt has cut everyone from All Blacks to the Wu Tang Clan but his true calling; he believes lies in his work to redefine societies view of masculinity and to help end the cycle of domestic violence affecting whānau all over New Zealand.

In 2018, Matt and Sarah partnered with the Ministry of Social Development as ambassadors for their ‘It’s not OK Campaign’ and are proud ambassadors for the work of Aviva Families, a family violence service centre in Christchurch. In collaboration with them, Matt hosts a men’s anti-violence support group from his barbershop.

Together they co-founded She Is Not Your Rehab and launched the concept in Matt’s 2019 TEDx talk. He says the movement is an invitation for men to acknowledge their own childhood trauma and to take responsibility for their healing so that they can transform their pain instead of transmitting it on to those around them.

A New Zealand Māori (Ngāpuhi/Te Rarawa) wāhine, his wife Sarah is a celebrant, writer, and producer who is passionate about their mandate of ‘creating violence free communities’ and has worked alongside Matt since his brands began. She co-founded Sister Sister, a digital marketing agency with her sister Ngaroma and works with clients across Aotearoa to tell stories with creativity and conviction.

The couple are happiest together when with their three children and whānau, and when being creatively inspired and travelling. They have just launched their first book – an NZ Bestseller She Is Not Your Rehab with the goal to encourage intergenerational healing.

We are very thankful for the support provided by the Southern DHB, Well South and Te Runaka o Awarua.

Backrow:  Kelly (Arai Te Uru) Tracy (Waihōpai Rūnaka) Ofa (Pacific Islanders Advisory & Cultural Trust Inc) Vanessa (Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu)

Front: Sarah & Matt Brown
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Whether it’s your farm building, home or business, condensation can cause problems anywhere. But the good thing is, it’s totally avoidable. Condensation is caused when a cold surface comes into contact with airflow. Whether it’s the foggy windows or the water dripping off them, there’s nothing about it that helps maintain a healthy home.

WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS

It can often be the first thing you wake up to on a chilly Southland winter morning but it also forms when the temperatures drop in the evening. If it isn’t dealt with when it immediately starts happening, it can encourage black mold to start growing throughout your building. This can have a severe impact on your respiratory system and is generally bad for your overall health.

TIPS FOR PREVENTION AND ERADICATION

If condensation has already made its way into your home, consider investing in a window cleaning tool to suck up the moisture. If you don’t have one, try thoroughly wiping down the surfaces to get rid of it.

Next, it’s onto prevention. Having a good heating system is one of the best ways you can avoid condensation. Dehumidifiers are a great solution for reducing the amount of humidity in your home or building, and work by pulling air through a fan and removing the amount of moisture in the air.

Making sure your home is heated evenly is also a must. Heat pumps are one of the easiest and most cost efficient systems you can put your money towards and in some cases, can be subsidised by the Government. If you want to know more about the Government subsidy and check whether you’re eligible, talk to our team at Awarua Synergy.

There are a lot of things you can do to avoid condensation without spending a cent. Keeping the doors of rooms you aren’t using closed is one. When cooking, avoid extra steam being released by keeping the lids on your pans and flick your extractor fan on while you’re cooking. If you don’t have one, open a window instead. Leaving a bedroom or lounge window open for short periods of time can also help with reducing humidity – whether you’re taking a shower, using a dryer or just relaxing.

STILL UNSURE?

Get some advice from our skilled, friendly team at Awarua Synergy to find the best option for you. For more information or to get a free, no obligation quote – call 0800 WARM

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The Awarua Synergy Team are hosting a Housie fundraiser for a team member’s son who is recovering after a heart transplant operation in June.

Awarua Synergy team member Soul Riki’s son George Riki-Pennicott is recuperating in Auckland following the operation.

George was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy back in 2019. He was placed onto a treatment plan that would reduce his heart’s workload. Unfortunately, this treatment plan was not as effective as George’s specialist hoped for.

Earlier this year, George began to deteriorate and was placed on the active list for a heart transplant. Before George got a new heart, he deteriorated again and had to have a device attached to his heart (LVAD). This did most of the work of pumping blood around George’s body.

George and his parents, Soul Riki and Waneta Pennicott-Riki, have been living in Auckland since the middle of April while the rest of the family live in Invercargill. George recently open heart surgery to get a new heart.

George and his parents will continue to live in Auckland for the next 2-3 months while he recovers.

Awarua Synergy chief executive Sumaria Beaton said they would love a big crowd to support Soul’s whanau at the Housie evening on July 9 at the Star Rugby Club from 6pm.

The Awarua team have donated some of their annual leave and supported other fundraising activities, she said.

“We have also reached out to our suppliers and asked if they could donate prizes for our Housie fundraising evening. We have had an overwhelming response from our suppliers and plenty of awesome prizes that are up for grabs. All funds raised will be donated to Soul’s whanau.”

Amazing prizes donated so far included Oysters from Fowlers Wild Oysters, and vouchers from Countdown, Mini Dig This, The Auction House Café, Mitre10, Prezzy Cards, petrol vouchers, Chey Beauty, E Hayes, Kankis, Somewhat Green, and other household items such as candles, an outdoor patio heater, hats, beanies, basketball tickets, a gift basket, fried bread, baking, a massage, and a traditional Maori healing voucher.

 

Date: Friday 9th July 2021
Place: Star Rugby Club, Invercargill
Time 6.00pm doors open and game start 6.30pm

To purchase tickets, click here 

Big thanks to our sponsors to date:

Fowlers Wild Oysters, Mammoth Insulation, Focus Computers, McCulloch & Partners, Janice Hughes Book Keeping, GK Services, Southland Copies Company, Community Energy Network, Transport World, Mitre 10, Quantum Print, Yunca, Mitsubishi Christchurch office, Te Runaka o Awarua, Te Rau Aroha Marae, Chey Beauty, Kai Down Under, Safety 1st, Ideal Services, Kai Down Under, Whanau consultancy services, Findex, Today’s Building Solutions, Tuatara, C Brown Builders, Pippa Hakopo and Media Works.

A Givealittle page has also been set up. 

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You guessed it. It’s that time of year again and we’re chipping in to support those in need through these chilly Southland months.

Everyone deserves to feel warmth this winter – that’s why we started the Winter Warmer Donation Drive to provide our community with the resources they need to get through.

This month, our team at Awarua Synergy will be putting together warm-up packs for families to help stock up Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust’s Invercargill food bank, Pataka Oranga. 

Tracey Wright-Tawha CEO of Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu said “We love the care and compassion Awarua Synergy has for people and the community and respects their ability to contribute the way they do”

Anything from blankets to warm socks, hot water bottles, kids PJs, hot chocolate, marshmallows and chocolate thins would make the perfect addition to the packs.

Because food banks often received a lot of cupboard staples, the team wanted to throw in some sweet treats to add to the mix.

Awarua Synergy are super supportive of the foodbank and wanted to make another contribution again this year. Helping people stay warm is at the core of what we do.  We are glad to be in a position to collect donations towards a needed cause says Sumaria Beaton CEO of Awarua Synergy.

How Can You Help?

Our team will be collecting goods all of July or you can drop them off at Awarua Synergy at 117 Eye St, Invercargill, or purchase online delivered to Eye st.  If you are a business, our team member Jackie is happy to collect them from your site. Please only donate new and unused items.

Awarua Synergy are Southland experts in helping families, businesses and farms find energy efficiency solutions, and offer free home energy assessments.

The Invercargill-based company has insulated and heated more than 9000 Southland homes since 2004

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