Households in smog-prone towns have a further incentive to switch to low-emission heating thanks to an increase in an Otago Regional Council subsidy.
The council recently altered its Clean Heat, Clean Air programme, which helps people switch to cleaner heating if they live in towns which regularly exceed air quality standards.
It increased the subsidy to up to $2500, whereas it was previously $1500 for most home owners.
Households in Arrowtown, Cromwell, Clyde, Alexandra and Milton are eligible for the subsidy.
The changes limit the subsidy to pellet fires, gas fires, heat pumps and burners labelled "ultra-low emission burners".
This removes solid fuel-burners from the scheme which are not considered low-impact heating.
A council report prepared by senior policy analyst Sylvie Leduc said the changes were meant to incentivise low-impact heating.
The subsidy would help households afford the new heating, which could be between $1000 and $2000 more expensive than traditional burners, she said.
It was one step the council was taking to helping the towns meet air quality standards they regularly fell short of.
The changes would come into effect next month.
They were meant to be short-term, as the council would in the next year make more changes to the programme, she said.
A council report shows air quality exceedances in these towns were much lower than average last year.
A council report notes that "virtually every town" had air quality which was significantly better in 2018 than in 2017.
Alexandra had 35 exceedance days compared with 43 the year before, Arrowtown had 30 compared with 45, Cromwell had 14 compared with 41 and Milton had 16 compared with 48.
This was because a warmer winter meant households had to use less high-emission heating.
