Warmer Kiwi Homes: Insulation and Heating Grants
๐ What Warmer Kiwi Homes Is
Warmer Kiwi Homes is a government programme that helps lower-income households make their homes warmer, drier and cheaper to heat. It is run by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), the Crown agency responsible for energy efficiency in New Zealand. If you qualify, the programme pays most of the cost of ceiling and underfloor insulation and, for those most in need, a large share of the cost of an efficient heat pump. The idea is simple: a warm, dry home is healthier and costs less to run, but the upfront cost of insulation and heating can be out of reach for many families, so the government meets the bulk of the bill. This guide explains what the programme funds, the current grant rates, exactly who is eligible, how it differs from the Healthy Homes standards that apply to rentals, how to apply through an approved service provider, and where to find other help such as free energy advice and curtain banks. Every figure and rule here is checked against EECA's own pages, because programme settings change and a stale number is worse than none.
Who Runs It and Why
EECA delivers Warmer Kiwi Homes on behalf of the government. The programme has run since 2018 and has funded hundreds of thousands of insulation and heating upgrades. The reasoning is both health and money: cold, damp housing is linked to respiratory illness, and it hits children, older people and people with existing health conditions hardest. Warmer homes mean fewer hospital visits and lower power bills. Because the households who benefit most are often the least able to pay upfront, the grant meets most of the cost so the upgrade actually happens.
What the Programme Funds
Warmer Kiwi Homes funds two things:
- Insulation: ceiling and underfloor insulation, installed to EECA standards. Wall insulation is not funded, because it usually cannot be added without major building work.
- Heating: an efficient fixed heater for the main living area. In practice this now means a high wall heat pump. From 9 January 2026 the programme no longer accepts new applications for wood or pellet burner grants, so heat pumps are the heater it funds.
Older guides and news articles describe grants for wood and pellet burners. That option closed to new applicants on 9 January 2026. If you want a subsidised heater through Warmer Kiwi Homes now, it will be a high wall heat pump. Always check the current heater types on the EECA website before you plan an upgrade.
A Warmer Kiwi Homes grant is money the government contributes towards your upgrade. You do not pay it back. You still pay a share of the cost yourself, called the co-payment, which is the part left after the grant. There is no interest and nothing to repay later.
๐ฐ What You Can Get and How Much
How much the grant pays depends on your circumstances. Households in the greatest need get the highest rate, and the rate steps down for households in higher-income areas. The figures below are EECA's current settings. Because programme rates are reviewed and can change, treat them as a guide and confirm your own rate with the eligibility checker or an approved service provider.
Insulation Grant Rates
| Your situation | Insulation grant |
|---|---|
| You have a Community Services Card or SuperGold Combo card, or live in a high-need area | 90% of the cost |
| You live in certain other lower-income areas | 80% of the cost |
| You live in a middle-income area on the programme map | 50% of the cost |
The area rates come from the programme's map, which is based on measures of deprivation and income across New Zealand. Ceiling and underfloor insulation costs roughly $4,300 on average, so a 90% grant leaves a household paying around $430, while a 50% grant leaves around $2,150 to pay.
Heating Grant Rate
The heating grant is only for households most in need. You may be able to get a 90% grant, up to $3,450, towards a high wall heat pump if you have a Community Services Card, a SuperGold Combo card, or live in one of the highest-need areas. If your home is in a middle-income area, heating is not included, only insulation. Most eligible households end up paying between $400 and $700 towards the heat pump, depending on the size and brand.
The heat pump grant covers 90% of the cost only up to $3,450. If your heat pump costs more than about $3,833, the 90% would exceed the cap, so the grant stays at $3,450 and you pay the rest. Choosing a right-sized heat pump for your living area keeps your share low. A bigger or premium unit does not increase the grant.
What Is and Is Not Covered
| Covered | Not covered |
|---|---|
| Ceiling insulation to EECA standards | Wall insulation |
| Underfloor insulation to EECA standards | Double glazing or new windows |
| A high wall heat pump for the main living area | Ducted or floor-mounted heat pump systems |
| Supply and installation by an approved provider | New wood or pellet burners (closed to new applicants from 9 January 2026) |
โ Who Is Eligible and How to Apply
Warmer Kiwi Homes is aimed at owner-occupiers on lower incomes in older homes. There are three parts to eligibility: your relationship to the home, the age of the home, and your income or location. You need to meet all three.
