Another 444 Eastern Bay homes kept warm and dry with funding from Trust Horizon

Trust Horizon has lent its support to retrofit home insulation across the Eastern Bay district for the 23rd year running, with a $400,000 grant helping to provide another 444 vulnerable local homes with fully or partially funded insulation.

Over the years, Trust Horizon has contributed over $11 million to the scheme which has helped provide thousands of homes in the region with much-needed insulation – contributing to better health outcomes for their residents.

The retrofit programme is delivered by Brightr (formerly Smart Energy Solutions).  Brightr is the Eastern Bay’s local service provider for the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme. Under the scheme, 80% of the insulation costs are subsidised by the government-led Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA), while the Trust’s contribution covers the final 20%. “Even if the insulation was 90% funded, most people still wouldn’t have the financial capacity to come up with their own 10% contribution,” says Brightr Regional Sales Support, Lisa Chater. “Because of the Trust’s support, Brightr can go out and give people 100% funded insulation. That’s an amazing thing to be able to bring to local whanau.”

The 100% funded retrofit programme is available to home owner-occupiers who hold a Community Services Card or whose home is in a NZ Deprivation Index 8, 9, or 10 area. “Large parts of the Eastern Bay of Plenty are potentially eligible for funding,” says Chater. “Insulation standards have also changed over the years, and solutions installed ten or more years ago may no longer meet the current standards. This means many can now be revisited and get a top-up, to make the home warmer, healthier and more energy efficient.”

Last year, the programme was able to continue to deliver despite the challenges brought by COVID-19. “COVID emerged just before winter, when people were most in need of insulation,” says Chater. “Despite the uncertainty at the time, the Trust was able to quickly identify that demand was there. They not only continued to fund the programme, but actually increased the level of funding available via Brightr.” This year has also seen the introduction of a 50% funded option for homes in NZ Deprivation Index areas 6 and 7, with 25% funded by Trust Horizon and 25% funded by Brightr. The addition means some form of subsidy is now available to over 75% of the district.

Trust Horizon takes its vision for improving the region’s well being seriously, and sees its continued support of the programme as fundamental to that commitment. “The impact that cold and damp housing has on health is well-documented, and well-insulated homes play a key role in improving health outcomes and reducing energy demand across the community,” says Trust Horizon Manager, Derek Caudwell. “We’re very pleased to support these outcomes for the rohe, and take our hats off to Brightr for installing and financially supporting retrofits to more families in the district.”

For those who’ve received fully funded insulation, the effects have been transformational and long-lasting. “We never realised that the warmth from the insulation was so noticeable, and now it’s not a mission to get out of bed in the morning anymore,” say Ōpōtiki homeowners Jim and Te Aruhe Kitta Mio, who received fully funded insulation just last week. “We express our most sincere thanks.”

Eastern Bay residents can check their eligibility for funded insulation by visiting www.brightr.co.nz, or contacting Brightr at 0800 888 766.

To view more Trust Horizon projects click here.