Scheme to cost $81.6 million over three years
The Labour government has announced that it will roll out big rebates, costing $81.6 million over three years, to retrofit energy-efficiency features in New Zealanders’ homes if re-elected in October.
Megan Woods, Minister for Housing, Energy and Resources, Building and Construction, said the $81.6 million rebate scheme would reduce energy demands, bring down household energy bills, build demand for deep retrofits, and create more jobs.
The three-year rebate pilot included rebates of up to $18,000 for deep retrofit of an existing home, up to $7,000 for partial retrofits like double glazing and insulation, and up to $3,000 for households who move off gas and electrify, Newshub reported.
“Warmer, dryer homes have massive potential to help decrease energy demands, and therefore emissions, especially when you swap out gas appliances,” Woods said.
Under the program, Kiwi homeowners who undertake a deep retrofit, full insulation upgrade, or electrification of their home can recover some of the costs of the changes made.
Unlike a conventional retrofit, which typically focuses on an isolated upgrade such as ventilation or insulation, the goal of a deep retrofit was to achieve greater energy efficiency by making changes across an entire home, Wood said.
Undertaking a deep retrofit will make a homeowner eligible for a 30% rebate on the total cost – up to $18,000.
New Zealand homes that already run on electricity and may no longer need a deep retrofit will be eligible for an insulation rebate of up to $7,000, Woods said.
She said moving New Zealand homes away from gas and to electricity could potentially reduce the nation’s annual emissions by around 250,000 tonnes.
“That’s the equivalent of taking over 92 thousand cars off the road. Up to $3,000 will be provided to households to move off gas entirely,” Woods said.
“Energy efficiency is often called the ‘first fuel’ in clean energy transitions, providing some of the quickest and most cost-effective emissions reductions while lowering household energy bills and strengthening energy security. These rebates make energy efficiency a possibility for everyday Kiwi homeowners.”
Labour said the scheme would source its funds from the Climate Emergency Response Fund, Newshub reported.
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