It’s when almost half the beneficiaries of an energy scheme (for Māori) are in the Far North
Your Point of Order editors – to their mortification – have found a somewhat stale article that was prepared for publication a week ago, but was never posted on our website.
It was a Buzz from the Beehive and it included a statement released in the names of Energy and Resources and Housing Minister Megan Woods and Associate Minister of Housing (Māori Housing) Peeni Henare.
We have refreshed the article and (all going well) are posting it now to focus on a curious interpretation of what it means when you boast about “a good regional spread of recipients”.
Ministers Woods and Henare, announcing 150 Māori households will benefit from clean, affordable and locally generated power through Government support for 16 small-scale solar projects, enthused, “it’s great to see we have a good regional spread of recipients”.
But seven of the 16 projects are located in Northland, eight are spread around the rest of the North Island, and just one (in Tasman) is in the South Island.
The beneficiaries are being helped from the third round of the Government’s Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund,
The fund is one-half of the $28 million Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund.
It has been tailored to give targeted support to households with insecure access to power, or who are experiencing energy hardship. “Many more” will benefit from the sharing of surplus power through community energy networks or micro-grids.
Peeni Henare said projects from earlier funding rounds were reporting that installing equipment like solar panels and household batteries
Great. And what similar help (we wondered) is being provided for non-Māori people who are struggling with their power bills.
We emailed the ministry, drawing attention to the ministerial statement and noting:
We then asked:
In response, we were advised:
The reply from the ministry further said:
How low-income non-Māori can benefit from the schemes identified by the ministry is not immediately apparent.
The ministry website says this programme has been established to deliver community-level energy education to help households in need.
The SEEC Programme consists of the SEEC Fund and the associated SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund.
The SEEC Fund is the Programme’s primary funding pool. Eligible groups, businesses and organisations can apply for funding to expand the capacity of existing energy hardship initiatives, pilot a new scheme, or deliver related training. It is not intended to fund existing initiatives or cover start-up costs for the creation of new organisations.
Examples of initiatives that will be considered for the SEEC Fund are:
The SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund is to help with the cost of low-cost items, such as LED lights, timing switches, and sensors that support energy efficiency advice provided to households experiencing energy hardship.
Applicants wanting funds from the SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund must do so as part of their application to the SEEC Fund.
The SEEC Fund is open to organisations, groups and businesses which can work closely with households experiencing energy hardship or expand their services to do so.
Eligible groups can include community service providers, training organisations, social enterprises, iwi support services, NGOs, businesses, community groups and budget advisory bodies.
Grant applications are open to eligible residents in all areas during the Covid-19 Protection Framework (Traffic Light System).
Grants cover:
But to be eligible for an insulation or heating grant you must own and live in a home built before 2008.
The Winter Energy Payment is an extra payment from Work and Income to help with the cost of heating homes over the winter months.
Eligible people don’t need to apply – if they are eligible, they will get the Winter Energy Payment automatically, along with other regular payments from Work and Income.
This is not targeted at low-income people but is provided to a broad range of income groups, except those who choose to opt out of receiving the payment.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
But seven of the 16 projects are located in Northland, eight are spread around the rest of the North Island, and just one (in Tasman) is in the South Island.
The beneficiaries are being helped from the third round of the Government’s Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund,
The fund is one-half of the $28 million Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund.
It has been tailored to give targeted support to households with insecure access to power, or who are experiencing energy hardship. “Many more” will benefit from the sharing of surplus power through community energy networks or micro-grids.
Peeni Henare said projects from earlier funding rounds were reporting that installing equipment like solar panels and household batteries
“… can make a huge difference to whānau struggling with their power bills. Some have had theirs drop by 30 to 50 per cent.”
Great. And what similar help (we wondered) is being provided for non-Māori people who are struggling with their power bills.
We emailed the ministry, drawing attention to the ministerial statement and noting:
According to the press release, this provides more targeted support to households with insecure access to power, or who are experiencing energy hardship, while many more will benefit from the sharing of surplus power through community energy networks or micro-grids.
