Gerry Brownlee

Nearly 5000 Kiwi homes benefited from retrofitted insulation and clean heating under the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart scheme during November, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee said today.

Provisional data at the end of November shows 4831 homes were serviced during the month. Since July, when the scheme started, 24,653 households throughout New Zealand have taken advantage of the opportunity to warm up their homes.

Mr Brownlee says the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority-run programme has been hugely popular during 2009.

"Kiwis have grasped the opportunity to make warmer, drier and healthier homes for themselves and for their families. There are now nearly 25,000 homes throughout the country which are better equipped to cope with our variable weather and, come next winter, I expect those households will really be experiencing the benefits of new insulation and clean heating devices."

Of the 4831 homes retrofitted in November, 2354 are occupied by low-income households and 591 are rental properties occupied by low-income tenants. Of the 24,653 houses serviced in total, 15,613 (63 percent) are occupied by low-income home-owners or tenants.

"It's heartening to see Warm up New Zealand making a difference for a vast range of households, particularly those who might not otherwise be in the position to install quality insulation in their homes," says Mr Brownlee.

Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart began on 1 July and is open to all New Zealanders with houses built before 2000.