Don't listen to Old Man Gas. Ditch LNG. Support New Zealand-made energy!
A finance scheme that would let homeowners spread the cost of rates and capital costs like solar panels over up to 30 years, could be in place by early next year.
The work is being led by Local Government New Zealand - which with several councils and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority - is working on putting into place towards the end of the year a Ratepayer Assistance Scheme.
The scheme would be funded by central and local government support and offer loans at lower interest rates than commercial banks.
While at the same time it would be kept off council balance sheets to protect debt limits, while still allowing more housing growth as development levies could also be financed.
The project has also been supported by electrification advocates Rewiring Aotearoa for finance to cover conversions to electric appliances and household renewable energy - such as solar panels.
Scott Necklen is chief executive at LGNZ and is leading this work.
Political Power has gone local! Dr Nick Smith, mayor of Nelson and ex-National Party minister, is an early adopter when it comes to electric machines but, through his efforts with the council and his close involvement with the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, he's also embracing one of Rewiring's core mantras: once you've electrified your own life, electrify someone else's life, too.
Read moreDownloadWhether it's the growing number of electric buses, new electric trains for the lower North Island and City Rail Link, or new electric ferries, we love seeing more electric transport options in our big cities. It's also good to see some of our smaller cities like Palmerston North, Timaru and Nelson going electric and, as is almost always the case, the drivers reckon it's better on electrons. At the Electrify Nelson expo, we spoke with one driver Lee about the city's electric buses. And he definitely wouldn't go back to diesel.
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