The Impact of Retrofitted Insulation and New Heaters on Health Services Utilisation and Costs, Pharmaceutical Costs and Mortality: Evaluation of Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart

This was a Report to the Ministry of Economic Development.

This report is an evaluation of changes in the incidence and costs of health services, pharmaceutical usage and mortality in the first 46,655 houses retrofitted under the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme (WUNZ:HS), introduced in July 2009.

Previous clinical and public health research, including the results of two community trials, the Housing, Insulation and Health Study and the Housing, Heating and Health Study have shown that both respiratory and circulatory symptoms are affected by indoor temperature and relative humidity.