More Aucklanders can't afford heating
CATHERINE HARRIS
Last updated 18:21, December 17 2014
Nearly 6 per cent of dwellings in Auckland never use heating, according to a new survey by Statistics New Zealand.
The Housing in Auckland survey, which uses census data from 1991 to 2013, said 5.9 per cent of dwellings last year never use heating fuels, about 25,854 homes.
Northland was next with 5.3 per cent and nationally it was 3 per cent.
Author Rosemary Goodyear said the result was concerning.
"Although Auckland has a warmer climate than much of New Zealand, it experiences average minimum daily temperatures of less than 10 degrees in the winter, and Auckland homes - especially uninsulated ones - will generally require heating in the winter to keep them at a healthy temperature."
Fuel poverty in Auckland was also on the rise. Last year's figures were nearly 40 per cent higher than the 18,513 dwellings noted in 2006's census. It was a national trend, with the number of unheated houses across the country rising to 44,832, up 35 per cent.
In Auckland unheated private dwellings are most common in Waitemata and south Auckland.
Nearly 16 per cent of houses in Waitemata went without heating, 12.3 per cent in Mangere-Otahuhu and 10 per cent of Otara-Papatoetoe homes.
Other highlights from the report show:
* The proportion of children under 15 living in rental housing has risen to 43.7 per cent in Auckland, or 121,464 children. In 2006, 39.8 per cent of Auckland children were in rental homes.
* The number of people renting in Auckland rose 18 per cent between 2006 and 2013. About 35.4 per cent of Auckland households were renting in 2013, about 154,347 households. That was up from 130,227 households in 2006, when renters made up 32.4 per cent of all households.
* The increase in renters was lower in Wellington (up 12 per cent) and Canterbury (up 11.7 per cent).
* But several other regions had even bigger increases in the renting population than Auckland, including Southland (up 27.2 per cent), Northland (20 per cent), and Bay of Plenty (19 per cent).
* Rents in Auckland were higher than either Wellington and Canterbury, with 36.8 per cent of households which were renting paying $400 or more a week. That amount was paid by 26.7 per cent of Wellington regional households, and 15.4 per cent of Canterbury households.
READ MORE: Auckland housing market unique
- Stuff
http://www.stuff.co....-afford-heating