We then asked:
Is there similar funding for impoverished non-Māori, and – if so – can you steer me to the relevant information on the MBIE website?
In response, we were advised:
The Government has launched a range of initiatives aimed at helping improve energy affordability and reducing energy hardship.
In May 2022, the Government announced $16 million over 4 years to support small-scale renewable energy projects. This builds on and expands the successful Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund and aims to support low-income communities or communities with insecure access to energy. More information about this will be made available over the coming months.
The Support for Energy Education in Communities programme includes funding to deliver community-level energy education to help households in need. This funding is available to eligible community-level groups, organisations or businesses for projects that support people experiencing energy hardship to achieve warmer, more energy-efficient homes and lower their energy bills.
The Warmer Kiwi Homes programme provides heavily subsidised heat pumps and insulation to help people efficiently heat their homes. Since the programme began, there’s been more than 64,000 insulation installs, and more than 28,000 heating installs. The Winter Energy Payment is another programme that’s designed to help households with higher energy bills over winter.
The reply from the ministry further said:
The existing Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund has two goals. The first is to improve energy affordability for people in Māori and public housing, resulting in warmer homes and better health. The second is to trial small-scale energy solutions to learn more about what solutions work best in New Zealand communities.
Some of these projects will also provide a more resilient power supply and enable local communities to generate their own power. The fund trials new ways of generating energy and integrating it with existing electricity networks, while support the Government’s commitment to renewable energy generation and its climate goals.
We have already seen from the completed projects that reduced energy costs can make a huge difference to low-income families. Over time, this initiative will provide valuable insight into the operational, economic, environmental and wellbeing impacts of introducing renewable energy systems – and help inform future projects on a larger scale.
How low-income non-Māori can benefit from the schemes identified by the ministry is not immediately apparent.
* Support for Energy Education in Communities Programme
The ministry website says this programme has been established to deliver community-level energy education to help households in need.
The SEEC Programme consists of the SEEC Fund and the associated SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund.
The SEEC Fund is the Programme’s primary funding pool. Eligible groups, businesses and organisations can apply for funding to expand the capacity of existing energy hardship initiatives, pilot a new scheme, or deliver related training. It is not intended to fund existing initiatives or cover start-up costs for the creation of new organisations.
Examples of initiatives that will be considered for the SEEC Fund are:
* Preparing and delivering education material
* Hui to provide advice and resources to groups
* Training community-level advisors
* Providing personalised advice in-home or over the phone.
The SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund is to help with the cost of low-cost items, such as LED lights, timing switches, and sensors that support energy efficiency advice provided to households experiencing energy hardship.
Applicants wanting funds from the SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund must do so as part of their application to the SEEC Fund.
The SEEC Fund is open to organisations, groups and businesses which can work closely with households experiencing energy hardship or expand their services to do so.
Eligible groups can include community service providers, training organisations, social enterprises, iwi support services, NGOs, businesses, community groups and budget advisory bodies.
* Warmer Kiwi Homes programme
Grant applications are open to eligible residents in all areas during the Covid-19 Protection Framework (Traffic Light System).
Grants cover:
* 80% of the total cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation. In some areas the cost to you may be even lower, thanks to generous funding from community organisations.
* 80% of the cost of an approved heater. This could be a heat pump or an efficient wood/pellet burner for the main living area. Heater grants are capped at $3000 including GST.
But to be eligible for an insulation or heating grant you must own and live in a home built before 2008.
* Winter Energy Payment
The Winter Energy Payment is an extra payment from Work and Income to help with the cost of heating homes over the winter months.
Eligible people don’t need to apply – if they are eligible, they will get the Winter Energy Payment automatically, along with other regular payments from Work and Income.
This is not targeted at low-income people but is provided to a broad range of income groups, except those who choose to opt out of receiving the payment.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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