The ''Warm Up New Zealand: Healthy Homes'' programme has insulated more than 1000 Otago homes through the combination of government funding, the Otago Community Trust's gift and other donations to the programme.
The extra $400,000 brings the trust's contributions to the programme to more than $1 million.
Otago Community Trust chief executive Barbara Bridger said the investment was important as it helped out Otago families from low-income households with high-health needs.
''There have been studies done that show a correlation between cold, damp houses and poor health, and we feel that [donating to the insulation programme] is a good way to support Otago families,'' Mrs Bridger said.
The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, which runs the Healthy Homes programme, has contracts to insulate homes but only provides part of the subsidy.
''So we're just topping up the difference,'' she said.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority general manager Robert Linterman said the average cost of insulating each house was around $3000. About 1000 houses have been insulated in Otago so far under the programme and it was hoped another 500 more would be done by the end of 2016 with the additional funding.
Mrs Bridger said they just wanted to do something that had a wide reach into the community.
''By putting [in] another $400,000 . . . we've reached thousands of Otago residents.''
- by Greta Yeoman
