More than 700 Otago households received assistance from the Otago Regional Council's Clean Heat Clean Air programme in the 2011-12 financial year through subsidised insulation and replacement of non-complying heating appliances.
The programme aims to improve air quality and help homeowners meet national standards, especially in the air zone 1 towns of Arrowtown, Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell and Milton.
Programme manager Jeff Donaldson said 727 homes received new appliances and insulation. About half the insulation installations were in air zone 1 areas (53%), as were 87% of heating installations.
Participation was highest in Alexandra (185 insulation and heating installations) and Cromwell (156), followed by Arrowtown (69) and Clyde (51).
Of the 239 installations completed in air zone 2 areas (Wanaka, Hawea, Ranfurly, Naseby, Roxburgh, Queenstown, Kingston, Oamaru, Palmerston, Waikouaiti, Port Chalmers, North Dunedin, South Dunedin, Central Dunedin, Green Island, Mosgiel and Balclutha), 142 (59%) included a grant from the Dunedin City Council and Aurora Energy, and the rest received a subsidy from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.
The regional council has begun a series of expos on the Clean Heat Clean Air programme.
