26.11.2007 BY ALISON BROWN He may not wear a cape and leap buildings in a single bound but Rotorua's new Energy Champion has plenty of ideas to save you money.
Kevin McGrath of Power Solutions has won a $30,000 contract to promote energy efficiency in Rotorua.
The Energy Champion role was created by the Bright Economy Advisory Board after a report highlighted how the city's economy would improve if more people knew about ways to reduce their energy consumption.
Mr McGrath said everyone benefited from being more energy efficient - business owners through increased profits and domestic customers through saving money.
Changes could be as simple as replacing standard light bulbs with eco-bulbs or buying firewood in summer and storing it appropriately ahead of winter consumption.
"In Rotorua, if we can reduce our energy consumption we're improving the security of its supply and that's important too."
His first job is creating an online directory to show residents how they can save money on their power bills. The energy champion website is expected to be live by the end of the year.
Mr McGrath also plans to educate businesses about self-auditing their energy consumption and finding the most cost-effective electricity retailer. Early next year he will run energy forums for both businesses and households, the latter to prepare locals for an energy-efficient winter.
As part of his advocacy role, he recently attended New Zealand's first Healthy Homes conference in Rotorua.
The conference brought together more than 80 people working to reduce energy costs and improve housing conditions through insulation.
The Healthy Homes project is in its third year in Rotorua and, as at end of June, has helped to insulate the homes of 260 low-income families.
For the Foster family insulation has made the world of difference.
Before their 36-year-old house on Sunset Rd was insulated, winter used to mean several visits to Rotorua Hospital with cold weather related illnesses.
Their cold, damp house aggravated their youngest son's asthma and others in the family were frequently away from work and school with lung infections.
They considered installing a new fire but were encouraged to apply to Rotorua's Healthy Homes Committee instead.
After the insulation was installed they noticed the difference in temperature within a few days, Erueti Foster said.
"We used to practically live in the lounge and kitchen during winter so we could be closer to the fire," he said.
"We spent a lot of money paying for the doctor. We'd have to juggle work with being up at the hospital with the kids and it got stressful."
The Fosters lived in their Sunset Rd home for nearly 20 years with no insulation, relying on their fire to heat their home. Mould grew on the walls and condensation built up on the windows which they tried to control with a dehumidifier.
The Healthy Homes Project targets low-income home owners who have two or more people in their home with a respiratory disease.
To qualify, houses must have been built before 1978. Trained retrofitters, employed by Whakatane-based Energy Options, install ceiling and underfloor insulation plus extras such as door stops and hot water cylinder wraps.
The work significantly improves energy efficiency.
An un-insulated home loses nearly half its heat through the roof. Lower energy consumption can also result in cheaper power bills, leaving more money for food and clothes.
Formed in 2004 and based in Christchurch, Energy Mad implements large-scale energy efficiency projects that reduce climate changing carbon dioxide emissions. These projects have included the world-leading energy saving Ecobulb projects and the recent commencement of the world first efficient household Ecosmarthome project. Energy Mad have achieved a revenue growth of 2,850 percent over the past two years, and have increased their staff from two to 15.
www.energymad.com/nz
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