Requirements

In order to provide an insulation solution using Energywise™ funding, homeowners and the relevant dwelling must:

  • meet the eligibility criteria listed below;
  • declare that they meet the eligibility criteria by reading, completing, signing and dating the Assessment/Declaration Form at the time of your free Home Assessment;
  • authorise the disclosure (as may be required) of information to confirm the details in the declaration.

Eligibility criteria

One Energywise™ Funding subsidy or grant is available for:

  • a Homeowner's primary place of residence; and/or each of any residential tenancies a Homeowner may own.
  • dwellings that have received insulation retrofits or heating upgrades funded by EECA through other programmes (such as Energywise™ Home Grants or the Clean Heat programmes) cannot receive Energywise™ Funding (and vice versa) for the same measure.

Definitions

A "homeowner" may be: an individual; a partnership; trustees (whether individuals or corporations); a company (including a Loss Attributing Qualifying Company); or an incorporated society.

General Information - Terms & Conditions

Funding is available under the programme only if a homeowner is prepared to have, as a minimum, ceiling and underfloor insulation installed - unless there is no or insufficient access; or existing ceiling and underfloor insulation already meets EECA requirements or can be repaired to meet EECA requirements. The installation of both ceiling and underfloor insulation is a mandatory measure under the programme - subject to access.

Ceiling spaces above attached garages do not qualify for funding under the programme. We can insulate these areas but the cost of this work must be paid in full by the homeowner.

Funding under the programme is not available for any work other than the direct work of installing or repairing existing ceiling or underfloor insulation.

Existing foil underfloor insulation is deemed sufficient and does not need to be replaced provided that the installation meets the requirements of NZS 4246. Only if we determine a foil underfloor installation is ineffective (e.g. a foil product installed hard up against the floor with no air gap) or damaged to an extent that repairs are unreasonable and uneconomic will an existing foil installation be removed and replaced entirely with new GreenStuf® Underfloor insulation.

The installation of a hot water cylinder wrap is an optional measure under the programme for electric hot water cylinders other than A-Grade cylinders or cylinders that meet Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS). During our free home insulation assessment, we will assess the need for a hot water cylinder wrap and provide a recommendation as part of our quote.

Subject to access, a ground vapour barrier must be installed and qualifies for funding under the programme if it is required under New Zealand Standard (NZS) 4246:2006 Installing insulation in residential buildings. We will evaluate the need for a ground vapour barrier as part of our free home insulation assessment. If a ground vapour barrier is required to be installed, it must be installed before a homeowner can claim a grant under the programme for a clean heating device (subject to access to the subfloor space).

The installation of draught proofing is an optional measure under the programme for up to two external doors with gaps of 2mm or more around the sides or the top. We will assess the need for draught proofing and if necessary, we will offer draught proofing as part of our quote.

A clean heating device qualifies for funding under the programme only if a home’s ceiling and underfloor insulation (and if required a ground vapour barrier) meet EECA requirements. Clean heating devices under the programme can be installed only in primary living areas. A clean heating device qualifies for funding under the programme if there is not already a correctly sized and accepted clean heating device installed in the primary living area.

A home does not qualify for funding under the programme's CSC criteria if a homeowner or a homeowner's tenant:

  1. is unable to produce a current and valid CSC;
  2. refuses to complete and sign the required CSC declaration form; or
  3. is unable or unwilling to provide either their date and place of birth, or their current and valid driver licence, passport or firearms licence.

Some measures provided under the programme can have unintended or unexpected consequences such as.

  • the shrinking of floorboards following the installation of insulation and a clean heating device as a result of a warmer and dryer indoor climate;
  • the freezing and bursting of cold or hot water pipes in ceiling spaces following the installation of ceiling insulation;
  • the formation of condensation on the underside of the roofing material, particularly in colder climates - in the case of roofs not lined with building paper or a membrane, water can drop onto the insulation material and potentially damage the ceiling lining;
  • an increase in heating energy use - and therefor a cost increase - as a result of people heating to higher temperatures, heating larger areas of the house, or heating longer than previously.

As part of our Quality Assurance Programme we will carry out post-installation audits for all homes within 5 working days of completion of an installation. This is to ensure the installation meets our Best Practice requirements. We will contact homeowners to arrange the re-audit as necessary.

EECA may also contact you as part of its Energywise™ funding Quality Assurance.