Council approves Clean Heat Clean Air funding for Central Otago
8 Aug 2007200 households benefit from Council funding towards warmer homes and cleaner heating.
At least two hundred households in Central Otago will benefit from Otago Regional Council funding towards warmer homes and cleaner heating, announced today in Cromwell.
The Council has agreed to provide a capped fund of four hundred thousand dollars for the installation of approved clean home heating appliances in at least 200 homes over two years from the beginning of October 2007, as part of the EnergySmart / Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Otago programme.
Chairman Stephen Cairns said ORC funding would be targeted towards installing clean heating appliances in homes and enhancing the benefits of insulation installed by EnergySmart. This would have a positive affect on air quality, particularly in Alexandra, Clyde, Cromwell and Arrowtown.
"The Council is well aware that practical arrangements have to be made to help householders in need where existing appliances may become unlawful under proposed policy change," Cr Cairns said.
The Council will sponsor half the capital cost (capped at $2,000 per home) for the installation of approved clean heat appliances where the rules of the proposed Air Plan, or occupant health issues, indicate installation is a requirement.
"This funding is part of enabling people in Central Otago to keep warm while helping improve air quality," Cr Duncan Butcher said.
The ORC funding would also be available to other homes in need where an appliance change was required but retrofitting insulation was not appropriate, as well as for installation in homes where doing so would remove the source of health problems in adjacent homes.
Funding will be available for rented or leased homes only where the property owner contracts to repay the ORC funds on or before the second anniversary of the grant being made.
The programme will be project managed by EnergySmart and overseen by a steering group with representatives from Otago councils. The ORC will release criteria for the allocation of its grants in the next two weeks.
