We’re working on opportunities for our community to lead more sustainable lives.
If you’ve got ideas of sustainable opportunities Council could offer the community, please get in touch with us.
Get free advice to make your house warm, dry, healthy and more energy efficient from a trained, independent Eco Design Advisor for your Upper Hutt home.
What is it?
Is your home cold or damp? Are you getting condensation on your windows? Are you thinking about heating options? Are your energy bills skyrocketing? Are you confused about curtains? Wondering about solar panels? Considering insulation options? We can help!
An Eco Design Advisor is an independent advisor based in Lower Hutt at Hutt City Council and is responsible for the whole Hutt Valley. The Advisor can visit your home and give you advice to make your home warmer, drier, healthier, and more efficient. If you're planning on building a new home, the Advisor can give you independent advice which is helpful before you sign off the final plans. It is a free service to the Upper Hutt community - the cost of the service ($200 p/visit) is covered by us.
During the two-hour consultation, the following topics can be covered:
- Heating options
- Insulation
- How to fix draughts
- Hot water systems
- Windows and coverings
- Ventilation and ventilation systems
- Moisture and mould
If you want to know more, check out the Eco Design Advisor website, and have a look at their information sheets online.
Subsidies and help available
- Curtains: The Sustainability Trust run the Wellington Curtain bank. If you live in Upper Hutt and you, or someone in your house has a community services card or is a SuperGold Combo Cardholder, you may be eligible for free made-to-measure curtains from the curtain bank. The curtain bank recycles donated curtains, and ensures they are fit for purpose.
Check out the Curtain Bank website to see if you are eligible and apply.
- Insulation and heating: The EECA Warmer Kiwi Homes Programme covers 80% of the total cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation, and 80% of the cost of an approved heater (capped at $3,000 including GST). This programme is for homeowners, and funding is determined by area and housing circumstances.
Check out the EECA website to see if you're eligible and request a quote.
Borrow a Home Energy Audit Toolkit (HEAT kit)
The Central Library has three HEAT kits available for library members to borrow for free. The kits contain a set of do-it-yourself tools and instructions to help you assess your home in terms of warmth, dampness, and energy efficiency. Each HEAT kit contains:
- a hygrometer to measure the temperature and humidity of your home
- a power meter to measure the costs and amount of power your appliances use
- a stopwatch to measure your shower flow rate
- an infrared thermometer to assess any heat loss through walls, windows and ceilings; air leaks in the fridge; the water temperature and hot water cylinder
- A wood moisture meter to assess how dry your firewood is
- An instruction booklet with tips and tricks for you to keep.
You can also download the instruction booklet(PDF, 547KB).
Developed by the New Zealand Green Building Council, HomeFit is an online check designed to improve your home to keep it warm, dry and safe. Designed for home owners, renters and landlords, once you have answered some questions about your house, you'll receive an impartial report on how it could be improved.
We were thrilled to partner with Whirinaki Whare Taonga to sponsor the Meltdown: Visualising Climate Change exhibition and support the climate change speaking event held in March. The experts were:
Dave Lowe: Atmospheric scientist who has been working on climate change for 50 years, having worked with Charles David Keeling to record atmospheric carbon at Baring Head in Wellington.
Dave was a lead author of the 2007 IPCC report that received a Nobel Peace Prize, and his book ‘the Alarmist’ has become a Victoria University Press best seller. His work has been featured on several documentaries – one for New Zealand Geographic, and another as part of the Netflix ‘Stories of a Generation’ series. He won the Environmental Category at the Wellingtonian of the Year Awards (Welly Awards) last year.
James Renwick: Commissioner with the Climate Change Commission, and a Professor at Victoria University specialising in Climate Change. In 2018 he won the Prime Ministers Science Prize for communication. He was a lead author for the IPCC’s fourth and fifth Assessment reports, as well as a coordinating lead author for the IPCC’s sixth Assessment Report.
Cr Sophie Handford: Sophie was the national coordinator for the School Strike for climate in New Zealand, where she mobilised 170,000 people. She is the youngest person to be elected as a Councillor in New Zealand and serves as an Elected Member on the Kāpiti Coast District Council.
Upper Hutt City Council Strategic Policy Manager Rob Thomas was the Master of Ceremonies for the event, held in the Gillies Group Theatre, at Whirinaki Whare Taonga.
If you missed it, you can watch a recording of the event below.
This guide aims to provide the community of Upper Hutt with specific knowledge to start their own landscaping journey, which will not only add value to Upper Hutt’s biodiversity and resilience but will enhance sustainable lifestyles for residents.
Download the Guide(PDF, 60MB)