It’s cold out there – and inside, too, for many Kiwi households.

Millions of New Zealanders live in poorly insulated and draughty housing, says Green Building Council chief executive Andrew Eagles. “No wonder when the weather gets cold, they need to blast the heater.”

The porous nature of many New Zealand properties has been identified as one of the biggest factors affecting households struggling to heat their homes.

But who wants to blast the heater when rising power prices will put an even bigger dent into tight household budgets?

Plenty of us resist the urge to flick the heating switch, instead opting for a Puffer jacket. Others do what comes more naturally, but then struggle to pay their energy bills. In fact, each year around 40,000 New Zealanders are disconnected from their power supply for non-payment, according to Consumer NZ.

In the meantime, experts continue to badger the government about adopting best-practice building standards, as most of the OECD already have. The move would keep everyone warmer, never mind reduce the winter energy usage peak by 75% (according to researchers from Otago University) and save everyone a few bucks.

While we ponder this future, here’s what you can do keep warm this winter.

Minimise moisture build-up. Each day the average Kiwi home captures eight litres of moisture build up. Low internal room temperatures create cold surfaces (windows and exterior walls), promoting condensation. Wipe moisture or drips off your windows and walls. Open windows in the mornings, while you shower, or while cooking. Hang washing outside to dry, if you can, or in a room with a door closed and windows open.

Seal windows and doors: Gaps around doors and windows let cold air in and warm air out. Feel for cool spots around door and window openings. DIY door and window insulation kits are cheap and effective.

Capture heat: Work your curtains harder. Open curtains during the day to let warmth in and close them just before dark to prevent its escape. Also consider using blackout shades with a thermal lining to help contain trapped warmth.

Keep your distance from exterior walls: Keep beds and furniture away from walls, leaving a gap for air to circulate freely. Trapped air encourages condensation and, eventually, mould.

Use rugs and carpeting: Rugs and carpeting are a form of insulation that help keep rooms warm.

Put your ceiling fan in reverse: Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan so that the blades rotate in a clockwise motion. The switch in direction creates an updraft that pushes warm air near the ceiling back down.

Get a dehumidifier: Removing excess moisture from the air makes a house feel so much warmer. Some models produce heat as a by-product of the dehumidification process.

Keep doors closed: There’s no need to share heat with spare rooms, rarely used studies, or extra bathrooms.

Try window insulation film: The film attaches to the window frame, trapping a pocket of air between the glass and the film to create a double-glazed system with an insulating gap of still air.

From 1 July 2025 all private rentals must comply with the healthy homes standards – a legal requirement in large part designed to make Kiwi homes warmer and more liveable.

Tenancy Services promotes the following advice to tenants who believe their landlord has failed to comply with the standards.

If you’re a tenant and your rental does not meet the healthy homes standards by its deadline, talk to your landlord. There may be reasons outside of their control as to why they haven’t been able to meet the deadline for a particular standard – for example, supply issues. If you reach an agreement, write down what you’ve agreed, then sign and date it.

If you can’t come to an agreement on how to sort out the problem, you can consider issuing a notice to remedy. This gives the landlord a fixed period to get the work done. This fixed period must be reasonable (not less than 14 days). If the landlord does not fix the problem within the time allowed, you can apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to sort the matter out.

Warm tenants are happy tenants. Call 0800 GOODWINS to ensure your property ticks the box on healthy homes standards.