We are thrilled to be partnering with one of Aotearoa's largest home energy retrofit companies, Brightr, to help improve our country's woeful quality of homes.
Brightr, formerly Smart Energy Solutions, assess around 40,000 homes a year and then install solutions that make them warmer, drier and more energy efficient. Those assessments will now be helped through the use of NZGBC's Homefit report. To date, Brightr have helped make over 100,000 homes warmer and more energy efficient since 2009.
Inspections by Brightr and their HomeFit Assessors will evaluate the five core ingredients of the Healthy Homes Standards for rental properties: insulation, heating, ventilation, drainage and moisture ingression, and draught stopping. Taking stock of these key areas shows homeowners and landlords what needs to be done to help ensure their homes are more comfortable and healthier for their occupants in summer as well as winter.
“The fact that more homes for Kiwis will become warmer, safer and drier using HomeFit is awesome news. If we are serious about improving the woeful standard of homes here in Aotearoa, organisations must work together to push landlords towards meeting the Healthy Homes Standards and beyond,” CEO Andrew Eagles says.
HomeFit aims to help take homes above the regulatory requirements to make them even more healthy and affordable to run, with homes needing to have effective window treatments or double glazing, efficient hot water, no mould, dual flush toilets, energy efficient lighting and safe hot water temperatures.
“Brightr’s ability to deliver a one-stop assessment and installation service nationwide, and HomeFit’s industry leading report, make a powerful combination," Aaron Beckman, CEO of Brightr says.
“We are delighted to offer landlords the HomeFit report, which contains easy to follow instructions on how to make their valuable asset better performing, more efficient and needing less maintenance over time.”
HomeFit certification is covered in the cost of the Brightr HomeFit inspection for homes meeting those criteria. HomeFit certificates will be published on real estate and Council websites, placing their owners at a competitive advantage over properties for rent or sale
In using the HomeFit tool, Brightr will offer homeowners the packaged services for inspection, automated reporting through the HomeFit app, and rapid recommendations and quotes for improvements.
We as a country need to protect the health of Kiwis and ensure our housing stock contributes to our zero carbon goals. Thanks to the Brightr team for their efforts in ensuring warmer, drier, more efficient homes throughout Aotearoa.