Release: Household rebates for energy efficient homes under Labour

• Rebates of up to $18,000 for deep retrofit of an existing home
• Encourages air tightness, insulation, double-glazing and electrification
• Up to $7,000 for partial retrofits like double-glazing and insulation
• Up to $3,000 for households who electrify and move off gas

“Warmer, dryer homes have massive potential to help decrease energy demands, and therefore emissions, especially when you swap out gas appliances,” Megan Woods said.

Labour will introduce a rebate pilot over three years for owners who undertake either a deep retrofit, full insulation upgrade or electrification of their existing home.

“Everyone deserves to live in a warm, dry home. We know much of New Zealand’s housing stock is energy inefficient. The rebate scheme announced today will reduce emissions, bring down household energy bills, build demand for deep retrofits, and grow jobs,” Megan Woods said.

A deep retrofit aims to achieve greater energy efficiency by taking a whole-of-house approach. This differs from conventional retrofits which typically focus on an isolated system for upgrade, such as ventilation or insulation. Deep retrofits will be eligible for a rebate of 30% of total cost, up to $18,000.

For many homes, a deep retrofit may not be required, particularly if the home already runs on electricity. These homes will be eligible for an insulation rebate of up to $7,000.

Eliminating gas from New Zealand homes and moving to electricity has the potential to reduce our annual carbon emissions by around 250,000 tonnes if replacements are made with direct electric heaters and hot water cylinders. 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.

“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,” Megan Woods said.

“This builds on initiatives we have already delivered in Government, including the 100,000 retrofits undertaken through the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme for lower income New Zealanders, and the Healthy Homes standards for renters.

“This Labour policy is a win - win for Kiwi householders, and for the environment,” Megan Woods said.