My husband and I own a 1920’s villa that has been extensively renovated. The house is open plan with varnished floors and carpets. There is a huge space in the ceiling and all walls have been gibbed. We had minimum insulation before applying to Bluff Healthy Homes. To heat the house prior to the insulation we used a Yunca Wedg wood burner, gas heaters x 2, oil heaters x 2 in the bedrooms and a night store heater in the hallway. The average temperature was 10-12 degrees and single digits before the fire was lit and heaters turned on.
We are now into our second winter and the benefits have been astounding. Our heating bill has decreased by approx 30%, we no longer use oil or gas heaters and the wood consumption has reduced by approx 40%. In spite of installing a heat pump which heats the bedrooms, hallway and living area the electricity costs are very reasonable. The temperature is now 14 – 16 degrees before the heat pump is activated and the fire lit, reaching and maintaining 19 – 24 degrees. The most amazing aspect of the insulation is the lack of draft especially at floor level.
Two of my sons who live in Invercargill have had their homes insulated, also through Bluff Healthy Homes. The difference to their houses was instant, draft free and warm. One son in particular commented on his 3 daughter’s (aged 12 months to 7 years before the installation) constantly coughing and sniffling due to what he believed was the invariable cool temperature and dampness in the house. He installed a DVS system approx 3 months before applying to Bluff Healthy Homes. During this time their home was certainly not as warm as it is now and from my observations my mokopuna’s health has improved significantly.
My husband and I were initially reluctant about the installation due to what we considered a high cost. We now however would not be without it, the products have increased the value of our house and over time has saved us money by decreasing our heating costs.