22 February 2008

Loans scheme launched for ENERGYWISE TM homes

The Labour-led Government’s interest subsidy for insulation, clean heating and other energy efficiency measures is now available through eleven partners across the country. This initiative will mean more Kiwi families will be able to enjoy the benefits of warmer, drier houses.

Minister of Energy David Parker and Government Spokesperson for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Jeanette Fitzsimons today announced the eleven organisations entering into partnerships with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) to provide flexible funding packages to middle-income New Zealanders.

The first partner organisations to get underway are:
 Air Lana – Terra Lana and AirCon NZ – Nelson to South Otago, Hawkes Bay
 Community Energy Action Trust – Christchurch
 Eco Insulation – central Auckland and Wellington
 Energy Options – Eastern Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, Rotorua, Tokoroa, Taupo, Poverty Bay, Hawkes Bay, Blenheim and Picton
 EnergySmart Ltd – Hawkes Bay, Manawatu/Tararua, Kapiti Horowhenua, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, South Canterbury, Otago and Southland
 Environment Canterbury – Christchurch, Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Ashburton, Timaru
 Huntly Energy Efficiency Trust – South Auckland, greater Waikato, King Country
 Insinc Home Solutions Ltd – Auckland – Bombay Hills to Whangaporoa
 J H Brewster Ltd – Papakura, Pukekohe and North Waikato
 Nelson City Council – urban Nelson
 Sustainability Trust – Wellington and Porirua City

(See attached list for further information and contact details.)

The ENERGYWISE TM funding will be available as either:
 an interest subsidy, so homeowners who meet the criteria will be able to pay off over time the cost of energy efficiency improvements, and the government will pay the interest, up to a maximum of $1,250; or
 a grant, of 10 percent of the cost of insulation and clean heat, up to a maximum of $500.

“Already nearly 40,000 low income families have seen their homes retrofitted with insulation and other energy efficiency measures as a result of Home Grants under the ENERGYWISETM programme. We’re now extending our support to middle-income New Zealanders,” David Parker said.

The financial assistance is available to homeowners earning less than $100,000 a year (1 or 2 earners) or $140,000 a year (3 or more earners), with homes built before 1 April 1978.

“We’re putting in $23 million over four years and we aim to improve the energy efficiency of about 70,000 homes,” David Parker said.

Clean and efficient heating saves energy and reduces air pollution, delivering benefits for both the homeowner and the community.

Installing insulation means less heat escapes from the home, making it easier and cheaper to keep warm.

“Insulating old, cold and damp houses reduces asthma attacks and hospital trips for flu, especially for children. The savings in health costs, days off work and days off school repays the investment twice over,” Jeanette Fitzsimons said.

“This is part of the biggest push given to energy efficiency this country has ever seen. It is another step towards implementing the core principles in the New Zealand Energy Strategy that as a country we should invest in efficiency where this is cheaper than paying for more energy,” David Parker said.

“We were really impressed with the number and the quality of the proposals received. By teaming up with partners in this way, we can help more and more Kiwi families enjoy the benefits of healthier, more energy efficient and less polluting homes,” Jeanette Fitzsimons said.

The packages provided by partners will include an energy audit, insulation (ceiling, under-floor, and hot water cylinder insulation), other energy efficiency measures (pipe lagging, low flow shower heads, efficient lights) and clean heat (heat pumps, modern wood and wood pellet burners or gas space heating). Some partners will also offer other energy efficiency measures such as solar water heating.

Each of the partners will have their own way of delivering this support and they will be providing details to their communities as they finalise the arrangements and call for applications. To find out how to apply, contact a partner organisation in your area.

Attached: List of partner organisations and contact details

For more information on insulation and clean heat, see www.energywise.govt.nz

Background Information on successful ENERGYWISETM funding delivery partners

Air Lana - Terra Lana/AirCon
www.terralana.co.nz, www.airconnz.co.nz
0800 966 548
Contact - Gordon Wadie
Nelson to South Otago, Waikato and Hawkes Bay

Terra Lana is working in partnership with AirCon New Zealand, as “Airlana”, to provide a holistic package of insulation, heating and energy efficiency measures. Terra Lana is dedicated to producing home building products from natural fibres and produces insulation products made from New Zealand wool. They install the insulation themselves and also work with reputable external installers. Aircon supplies and installs heat pumps and pellet fires through their national franchisee network. Terra Lana and Aircon have arranged finance for customers through New Zealand Credit Union-South to provide ENERGYWISETM subsidised loans.

Community Energy Action
www.cea.co.nz
03 374 5698
Contact - Bede Martin 03 363 9567
Christchurch and wider Canterbury region

Community Energy Action (CEA) sees the ENERGYWISETM funding scheme as both an opportunity to provide insulation and clean heating to more homes but also as an opportunity to leverage sponsorship money for its current charitable projects Elderly Health and Warm Babies, enabling partner funding to go even further.

CEA already carries out extensive insulation retrofits and a limited number of heating installations through specialty projects. Under this scheme, CEA will seek closer and more strategic relationships with Environment Canterbury and the Christchurch City Council. CEA will also offer a home energy rating service, for which three CEA staff are to be trained, draught testing, the establishment of an independent household energy advice centre through the Energy Efficiency Community Network. The core subsidised loans will be furnished under a partnership with Prometheus Finance.

