What to do if you’re concerned about the insulation installed in your home

Insulation should be laid correctly, to ensure best performance, and to avoid safety risks. EECA has a strict audit and checking process in place to make sure service providers follow the correct procedure. The results from the first round of audits before Christmas showed that a small number of houses had potential safety issues, and more had quality issues with the way insulation was installed.

We have been working hard with the industry to fix these issues.

What should I do if I have concerns about insulation installed in my home?

If for some reason you have any concerns or questions, the first thing you should do is contact the company that did the work for you and talk it through with them. They may be able to help you over the phone, or they may want to come to your house.

You can ask them for your ‘post installation audit' which is the document they sign off to say your home has been done properly.

In every case where a problem is found, the Service Provider must put it right within 20 working days.

Use our directory to find the contact details of service providers.

When is it a safety risk?

Ceiling insulation that is incorrectly laid over recessed downlights, unflued extractor fans or other heat sources can cause a fire risk. There have been no reports of fires or charring from insulation installation as part of the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme which began in July 2009.

In our first audit round, we found a small number of houses with insulation over downlights or another heat source. These were required to be fixed immediately. On top of that, any Service Provider who failed an audit with a safety issue had to go back and check all houses they had done that had downlights or an extractor fan present. These checks have all been completed.

Can I check my ceiling insulation myself?

EECA does not recommend you do this unless you are confident about getting into the ceiling cavity yourself. Refer to the Standards New Zealand guide for safety precautions.

If you do go up into the ceiling cavity, have a look to make sure down lights or extractor fans are not covered by insulation. There should be at least a 150mm gap between the fitting and the insulation.

If the insulation is covering the down light, move it away - which will make it safe - and call your service provider to arrange a time for them to come around and make sure the job is finished properly.

If you want more detailed information on how insulation should be installed, refer to the Standards New Zealand guide.

Why do I have to go back to the same company?

You should go back to the same company that installed the insulation because if they have not done it correctly, under the Consumer Guarantees Act they should put it right, free of charge.

What's a down light?

A down light is a light fitting that is recessed into the floor, wall or ceiling. The bulk of the light, its wiring and transformer sit out of sight behind the wall or ceiling that it is recessed into.

What's an extractor fan?

An extractor fan pulls stale air or steam away from a room and are most often found in bathrooms and kitchens.

Fans should be vented to outside of the house. An extractor fan that is vented into the ceiling space is not compliant with the New Zealand Building Code.

I want to install insulation myself. Where can I find more information about installing insulation properly?

Detailed information on how to do this correctly is provided in the Standards New Zealand guide.