Programmes and funding
We encourage, support, and promote energy efficiency, energy conservation and the use of renewable sources of energy at home, in business, and on the road through a number of work programmes.
We base our programmes on evidence of what works and where the biggest gains can be made. We constantly evaluate how effective they are, and make changes if required. We also deliver some work programmes on behalf of other government departments.
Our results
To measure our results, we add up the energy savings we can prove are being made as a result of our programmes. We then compare this with our costs, to work out the cost or rate of the energy savings being produced.
Currently we are delivering energy savings at an effective rate of 6.2 cents per kilowatt hour.
That’s less than the average retail price of electricity, and it’s also less than it would cost to build new generation.
As well as energy savings, our programmes are designed to:
- Help New Zealand businesses be more productive and competitive
- Make our energy system more secure
- Help New Zealanders live in warmer, drier homes and breathe cleaner air
- Reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
Funding
There are benefits from using energy wisely and using renewable energy. But we know it can sometimes be difficult for people at home or in business to make the initial investment. Even though more efficient products and systems can pay for themselves over time, the upfront cost can be a barrier.
To help, we offer a number of different funding packages. These can be for homeowners, businesses and renewable energy developers to encourage action and investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
