Blankets and winter packs help keep Kiwi families warm

Winter can be a challenging time for many New Zealand families. Rising living costs often put a strain on household finances, while cold, damp living conditions can increase the risk of a variety of health problems. 

Read on to learn more about energy hardship in Aotearoa and what we’re doing to help Kiwi families stay warm this winter. 

Energy hardship in New Zealand

Energy hardship, which occurs when energy costs exceed 10 percent of a household’s income, affects more than 1 in 5 New Zealand households annually. It is a key concern in winter, with people spending more time indoors and relying on electric heating to keep their homes warm. About one-third of Kiwi homes have an indoor temperature of below 18 degrees, which is the World Health Organization's recommended minimum healthy indoor temperature. 

We recently reached out to a group of Grey Power Electricity customers who had experienced energy hardship in the past six months and found:

• 83 percent sometimes find it difficult to manage their bills
• 66 percent use more blankets to save power
• 26 percent of households do not have adequate heating
• 26 percent have had an increase in rent or household expenses in the last 12 months

Keeping warm this winter

Here at Grey Power Electricity, we’re big believers in doing our part to support our communities. As part of our Pay It Forward winter initiatives, we recently distributed 50x 100% wool blankets to customers who we thought could use a helping hand with keeping warm this winter. 

The blankets were well received. “Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the amazing blanket! said one recipient. “The difference is crazy - the kids used to have a polar fleece one that always felt damp. Now they’re fighting over the new one!”

Another recipient said, “Thank you so much. It arrived and it’s beautiful and warm. It really made my day, especially since I’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, so I’m going to be lovely and snuggly during treatments.”

We also sent out 50x Winter Warmer Packs to additional customers to help them stay cosy this winter. The Winter Warmer Packs contain a variety of little winter treats, including a hot water bottle and cover, hand warmers, drinking chocolate, packet soup, mug and more. 

“Our package arrived safely, and we are thrilled to bits. Obviously, a lot of thought went into deciding that all the gift would be useful. Thank you so much for choosing us. We really needed the boost, given we are unable to return to our home because of Level 4 stopping all EQC work. We will be homeless next week so, hot chocolate in a mug that stays hot & a hot water bottle to cuddle took the edge off the worry.”

Supporting families in need

Our winter initiatives run alongside the Pay it Forward Programme, an award-winning project that provides financial support to families experiencing energy hardship. 

Want to join us in making New Zealand a better place to live? Click here for more information and find out how you can contribute to the Pay it Forward Programme.