Hon David Parker
Minister of Energy
Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues
Jeanette Fitzsimons
Government spokesperson on Energy Efficiency
Large investment in warmer, healthier homes
Budget 2007 provides $72.4 million over the next four years to help Kiwi families live in warm, dry, healthy homes that
are energy efficient and better for the environment.
The new funding builds on existing government programmes such as the solar water heating programme, home insulation and
clean heating retrofit programmes, and the review of the Building Code.
“We see benefits for everyone in investing in raising the quality of New Zealand’s housing stock,” Energy Efficiency
Spokesperson Jeanette Fitzsimons said.
“Householders will enjoy more comfort and better health. The whole of New Zealand benefits from lowering the nation’s
carbon emissions and cutting back the amount of electricity and fuel that gets wasted because our houses aren’t working
as well as they could," Jeanette Fitzsimons said.
Energy and Climate Change Minister David Parker said that the programme adds to the wide range of work the Labour-led
government is doing to help New Zealand families make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives:
“This will be one of the flagship initiatives to be promoted through the household sustainability programme being led by
my colleague, the Environment Minister.”
Budget 2007 provides $53.9 million over four years through Vote Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, $5.4 million from
2007/08 to 2009/10 through Vote Health and $13.1 million over four years through Vote Environment. Some of the main
elements in the package are:
• $23 million for an interest-free loans scheme to help homeowners pay for energy efficiency and clean heating
upgrades
• $15.3 million to trial and implement a Home Energy Rating Scheme, a tool to measure the energy efficiency of a
house and provide this information to home buyers
• $14.1 million for the Energy Wise Home Grants scheme, to continue with 12,000 energy efficiency retrofits a year
for low-income households
• $6.8 million to do more research on energy efficient technologies, partner with industry to promote these
technologies and develop new funding mechanisms, provide support for businesses that supply or install energy efficient
technologies, and provide support for councils to implement the new Building Code and promote energy efficiency to
households
• $3.1 million for an information campaign to provide consumers with clear, practical advice on actions they can
take to improve their homes.
David Parker said the main focus of the package is on energy efficiency, but it also tackles other environmental issues
such as air quality.
“This package also includes spending $5.4 million more on the installation of clean forms of heating for low-income
households in areas of poor air quality.”
ENDS