The Dunedin City Council's targeted rate programme to assist ratepayers to install insulation and/or heating is to resume today, after a hiatus of a month while changes were made to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's (EECA) Energywise insulation subsidies.
Eligibility for the council's Warm Dunedin programme is no longer dependent on also being eligible for an ECCA subsidy, although ECCA-approved installers are still used and ECCA will audit installations.
Any ratepayer, including low-income ratepayers still also eligible for an ECCA subsidy, can apply for an advance of up to $5000 from the council for insulation/heating, to be paid back over 10 years through a targeted rate.
The council has just over $1 million left of money it borrowed for the scheme, which staff expect could see about 250 to 300 more Dunedin houses made warmer. More than 450 homes have already been improved under the scheme.
