28 May 2009 - Contact Energy today said the Government and Green Party's $323 million home insulation Budget announcement would make a real difference to New Zealand families, and Contact would look to actively support it.

Over the last five years Contact has helped fund the insulation of more than 5,000 low income homes across the country and made a significant funding contribution to the groundbreaking housing and health Study being run by Dr Philippa Howden Chapman from the Wellington School of Medicine at Otago University.

Contact Managing Director David Baldwin said the Housing and Health study and insulation retrofitting projects supported by Contact demonstrated the huge difference a well insulated home makes to the health of residents.

"Today's commitment of $323 million to make more Kiwi homes warm and dry will not only keep people in work but keep people well and lower health costs and energy bills," he said.

Mr Baldwin said detail around the scheme's implementation was still to come, but he believed Contact could make a constructive contribution to it.

"With more than 600,000 customers across the country we will be keen to talk with government as to how we can play a constructive role in running this project most efficiently - both in terms of sharing our own experience and perhaps in promoting the project and helping to administer it with our customers," he said.