Warmer Kiwi Homes — what's actually covered

Warmer Kiwi Homes is the EECA-administered residential energy subsidy that most heat-pump customers don't know they qualify for — and most installers don't volunteer. Here's what the scheme actually covers, who's eligible, and where the gaps are.

Who's eligible

The scheme is means-tested. You qualify if you own and live in a home built before 2008 and either (a) hold a Community Services Card, or (b) the property is in an area defined by EECA as lower-income (Statistics NZ deciles 1–5). Rentals don't qualify under Warmer Kiwi Homes — landlords have a separate set of obligations under Healthy Homes.

What's funded — insulation

If you're eligible, EECA covers up to 80% of the cost of installing ceiling and underfloor insulation, capped at scheme limits. For Community Services Card holders, the 'top up' funding from approved iwi and Pasifika partners can lift this to 100% in many cases. The work must be done by an EECA-approved installer (the list is on their site).

• Ceiling insulation — covered to current Building Code minimum (typically R3.6 or higher for retrofit)
• Underfloor insulation — covered to current Building Code minimum (typically R1.6+)
• Underfloor moisture barrier — covered if subfloor is exposed earth
• Wall insulation — NOT covered. Walls are difficult and expensive to retrofit insulation into; not in scope.
• Double glazing — NOT covered.

What's funded — heating

EECA also subsidises the installation of an efficient heater in the main living area — heat pump, wood burner, or pellet burner. The grant is currently around $3,000 (it's adjusted from time to time; check the EECA site for the live figure) toward the cost of a qualifying heat pump installation, including the install labour and standard ducting / brackets.

What's not covered

• Bedroom / hallway / second-living-area heat pumps — only the main living area qualifies for the heater grant
• Multi-split systems with multiple indoor heads — typically only one head is grant-eligible
• Wall insulation, double glazing, draught-proofing — outside scope
• DIY installs — work must be done by EECA-approved providers to qualify
• Holiday homes / baches — must be your primary residence

The right order of operations

The EECA-recommended order is: insulation first, heater second. The reason is straightforward — a correctly insulated home needs less heat pump capacity, runs the unit at lower load, costs less to run, and stays warm overnight after the unit cycles off. An uninsulated home with a big heat pump bleeds heat out of the walls all night and wakes up cold.

How to apply

Two routes. (1) Direct via the EECA Warmer Kiwi Homes service finder on their website — eligibility check then introduction to an approved installer in your area. (2) Through a participating installer — most decent NZ installers know the scheme and can lodge the funding application as part of the quote process. If your installer hasn't mentioned Warmer Kiwi Homes and you might be eligible, ask. If they don't know what you're talking about, that's signal.