• Always make sure the wood you are burning is dry. It’s better for you, your home and the environment.
• Stack your firewood off the ground, out of the rain and with plenty of airflow so it dries faster.
• Purchase your firewood before Christmas to allow it dry out before the following winter.
• Use a wood moisture meter to check if your firewood is dry enough to burn. Less than 25% moisture means more heat and reduced smoke.
• A well-built fire of scrunched up paper, kindling, and firewood with plenty of airflow ensures a well-heated home and less smoke. 
• Don’t burn wet or green firewood, treated wood or household rubbish as they can release harmful toxins into the air.  
• To reduce smoke overnight, make sure you can still see flames when you turn your fire down.

Below you’ll find additional information, building on tips above.

A hot fire built with dry wood produces very little smoke. If you see dirty smoke coming from your chimney, it’s a sign your fire doesn’t have enough oxygen or you’re burning something toxic. Both release pollutants into the air. 

Burning dry wood gives you more heat from each log, warming your home faster. Your fire will also burn hotter, meaning less pollution. 

Have your flue swept once a year to improve air flow and help to prevent a chimney fire. 

• Look 
  • Dry wood is dull in colour.
• Feel 
  • Dry wood has a low moisture content, so it is much lighter than wet or freshly cut wood. 
• Listen 
  • When you knock two larger pieces together, they should sound hollow or produce a lighter “KLACK”ing sound. If the wood is too damp, it will sound like a dull “THUNK”. 
• Take out the guess work 
  • Use a wood moisture meter to check that your firewood has less than 25% moisture. Split a log, then take three readings from the split surface. While you could insert the pins on the meter into one end of a log, generally the ends of logs are drier than the inside. The display will show a moisture percentage. You can get wood moisture meters at most hardware stores. 

Burning these kinds of materials can release harmful toxins into the air. 

• Treated wood
• Off cuts from building sites (avoid treated wood, wood with nails, glue or other contaminants)
• Old decking
• Rubbish
• Green waste
• Plastic
• Clothes
• Electronics
• Disposable nappies

Different areas have different rules about the burner you can install.  

• Air Zone 1 (Alexandra, Arrowtown, Clyde and Cromwell): burners must have an emission rate less than 0.7 g/kg and a thermal efficiency of at least 65%. 
    
• Air Zones 2 and 3 (rest of Otago): burners must meet the MfE guidelines of an emission rate less than 1.5 g/kg and a thermal efficiency of at least 65%. 

Appliances that are recommended for Air Zone 1 are: 

• Heat pumps (all models) 
• Flued gas heaters 
• Pellet fires 
• Ultra-low emission wood burners

Cosy Homes Trust supports Otago residents by providing free advice, resources, and referrals to help make homes warmer, drier, and healthier. Their guidance is available online, in person, by phone, text, or email — contact them to find the support that suits you best.

Cosy Homes Trust also act as a key resource for community and social workers supporting clients living in cold or unhealthy homes. They offer free healthy homes education through tailored presentations for community workers, volunteers, and other interested groups—get in touch with their Project Manager to arrange a session.

At a broader level, they help develop regional healthy homes programmes, foster collaboration among organisations in this space, and advocate for better policies, subsidies, and legislation to ensure warm, healthy housing for all.

cosyhomes.org.nz  

EECA offers government-subsidised insulation and heaters to Kiwis who own and live in houses built before 2008, who also meet other eligibility criteria such as having a Community Services or SuperGold Card, or living in an area defined as low income. 

EECA’s Warmer Kiwi Homes programme covers up to 80-90% of the cost for ceiling and underfloor insulation and up to 80% of the cost of heating appliances (heating appliance capped at $3,000). 

eeca.govt.nz

Aukaha’s Better Homes Programme is targeted at whānau with Tamariki who are getting housing-related illnesses from poor housing conditions, and also pregnant women and whānau who are experiencing overcrowding. You can be living in a private rental, community or social housing or an owner-occupied whare. 

The programme provides a Home Performance Assessment with interventions like curtains, heaters, bedding, beds, mould kits, and draught stopping, and a Warmer Kiwi Homes referral for heating and/or insulation.  

Aukaha also provide an Energy Wellbeing Programme (Meridian) – for Meridian and Powershop customers with low or high power bills. They do a Home Performance Assessment and can provide interventions like curtains, draught stopping, hot water cylinders, mould kits, kitchen and bathroom ventilation, heaters, and a Warmer Kiwi Homes referral for heating and/or insulation. 

aukaha.co.nz

EnergyMate is here to help you make the most of your electricity and break down everything you need to know about your home and appliances, electricity use, and power bill. 

It's all about giving eligible households energy advice and targeted support to help whānau get the most out of their electricity. For some, that’s a reduced power bill, for others, it’s a warmer, drier, healthier home. 

The service is provided by Presbyterian Support Otago and is delivered through in-home coaching, over-the-phone advice, and community hui by EnergyMate coaches. 

energymate.nz

Habitat For Humanity’s Home Repair Programme helps homeowners create warmer, healthier, and safer homes by supporting essential repairs and improvements. Eligible homeowners can access interest-free loans of up to $20,000, repayable over up to five years. All loans are assessed to ensure loans are affordable.  

The projects are delivered by Habitat for Humanity in partnership with the homeowner. Common projects include installing or upgrading insulation and heating systems, roof and spouting repairs, weatherboard maintenance, window repair or replacement, and bathroom refits. 

habitat.org.nz

Dunedin City Council have a free eco-design consultation to help you create a warm, dry, and energy-efficient home, whether you’re building new or want to improve your existing home. 

They can help homeowners, landlords or tenants, and it’s free for all Dunedin residents. DCC’s eco design consultant can come to you for a 1-2 hour consultation and offer you practical advice including no cost and low-cost options. 

The advice available includes topics such as insulation and available subsidies, heating options, condensation/mould issues, saving energy (and money), reducing water use, reducing waste, renovations, and new builds. 

dunedin.govt.nz