This week’s question comes from Helen (paraphrased):  

It appears that Fujitsu NZ does not recommend installing its heat pumps at properties that are on Globug (Globug is a prepaid power service that connects and disconnects power in between account top-ups) as recurring connection followed by disconnection can damage the hardware. My tenant is on Globug, what should I do about the Healthy Homes Standards for heating? 
 
Firstly, it is too early to tell whether you are required to install a heat pump at all. We recommend landlords to wait until 1 July 2019 in order to rely
on Tenancy Services’ online calculator to work out the required heating capacity you have to reach before determining a suitable form of heating
to supply.  Refer to our earlier piece on HHS heating
standards and download our HHS Compliance Guide #1 Heating for more information. 

If the result of the online calculator points to there being a number of acceptable forms of heating then we recommend that you consider these other forms
of heating even if you have to fix more than one heater in the main living room to meet the required heating capacity. 

If it transpires that a heat pump is what is required and no other alternative forms of heating would be acceptable, we suggest the following:

  • Investigate and identify an alternative make of heat pump that is compatible with Globug (or similar such power supplies);
  • If there is no viable alternative (i.e. if it turns out that suppliers, in general, do not recommend or do not warrant their heat pumps being
    used at properties powered by Globug (or similar such), then discuss with your tenant about changing power suppliers...