General ENERGYWISE^_TM subsidies eligibility criteria

• Subsidies are available only to homes built before 2000.
• There is no income cap for the subsidies However subsidies and grants are higher for homeowner with a Community Services Card and rental properties with tenants with a Community Services Card.
• Subsidies are available for more than one property, landlords can take part in the scheme with multiple properties.
• Properties that have previously been granted subsidies and/or grants through the ENERGYWISE_TM programme or other subsidy schemes are also eligible for the subsidies outlined here.

Insulation

Under the ENERGYWISE_TM subsidy scheme, it is compulsory to have both ceiling and underfloor insulation installed to the Building Code Standard and to use an EECA-approved insulation product and EECA approved installer. Insulation is only compulsory where it is physically possible to be installed. Inaccessible roof spaces (e.g. flat roofs) and low underfloor spaces are exempt from the requirement above.

You cannot access the subsidy if you install the insulation yourself or if it is installed by an installer not approved by EECA. You cannot get a subsidy retrospectively.

Making it compulsory to have good insulation before installing heating, makes sense as heating bills in an uninsulated home can be high. As the Building Code changed in 2008, it is very likely that insulation installed before that time is not up to the Building Code Standard.

The insulation subsidies are also available for hot water cylinder wraps, hot water pipe lagging and draught proofing of external doors.

Insulation should not be installed over or near downlights. Downlights can get very hot and insulation over or near insulation can pose a fire risk. To ensure your insulation is installed in a safe manner, Community Energy Action only works with trained installers and has a double audit system. The audit system also ensures your insulation is installed in the most effective way so you get the maximum benefit from your insulation.

More about downlights and your insulation

Find out more about the benefits of insulation

Find out more about the benefits of the insulation products Community Energy Action uses

Heating

To access the subsidy for heating it is a requirement that your insulation is up to the Building Standard. Making it compulsory to have good insulation before installing heating, makes sense as heating bills in an uninsulated home can be high. As the Building Code changed in 2008, it is very likely that insulation installed in Canterbury before that time is not up to the Building Code Standard.

Under the ENERGYWISE_TM subsidy scheme only EECA approved heat pumps are allowed to be installed. All heat pumps are required to have the Energy Star, meaning they are very efficient and will provide you with cost-effective heating.

Heating is optional and you can choose not to have heating installed. If you change your mind, you can access the grant for heating at a later stage.  We can prepare a quote for insulation and heating but heating can only be installed after the insulation has been installed.

All Community Energy Action heat pumps are installed by our partner Nova Systems, other appliances are installed by Placemakers. Community Energy Action offers you a choice of heat pumps from reputable brands that we are confident will work well in the New Zealand South Island climate.

Please be aware that in Canterbury and especially in Christchurch there are restrictions on whether you can install a woodburner and/or pellet fire and which model you can install.

Find out whether you are allowed to install a pellet fire or logburner.