Virtually There - May 2008

New Zealand’s weather is meant to be nice. I know – I looked it up. “New Zealand’s climate is complex and varies from warm subtropical in the far north to cool temperate climates in the far south,” says our National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research . No blazing desert heat, no soaring jungle humidity and, best of all, no snowdrifts in the backyard for weeks. So why are New Zealand houses so cold?

 

It’s because we live in single-glazed, under-insulated, draughty, damp old houses. But by September of this year new energy-inefficient houses will be a thing of the past thanks to the new Building Code reforms. The Smarter Homes website  will get you up to date with the new requirements.

Of course it is possible to be warm in a poorly insulated house. The trouble is that warmth involves heating the place and heating appears to be something that New Zealanders are strangely reluctant to do.
Are we green, mean or simply poor? The World Health Organisation recommends a minimum indoor temperature for health of 18°C, with up to 20-21°C for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children.
Compare that with our Building Code requirement that a minimum indoor air temperature of 16°C must be maintained in aged-care facilities and early childhood centres, with no minimum at all for other buildings.

No wonder I’m always freezing.

The answer is simple: get a better heating system. But comparing the energy efficiency, emissions, purchase price and running costs of the various options is not so simple. The University of Otago’s Housing, Heating and Health Study at is a mine of useful information.

Energywise  lets you see exactly where the electricity bills come from and tells you how to lower
your consumption. Boiler-based central heating company McKenzie Heating  has a first-class comparative fuel cost calculator. Solid Energy  wants you to know all about wood pellet boilers and solar power. And look up Community Energy Action  which provides helpful advice on comparative heating costs.

Don’t despair – there are some groovier heating options out there. Weird geek store Brando sells USB-powered heated gloves, slippers, blankets and eye warmers. Hammacher Schlemmer  has heated cat beds, earmuff headphones and an electric footwarmer. At cabela.com there are battery socks and pet water-bowl warmers. My overall favourite? Snugglesacks.co.nz sells the ultimate niche product: sleeping bags for guinea pigs. Awww cute. 

If you feel your life would be enhanced by a pink urinal, philipwattsdesign.com  creates “architectural ironmongery” – sinks, door handles, kickplates, handrails and… urinals. The “Pale Ale” is amusing, the “Spoon” practical but the “Gloo” does it for me.

How many times have you found a great site online, spent hours choosing just the perfect items and typed in all your personal details, only to discover they don’t ship internationally? Bah! Thanks to BuyUSA.co.nz, those days are gone. Register and you will be given a virtual US address in Boise, Idaho. Ship your stuff there and they will ship it on to you.

I love the ihome portable dock/clock  for iPod from Apple. Compact in design, it charges your iPod, wakes you with your favourite tune and comes with a carry case and remote control. Get it from apple.co.nz for $185 – shipping is free.