North warms to subsidised insulation

Thousands are waiting for a heating and insulation assessment. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Chilly Aucklanders have been quickest to leap at the Government's new home heating and insulation scheme.

More Auckland homes have been warmed up through the new state system than houses in any other area.

Only 159 houses in Otago got the new cosy treatment but 809 Auckland houses were insulated or bought new heating appliances with state assistance.

About a quarter of the 3282 houses in New Zealand to get heating or insulation grants since the scheme began on July 1 are in Auckland.

A spokesperson for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority released the figures for the Warm Up New Zealand scheme.

Thousands more homeowners are waiting for an assessment and insulation or heating fit-outs, stretching specialist businesses .

Consumers are showing more of an appetite than initially expected. The scheme is resulting in about $1000 of an average $3000 insulation or heating bill being paid by government.

Homeowners eligible for the scheme are paying the average $2000 difference.

The Government is aiming to insulate and warm 27,500 houses in the first year. Of the grants, 2519 were for insulation, 255 were for insulation and a clean-heat appliance, and 508 for a clean-heating appliance.

About 60 per cent, 1983 houses, were owned by people with Community Service cards and 1299 by income earners.

Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee said a number of problems had arisen and there were concerns about price gouging in the sector.

Suggestions had been made that the Government scheme had inflated insulation prices, he said, but these appeared to be isolated incidents.

"The advice I've received from EECA is that there is no indication of a widespread problem," he said.

The number of approved service providers is being expanded.

"The new contracts given to providers from October 1 will ensure that only service providers offering the best prices and quality standards are selected to deliver the programme," he said.

Of New Zealand's 1.4 million homes, about 900,000 are thought to need insulation.