Icy temperatures keep retailers busy

KEEPING WARM: Tafea Iasona has plenty of firewood thanks to a buy, sell and swap page she set up for Rotorua. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

As Rotorua temperatures plummet residents have been keeping local businesses busy in a bid to keep warm.

Frosty starts this week led to a low of 1C being recorded in Rotorua yesterday while Taupo experienced an icy -4C.

At Smiths City Rotorua heat pumps have been the most popular home heating option for customers, with demand so high there is a two-week waiting list for them to be installed.

"It's been building up since the end of autumn but we have almost daily someone coming to have a look at heat pumps and at least a sale once a week," sales consultant Gene Minnee said.

"Then after heat pumps it's panel heating. The odd person would ask for a gas heater and fan heaters for a small room.

"Our [heat pump installation] guys are really busy. There's a two, three-week waiting list." Rotorua Heating Solutions owner Lea-Ann Hanson said her business had about a six-week waiting list for wood fireplaces to be installed. "... We can't put them in fast enough."

Demand for quality, cheap firewood has also been high which has prompted a Rotorua mother to take action.

Tafea Iasona has plenty of firewood thanks to a buy, sell and swap page she set up for Rotorua PHOTO/BEN FRASER

Tafea Iasona and her partner started the Facebook page Rotorua buy/sell/swap Firewood three weeks ago.

"It has 300 members and it's been awesome," Ms Iasona said. "There's a huge demand out there for dry wood ... We spent $250 from a firewood company and the guy who delivered it was rushed, dumped it where we didn't want it, and it was damp."

Ms Iosona said her page was about the community helping one another, especially those on a tight budget.

WeatherWatch analyst Philip Duncan said temperatures were forecast to drop to 0C last night before things would become a bit warmer - and wetter. "That's it for the frost for a while as rain is expected to come in during the weekend and through to the start of next week."