Community Projects

Community Energy Action (CEA) is a charitable trust and surpluses from our work are invested in our community projects:

• Warm Babies

• Elderly Health
• Curtain Bank and partner agencies
• Home Energy Advice Centre

	The Warm Babies Project can help low income families in Christchurch with an infant under one year old or a preschooler with health problems who live in a cold damp house. The aim of the project is to protect the health of children by making their homes warm, dry and healthy through subsidising the installation of home insulation, curtains and heating where necessary.   The project is open to both homeowners and those renting (a financial contribution is necessary from the landlord). Any cost to the homeowner can be negotiated (inability to pay will not exclude someone from the project). The project is part-funded by Meridian Energy.   Referrals are made mainly through Plunket Nurses. For further information call CEA on (03) 374 5698.   To be eligible for this project, homeowners and tenants must hold a Community Services Card and live in a house built before 2000.    Warm Babies Project Evaluation Report (187.33 KB) - February 2005    Meridian is a major sponsor for the Warm Babies project.
	The Elderly Health Project can help people aged 70+ years (or 65+ with a cold-related health condition) on a low income who live in a cold damp house. The aim of the project is to protect the health of the elderly by making their homes warm, dry and healthy through subsidising the installation of home insulation, curtains, and, in some cases, heating where necessary.   The project is open to both homeowners and those renting (a financial contribution is necessary from the landlord).   Any cost to the homeowner can be negotiated (inability to pay will not exclude someone from the project).   Referrals are made mainly through Age Concern. For further information call CEA on (03) 374 5698.   To be eligible for this project, homeowners and tenants must hold a Community Services Card and live in a house built before 2000.   The Elderly Health Project is currently supported by the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority and Orion.
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	Curtain Bank and partner agencies   Curtains help to prevent heat loss through windows. CEA operates a curtain bank during the winter months (March to October) which offers free recycled curtains to people who hold a Community Services Card. We do not replace curtains that are still offer effective insulation.

All applicants must be referred to us through our partner agencies. If you think you may qualify for free curtains, call (03) 377 8741 or email our office at info@cea.co.nz and ask to be referred to a Partner Agency near you. See also the table below for a list of Curtain Bank Partner agencies you can approach directly for assistance.

The Curtain Bank has shifted!  CEA is bursting at the seams at its present location so the Curtain Bank has shifted just down the road to 234 Armagh St. Curtain Bank hours are 9am-3pm - please try to visit no later than 2:30 pm so we can attend to your request before the end of the day. The rest of CEA has not shifted and remains at 198 Armagh St.

CEA hopes that people will not forget the opportunity to make a difference when disposing their curtains. If you would like to donate curtains or curtain rails to the Curtain Bank, bring them to Community Energy Action at 198 Armagh St (not the Curtain Bank please) between the hours of nine a.m. to five p.m. We need curtains that are reasonably clean. Faded curtains will be accepted as the faded area can be removed by CEA’s machinist. Donated curtain rails are also very useful.

Volunteers are welcome at the Curtain Bank - light tasks include unpicking seams plus packing and sorting curtains. Contact us on the phone number above to ask about volunteering opportunities.

Curtain Bank Partner Agencies

The Home Energy Advice Centre

The Home Energy Advice Centre provides free, impartial expert advice on all home energy issues. Examples of the topics the Home Energy Advice Centre can provide information and advice on are: high power bills, a cold home, dampness, insulation, heating, saving power, etc.

The Home Energy Advice Centre is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm. Calls are free for residents calling within Canterbury north of the Rakaia. In the greater Wellington and Auckland areas toll-free Home Energy Advice Centres are operating as well. Outside these areas callers can access the service via a toll number.

The three Home Energy Advice Centres are an initiative of the Energy Efficiency Community Network, a network of charitable trusts working in energy efficiency. It had identified a need for impartial advice on home energy issues in New Zealand.

The Canterbury Home Energy Advice Centre was set up by Community Energy Action in March 2009 after a succesful pilot in Wellington. In the first seven months it attracted nealry 1500 enquiries, proving there is indeed a demand for such a service. The Home Energy Advice Centre is sponsored by Community Energy Action.

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