Cold is stressful and health risk

Warming a home is healthier.

It's been cold out there this winter.

According to a survey of nearly 1300 householders by Credit Simple, it's also been colder than normal inside as well ... "Just over half of New Zealand households cut back on heating their homes in winter due to the cost."

As reported in the New Zealand Herald, at least one third of all NZ homes go unheated entirely. The Science Media Centre writes that the "average daily indoor temperature in the winter for most New Zealand houses is just 16C".

Sitting in a cold interior is physiologically stressful particularly for the elderly and children. Not only are dampness and cold a health risk in themselves, but a cold house can lead to toxic mould growth that may cause serious allergic reactions.

Urbanist Bill McKay writes: "We've got 40,000 kids hospitalised each year for respiratory illnesses in this country directly related to the state of their homes, and many of them are from rented homes including Housing New Zealand."

For superannuitants who have a reduced ability to control and regulate body temperature, the cold can cause serious health risks.

The New Zealand government workplace safety rules have a recommended "temperature range providing thermal comfort for most people is 18-22°C (sedentary work) or 16-19°C (physical work) during winter".

Although some workers have had successful grievance claims over lack of heating, this is still just a recommendation, it is not yet a regulated law.

Indeed, unlike the majority of developed nations, no legal minimum heat requirement bylaws exist in New Zealand for the workplace, rented homes or public venues.

The recent Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill is a step in the right direction, but it falls short, regulating for only half the equation, insulation, while it is silent on the other half of the equation, heat. No minimum heating requirements exist within the bill and, unlike most regulated bylaws overseas, heating costs are borne by the (often struggling) tenant.

The UN's World Health Organization recommends that 18°C be maintained as the safe minimum indoor temperature, and that 21°C be maintained for homes with babies or elderly people.

In Vancouver, Canada (whose "moderate oceanic climate" is similar to much of New Zealand), the bylaws state that residential rental living spaces must "be maintained at a temperature of 72F (22C)".

Germany (with laws similar to much of northern Europe) maintains a legal minimum winter indoor temperature for tenants at 22C during the day, 18C at night for living spaces.

Most US city bylaws require a minimum of 20C for winter. Not that these regulations always are respected but, while loopholes exist, steep fines can be imposed for violations.
But can we afford to maintain safe environmentally sustainable heating levels in our public venues and homes?

Rethinking the antiquated British custom of leaving venue and shop doors open to be "welcoming" can help.

The UK activist group "Close the Door" in 2010 published the results of a study that showed public venues could cut their energy bills in half by shutting their doors, while dismissing the myth of a shop entrance "air curtain".

According to Trading Economics, New Zealand in 2018 enjoys a per person standard of living far higher than the per capita wealth that many overseas nations had when they first put up the capital for insulation and efficient heating systems from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Unfortunately our increased wealth has not been distributed evenly, and those left at the bottom have the least ability to maintain healthy levels of heat. That can be changed with good laws, progressive tax revenue and reasonable regulations. No rational excuse exists for us as a wealthy nation to continue to live, work and play in dangerously cold environments.

Brit Bunkley is an internationally exhibiting artist. He retired from UCOL, where he was Head of Sculpture since 1995 and has taught various political science courses.