Rotorua home owners now have more choices to upgrade their old wood burners and open fires to cleaner heating methods under Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Hot Swap scheme.
Hot Swap is an interest-free loan of up to $4600, including GST, paid off over 10 years, to help home owners and landlords upgrade old solid fuel burners to cleaner heating systems. Since July 1, residents have had a larger product range to choose from, and other changes, including a rates remission policy and subsidies for home insulation, have made the scheme more affordable for low-income households.
The Hot Swap scheme has so far helped 865 home owners upgrade to clean heat, which is estimated to have removed more than seven tonnes of fine particulates from Rotorua's air.
In total, efforts by Housing New Zealand and Bay of Plenty Regional Council have removed about 2100 non-compliant wood burners in Rotorua since 2005, removing more than 13 tonnes of fine particulates from the air.
Regional Council Strategy general manager Fiona McTavish said the council had received feedback that home owners wanted more choice of products under the scheme, so more options had been added and the scheme was made more accessible for low-income families.
Home owners can now include costs for disconnecting wetbacks, where the wood burner also heats hot water, in their loan application.
"Ensuring low-income households are able to apply for affordable options to upgrade to clean heat is a priority for the regional council," Ms McTavish said.
"To further help low-income households any ratepayer who is eligible for central government's rates rebate will have their Hot Swap loan repayment waived for each year that they are eligible for the rates rebate."
Home owners and landlords, whose tenants have community service cards, may also be eligible for up to 60 per cent off the cost of their insulation and up to $2000 towards their heating. Costs for insulation and clean heat upgrades above these subsidies can be put on the Hot Swap loan up to the loan limit of $4600.
"Offering insulation alongside clean heat as part of the Hot Swap scheme provides great gains for our air quality but also provides healthier homes," Ms McTavish said.
The Hot Swap website www.hotswap.co.nz has been redesigned, making it easier for home owners to find a service provider, product category or product, which now have prices attached.
To request a free home heating assessment, phone call 0800 Hot Swap (0800 468-792), visit www.hotswap.co.nz or call one of the Regional Council's service providers. More information on rates rebate eligibility is at www.ratesrebate.govt.nz