'This car can...' Check out our new campaign
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.
There are a lot more New Zealanders looking for EVs right now as concerns about the price and availability of fuel rises. But many of them are new to the scene. Here are some things to consider to ensure you get the right EV for your needs.
Read moreDownloadThere’s a lot of talk about what electric vehicles can’t do and plenty of myths and misperceptions that might stop people from upgrading. But the people who actually own EVs? They’re overwhelmingly sold and recent research showed that 96% of EV owners would buy another one. That's why we're launching 'This Car Can...' We want to tap into that electric enthusiasm and convince more New Zealanders who may be on the fence to start running on cheap local electrons rather than on expensive imported foreign molecules.
EV owners love all the things their cars can do - and they can do a lot of different things these days. So we're asking them to share a story about their EV experience, upload a photo and tell us what their car can do, or send in a video.
We'll add them to the campaign page and we'll use the best ones on socials and in our advocacy to show how lots of different New Zealanders are benefitting from EVs in their lives.
We've also compiled a whole heap of information on why we love EVs - from the savings to the speed off the mark and everything inbetween.
Get in behind!