Dampest and coldest areas revealed
Do you live in Balclutha, Kerikeri, Westport, or Waipukurau?
Yes? We’re picking the cold is a regular topic of unhappy conversation.
No? Well, things could be worse.
The four towns are the New Zealand centres with the highest power prices, and some of them are also in the areas with the coldest temperatures and most moisture in the air, which leads to dampness.
This is not great news if you live in or near one of those areas, but deep down, you probably already knew what you were getting yourself in for when you decided to settle there.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment data confirmed Balclutha, Westport, Waipukurau and Kerikeri have the country’s highest power bills.
A 2016 comparison using Consumer NZ’s Powerswitch data showed a family of four could pay
$600 a year more if they lived in the Far North than if they lived in Wellington, if they took the cheapest deal on offer.
The average weekly expenditure on electricity in 2016 was
$37.70.
Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods has released the terms of reference for a review into the price of electricity in New Zealand.
‘‘Residential electricity prices have risen by around 50 per cent since 2000 but the price for business remained flat. We want to find out why that is,’’ she said.
HOW COLD IS IT NATIONWIDE?
A 2015/2016 Statistics New Zealand Report on Energy Hardship showed up to a third (29 per cent) of households either struggled to afford their power bills, spent a large part of their income on power, or often felt cold.
A Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) report measured temperature and relative humidity across 83 homes in New Zealand in 2015. While the current World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended indoor household temperatures to be 18 degrees Celsius, the median temperature from the New Zealand sample was 16.4C.
MetService meteorologist Tom Adams said while the coldest places in New Zealand were the highest places, such as Mt Cook Village, the coldest centre on average was Alexandra.
‘‘Places like Alexandra, Wanaka, places east of the bigger ranges get very cold temperatures overnight because they’re sheltered by the mountains.’’
But on the West Coast, although the temperatures aren’t as low as the eastern centres, ‘‘they’re probably more likely to get mould because they’re prone to moisture’’, he said.
But Adams said mould was a significant issue, worth paying attention to, in all areas of New Zealand.
‘‘Certainly everywhere in New Zealand has the chance to get cold, and the chance to get damp. However, there is more rainfall and more moisture in the air in the western parts of New Zealand.’’
HOW DO WE HEAT?
In the last census, in 2013, electricity was used for heating in 79.2 per cent of occupied private dwellings. Use was highest in the Canterbury region (89.9 per cent) and lowest in the West Coast region (58 per cent).
Wood was the second most common heating fuel. In 2013, wood was used in 36.8 per cent of occupied private dwellings. Use of wood was highest in the West Coast region (72.1 per cent), and lowest in the Auckland region (22.5 per cent).
Bottled gas was used in 15.4 per cent of occupied private dwellings, and mains gas was used in 12 per cent of occupied private dwellings.
Coal was used in 4.1 per cent of occupied private dwellings, but it was much more common in the West Coast (55.7 per cent) and Southland (35.5 per cent).
Solar power was used in 1.6 per cent of occupied dwellings, and was most common in the Tasman region (3.7 per cent).
DAMPNESS
The 2014 New Zealand General Social Survey (NZGSS) asked questions relating to housing quality, with a focus on general condition, dampness, and cold.
Out of 9000 Kiwis, 64 per cent said repairs or maintenance were needed on their homes and almost half reported living in a cold house.
Just under half of renters said they had a problem with dampness or mould, compared with about one-quarter of home-owners.
WHO FEELS THE COLD MOST?
The 2014 NZGSS found people in Northland, the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Canterbury regions were almost twice as likely as people in Auckland to report they needed repairs on their home. Beyond that, regional differences were found to be minimal.
South Islanders (including Cantabrians) were about five per cent less likely to report a major dampness problem than people in Northland, the Bay of Plenty or Gisborne.
Cantabrians were also less likely to report their homes were often or always cold (18 per cent), compared with Wellingtonians (23 per cent) and Aucklanders (22 per cent).
’’... there is more rainfall and more moisture in the air in the western parts of New Zealand."
MetService meteorologist Tom Adams