How high are your power bills this winter?
Hey neighbours, It's been a long hard winter and for many, power bills have been going through the roof. Have you been affected?
We're looking into ways we can all keep these costs down for a story on Homed and would love to hear from you if you have particularly large or small bills.
Do your power bills come in way higher than your friends and family? Do you know why, or does the amount always take you by surprise? Maybe, like the family who created an effective solar panel heater out of drink cans, or the blogger who enjoys free power generated by a converted washing machine, you've found a creative way to minimise your bills. If so, how do you do it?
Whether your bills are high and you're looking for ways to reduce them, or you have some secrets to low power bills that you're willing to share, we'd love to hear from you. Email homed@stuff.co.nz and one of our reporters will be in touch.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️