Insulation deals aplenty for lower earners

Low- and middle-income earners will have their pick of insulation subsidies until the Government's new scheme comes into force on July 1, say insulators.

Brendon Brock-Smith of Igloo insulation said the Government's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority had given insulation installers the go-ahead to offer a deal under either the existing scheme or the new scheme to prevent a temporary dip in sales while people waited for the four-year $323.3 million package of subsidies to come into effect.

The leeway does not apply to higher earners, who are not entitled to help before July 1.

But households with one or two people earning less than $100,000 a year, or less than $140,000 where there are three or more earners (who are already eligible for around $1100-$1300 help if their house was built before 2000) may be able to take advantage of the new scheme before then.

From July 1, homeowners can seek a grant of up to a third of the cost of installing ceiling and floor insulation, as well as a $500 payment towards low-pollution heating such as wood pellet burners or heat pumps.

An insulation installer who did want to be named feared higher earners would put off insulating their homes for the next few months until they became eligible for a subsidy.