The Federal Government’s Energy Efficient Homes package will bring many additional spin-off benefits for the nation’s general well-being, productivity and health economy, according to the Insulation Council of Australia and New Zealand.
Dennis D’Arcy, ICANZ’s CEO, said that insulating Australia’s 2.7 million uninsulated homes, as outlined in the Government’s package will, in addition to the substantial greenhouse and energy savings, provide many substantial benefits to the health and well-being of home occupants, stressed health systems and productivity.
“Numerous authoritative medical studies have shown that effective insulation in homes improves the health and well-being of occupants, thus reducing costs to the health system and improving work and education productivity.
“While outcomes such as these are less obvious than the immediate benefits of economic growth, cost and greenhouse savings, they are no less important,” D’Arcy said.
International studies have found that occupants in insulated homes with improved comfort levels that offset temperature extremes were less likely to report sick days, or days off school.
They also indicated that occupants of insulated homes would be admitted to hospital less often for respiratory conditions, and the number of fatalities during temperature extremes could be reduced.
