Health Issues

Asthma  costs  New  Zealand  around  $825  million  per  year  in  terms  of  medical  expenses  and  days off  work. It  is the  most common  cause of  hospital admissions  and is  responsible for  500,000 lost school days each year.

Improving   household   energy  efficiency  can  make   reaching  minimum  temperatures  for  good  health more  affordable. Studies have shown  that  retrofitted insulation  in  the homes  of people  suffering from  respiratory  illnesses, such  as the flu or asthma,  was effective  in improving their health, and reducing  the  number of days they  took off work  and school. In  retrofitted homes, visits to the doctor by  family  members  dropped by  19  per  cent,  admissions  to  hospital due  to  respiratory  conditions dropped by 43 per cent, days off school reduced by 23 per cent and days off work by 39 per cent.