EcoInsulation Ltd
www.ecoinsulation.co.nz
09 477 0270
Contact – Greg Sweeney
central Auckland and Wellington

EcoInsulation has formed partnerships with ASB Bank and an extensive range of energy efficiency product suppliers to bring customers in the Auckland region and central Wellington ENERGYWISETM subsidised loans and grants. EcoInsulation and partners will offer subsidised loans and a home energy rating in addition to their core insulation, energy efficiency and clean heating products. The home energy rating is designed to give the homeowner an independent assessment of the energy efficiency of the home and a comprehensive guide to measures that can be taken to improve the health and comfort of the household.

Energy Options Ltd
www.energyoptions.org.nz
0800 15 15 65
Contact - Nik Gregg
Eastern Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, Rotorua, Tokoroa, Taupo, Poverty
Bay, Hawkes Bay, Blenheim and Picton

Energy Options are experienced in the energy efficiency field; providing heating, solar and insulation solutions, and work with Housing New Zealand Corporation and EECA to deliver 3000 insulation retrofits per year. Energy Options have now formed partnerships with three finance providers - Prometheus Finance, EcoFinance and Credit Union Forestland - to offer homeowners the government's ENERGYWISETM subsidised loans and grants. Energy Options will offer the core heating and energy efficiency products as well as solar water heating.

EnergySmart Ltd
www.energysmart.co.nz
0800 777 111
Contact –Robyn McKeown
Hawkes Bay, Manawatu/Tararua, Kapiti Horowhenua, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Marlborough, South Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

EnergySmart is a long-term partner with EECA in the ENERGYWISETM home grants programme and has now teamed with ANZ to offer customers subsidised loans and grants as part of the ENERGYWISETM funding programme. EnergySmart have stated that their goal is to assist New Zealanders live in warmer and healthier homes and to that end plan to offer services widely around the country. EnergySmart have gained the support of a number of regional and city councils around New Zealand. They will install insulation as part of the programme and have joined with heating suppliers to install clean heating and other energy efficiency products.

Environment Canterbury (ECan)
www.ecan.govt.nz
0800 EC INFO (0800 324 636)
Contact - Ken Lawn, Director Operations, 03 372 7234 or 027 499 1416
Sir Kerry Burke, Chairman Environment Canterbury, 027 542 5848.
Christchurch, Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Ashburton, Timaru

ECan has worked with EECA for several years to deliver the established Clean Heat programme mainly in the Christchurch area. Already over 11,000 clean heating devices and improved insulation have been installed by ECan since April 2003. Now, ECan is aligning its programme to include subsidised loans and grants under the government’s ENERGYWISETM funding programme.

Subject to consultation processes through the 2008/09 Annual Plan, ECan proposes to extend the programme to Timaru, Ashburton, Kaiapoi and Rangiora. As a regional council, ECan has allowed homeowners to repay the capital cost of the loan through their rates; a mechanism that is innovative, simple and reduces administration time and cost. ECan is also offering subsidies to landlords and homeowners to fund the clean heating and energy efficiency products and installation. ECan is not charging customers for administration and assessment costs. Furthermore, ECan has formed partnerships with a number of local suppliers to be able to offer customers energy efficiency and heating products at competitive prices.

Huntly Energy Efficiency Trust (HEET)
www.heet.co.nz
07 828 8004
Contact - Pamela Storey
South Auckland, greater Waikato, King Country

HEET have been working with EECA in a successful partnership to deliver the government’s ENERGYWISETM home grants for insulation retrofits. 4,200 insulation retrofits have been completed under that scheme and now HEET will also offer subsidised loans and grants for insulation and energy efficiency measures under the ENERGYWISETM funding programme. HEET will provide the subsidised loans through a partnership with Prometheus, a well-established ethical lender. HEET also wants to develop closer ties to Environment Waikato, other local bodies and the Energy Efficiency Community Network to deliver energy efficiency measures. HEET has gone into partnerships with local suppliers of energy efficiency measures to be able to offer heating and energy efficiency measures at a competitive price.

Insinc Home Solutions Ltd
www.insinchomesolutions.co.nz
0508 426 636
Contact – Roydon Lowe
Auckland – Bombay Hills to Whangaporoa

Insinc Home Solutions specialises in retrofitting insulation into older homes in the Auckland area. Now they have partnered with Gilrose Finance to provide customers in Auckland with ENERGYWISE TM subsidised loans and grants for insulation and clean heating options.
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J.H Brewster Ltd
135 Manakau Road
09 238 8037
Contact – Andrew Brewster
Papakura, Pukekohe and North Waikato

Pukekohe company J.H Brewster Ltd have over 40 years experience in the heating industry and, recognizing the importance of correct heating in homes, have joined EECA in an ENERGYWISETM funding partnership to offer interest subsidies and grants in conjunction with Prometheus Finance and the Papakura, Franklin and North Waikato District Councils. In addition to managing their array of heating and insulation measures, their heating expertise, and partnerships with insulation installers providing energy efficiency measures, J.H. Brewster Ltd is also able to offer modelled solar water heating as a heating option eligible for a subsidised loan.

Nelson City Council
www.nelsoncitycouncil.co.nz
03 546 0200
Contact - Dr David Jackson 03 546 0432
central Nelson

Nelson City Council operates a successful Clean Air – Warm Homes programme and will now benefit from ENERGYWISETM subsidies towards the costs of borrowing associated with Council’s new “Pay as you Heat” scheme. This scheme is available to households in urban Nelson City in areas that regularly exceed the National Environmental Standards for air quality. Nelson City Council offers households a plan where the Council undertakes the heater and insulation upgrades for them and the homeowners repay the capital cost of, interest-free, through their rates. NCC hopes that the ‘one stop shop’ and easy repayment terms with no interest will be greatly increase the uptake of insulation, heating and other core measures.

ENDS

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