The Dunedin City Council has decided to continue with its Warm Dunedin scheme for at least another year.
The scheme allows ratepayers to borrow money through the council to insulate their homes or install fires, at an 8% interest rate, and repay it through a targeted rate over 10 years.
The interest rate covers the 7% interest the council has to pay to borrow the money and 1% for administration costs.
Councillors were asked if they wanted to stop the scheme in 2014-15, run it for another year, or continue it indefinitely.
They voted to continue it in 2014-15, despite some concerns about the high interest rate and whether people could really afford it, and consult on whether to keep it during the long-term planning process next year.
Cr Richard Thomson said it had been a good scheme that had made 500 homes warmer so far.
It might be an expensive way for people to do their insulation, given the high interest rate, but it might be the only way people could do it.
It also made the city more attractive to prospective newcomers if the houses were warmer.
