Making your house warmer after the earthquakes
Both the September and the February earthquake have caused substantial damage to many Christchurch homes. On this page you will find information about:
Insulation and your EQC claim/repairs
If you have roof damage
If the earthquake has caused damage to your roof and water has entered your ceiling cavity before emergency repairs were done, your ceiling insulation may have become wet. Ceiling insulation which has become wet loses its effectiveness, even after it has dried out.
Make sure you list wet ceiling insulation as damage to your property on your EQC claim if you think that rain has entered your roof cavity. Talk to EQC about removing wet insulation under emergency repairs, as wet insulation batts can get mouldy.
Insist a specialist insulation company will replace your insulation to ensure it is done well, the right thickness is installed and you get the maximum benefit from your insulation (again).
If your property was flooded or affected by liquefaction
If your house has flooded as a result of the earthquake or has been affected by liquefaction, your underfloor insulation may have become wet and/or any polythene sheeting may have shifted. Underfloor insulation which has become wet may lose its effectiveness (depending on product), even after it has dried out. Make sure you list possible wet underfloor insulation and shifted polythene as damage to your property on your EQC claim if your property was flooded or affected by liquefaction. Talk to EQC about removing wet insulation under emergency repairs, as wet insulation can get mouldy.
Insist a specialist insulation company will replace your insulation to ensure it is done well, the right thickness is installed and you get the maximum benefit from your insulation (again).
If you have floor, piles or foundation damage
If any repairs are being done to your floor, foundations or piles ensure insulation 
gets replaced. Insist a specialist insulation company will replace your insulation to ensure it is done well, the right thickness is installed and you get the maximum benefit from your insulation (again).
If external walls were damaged
You may not need a building consent for installing wall insulation in damaged external walls. Please contact the Christchurch City Council for more information. If you did not have wall insulation before the house was damaged, it may depend on your insurance company or its contractor whether they can install wall insulation and whether you will have to pay for the extra cost or whether it is a requirement under the Building Code to install wall insulation when rebuilding a wall.
Taking advantage of earthquake repairs to make your home warmer
Repairing the damage on your home caused by the earthquakes provides a unique opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of your house. The Christchurch City Council has developed a guide for homeowners what they can do to make their homes warmer, drier and heathier to live in while doing earthquake repairs.
Repair guide quick overview (483.84 KB)
Repair guide detailed info (854.48 KB)
Staying warm in a quake damaged house or temporary rental property
If you have a damaged chimney
If your chimney has been damaged, you may qualify for a free heat pump or other clean heating appliance.
If you are getting a heat pump it is very important to get your (ceiling) insulation checked. The majority (but not all!) homes these days have some insulation but many have a layer that is too thin for Christchurch winter conditions and/or have insulation that has deteriorated over time (especially when installed more than 15 years ago). If the insulation in your home in insufficient for Christchurch winters, you may struggle to keep warm or you may spend more on your heating bills than necessary. Subsidies for insulation are available with higher subsidies for those on low incomes and rental properties with tenants on low incomes. More ...
If you are waiting for replacement heating and are using plug-in heaters and you find it hard or expensive to heat your home, you may consider DIY window insulation, an inexpensive, temporary form of window insulation.
If you don't have a (damaged) chimney and use plug-in heaters or unflued gas
If you do not have a (damaged) chimney, you will not qualify for a free heat pump. However, there are subsidies available for heat pumps, with higher subsidies for those on low incomes. Subsidies are only available when ceiling and underfloor insulation are up to the Building Code but separate subsidies are available for insulation. Heat pumps are more efficient than plug-in heaters and will put less pressure on our fragile post-earthquake electricity network in Christchurch East. The use of unflued gas heaters can be dangerous and is not recommended unless in an emergency.
If your home is unliveable and you are now in a rental property
If you have had to abandon your house as a result of the earthquake and have moved into rental accommodation, you may find the heating situation different from what you are used to. Many but not all rental properties have substandard insulation and heating. Don't put up with it! Subsidies for heating and insulation are available for rental properties with higher subsidies for rental properties with tenants on low incomes. Community Energy Action is happy to make enquiries on behalf of tenants.
Another way to make a rental property warmer and save on heating bills is by installing DIY window insulation, a non-permanent form of ‘double glazing'. Community Energy Action does not recommend the use of unflued gas heaters when no heating is provided in a rental property. Unflued gas heaters can be dangerous and are not recommended unless in an emergency.
If you are having problems with draughts
It will be very hard to heat a home with gaps. If you have large gaps in your walls or between walls and window/door frames, you can arrange for the repairs yourself if they cost less than $2,000 to repair. Visit EQC's website 
to see what records you need to keep to make sure you are reimbursed appropriately. Alternatively you can call EQC (0800 DAMAGE/326 243) to arrange emergency repairs.
You may be able to deal with smaller, non-structural damage/gaps yourself. The easiest and simplest way to deal with cracks in walls, floorboards, skirting boards, around windows is to cover them using a tape such as Duct tape or Gaffer tape. Gaffer tape comes off without leaving a sticky residue and is also known as gun tape, riggers' tape, hurricane tape or racers tape. Both adhere to surface
s well, come in a range of widths and can be easily removed when it comes time for more permanent repairs to be made. All you need is a pair of scissors to cut the tape to length and they are available from all good home depot stores.
Silicone fillers and polyurethane foam have been promoted elsewhere as an option but we advise caution in using these products as they can make it difficult to undertake more permanent repairs at a later date and should only be used by a professional. Cellotape and masking tape are too thin/not wide enough and will be difficult to remove.
Draughts caused by misaligned windows can also be stopped by using V-seal, a product ideal for uneven gaps. To stop draughts from misaligned external or internal doors, you can also use door sausages.
If you have downlights or flues
If you have downlights or flues in an insulated ceiling, be aware that the earthquake could have dislodged insulation. If insulation is too close to downlights, it can pose a fire risk. Insulation should never cover downlights and there should be a 200mm (halogens) or a 50mm (incandescent) gap around downlights unless specified differently on the packaging. Ask an electrician if you are unsure what sort of downlights you have. Check your ceiling insulation or get someone to do it for you if you have downlights or flues. Community Energy Action assessors will check whether your existing ceiling insulation has been dislodged when they come for a quote for (a top-up of) insulation. More about the energy efficiency and fire safety of downlights and insulation.
How to get more information
Community Energy Action's Advice Service is a free phone advice service, which can provide advice on all home energy issues. The EECA award winning Advice Service covers a wide range of home energy issues, such as what to do about high energy bills, dampness and condensation, and how to identify your cheapest electricity provider. You can either call or email our Advice Service. You can also arrange a comprehensive Home Energy Check (there may be a cost).
-
Eq curtains recycled
Curtains from earthquake damaged resthome are recycled through Curtain Bank. read more...
-
4,000 insulation installs in 2 years
We installed 4,000 of 100,000 homes insulated nationwide with subsidies. read more...
-
Keeping warm after the earthquake
We now have a dedicated page on keeping warm after the earthquake. read more...
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |