Energise Ōtaki has developed and has been running the Ōtaki Curtain Bank since 2015, and it grows more as each year passes. The Curtain Bank is run in partnership with the Wellington-based Sustainability Trust.
Energise Ōtaki in partnership with the Ōtaki CAB and other local organisations, advertises each year to let people know that the service exists. The Council’s Eco-design Advisor also provides relevant assistance and works with people receiving curtains to find other ways to conserve energy.
People give us details of what they need along with measurements and these orders are sent to the Sustainability Trust where curtains are cut down and sewn to the required size. Energise Ōtaki also receives locally donated curtains with many coming from the wider Kāpiti Coast area and these are transported by volunteers down to Wellington for cutting to size etc. The completed curtains are then sent back up to Ōtaki and Energise Ōtaki volunteers help people, if necessary, to install the new curtains. Ōtaki Community Board has been an important supporter of this initiative through its community grants.So far about 120 households have been assisted and they now have the benefits of warmer homes and reduced energy needs. In some cases people will have more money that they can spend on heating if they have been skimping on needed heating, or they can use that money to spend on other household needs.