The Core Eligibility Rules
- You own and live in the home. It must be your own home that you live in, not a rental, a holiday home, or a property owned by a business.
- The home was built before 2008. Newer homes were built to higher insulation standards, so the programme targets older stock.
- You meet an income or location test. Either you hold a current Community Services Card or SuperGold Combo card, or your home sits in a lower-income or higher-deprivation area on the programme's map.
On top of those core rules, each grant type has an extra condition:
- For insulation: your home does not already have ceiling and underfloor insulation. If it has one but not the other, the missing part may still qualify.
- For a heat pump: your home already has ceiling and underfloor insulation to EECA standards, and it does not already have a working fixed heater in a living area, such as a heat pump, wood or pellet burner, flued gas heater or central heating.
Warmer Kiwi Homes is for owner-occupiers. Rental properties and homes owned by businesses are excluded, so a standard private landlord cannot get this grant for a tenanted property. Landlords instead have their own legal duties under the Healthy Homes standards, covered below. Community and social housing providers have separate arrangements with EECA and should contact the programme directly rather than assume the owner-occupier grant applies.
How This Differs From the Healthy Homes Standards
People often confuse the Warmer Kiwi Homes grant with the Healthy Homes standards. They are different things aimed at different people.
| Warmer Kiwi Homes | Healthy Homes standards | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Owner-occupiers on lower incomes | Landlords of rental properties |
| What it is | A voluntary grant you can apply for | A legal minimum standard landlords must meet |
| Who pays | The government pays most, you pay a share | The landlord pays the full cost |
| What it covers | Ceiling and underfloor insulation, a heat pump | Heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture and drainage, draught stopping |
All private rental properties have had to meet the Healthy Homes standards since 1 July 2025, and ceiling and underfloor insulation has been compulsory in rentals since 1 July 2019. A landlord cannot use a Warmer Kiwi Homes grant to meet these duties, because the grant is not available for rentals. For the full picture of what landlords must provide, read our Healthy Homes standards guide.
How to Apply
- Check your eligibility. Use EECA's online eligibility checker, which takes about five minutes, or call the programme on 0800 749 782.
- An approved service provider takes over. If you look eligible, an EECA-approved service provider in your region confirms your eligibility, inspects the home, and gives you a quote.
- Agree the work and your share. The quote shows the grant and your co-payment. You only proceed once you are happy with the cost.
- The work is installed. The provider installs the insulation or heat pump to EECA standards and the grant is paid directly to them, so you only pay your share.
The online checker gives you an early indication only. Your actual eligibility, grant rate and co-payment are confirmed by the approved service provider who assesses your home. Get the confirmation in writing before you commit.
Other Help That Is Available
If you do not qualify for Warmer Kiwi Homes, or you want more warmth on a budget, there are other options:
- Free or low-cost energy advice. EECA supports in-home energy assessments and community energy education in many regions, often with free items such as LED bulbs and draught stoppers. Start at the EECA website below.
- Curtain banks. Community curtain banks provide free or low-cost lined curtains, which cut heat loss through windows. Availability varies by region.
- Retrofit and draught-stopping. Small, low-cost steps such as sealing draughts, using thermal curtains and closing off unused rooms make a real difference to warmth and power bills.
- Understand and cut your power bill. See our guide to understanding your power bill and our guide to switching power company to make sure you are on the best plan.
๐ข Worked Examples
These four New Zealand examples show how the grant plays out in practice. The figures use EECA's current rates and typical costs. Your own quote will vary with the home and the provider.
Situation: Aroha owns and lives in a 1970s home in Rotorua and holds a Community Services Card. Her home has no ceiling or underfloor insulation and no fixed heater. She qualifies for the top 90% rate on both insulation and heating.
Insulation:
Heat pump (installed once insulation is done):
Total:
Situation: The Nguyens own and live in an older home in a middle-income area of Hamilton. They do not hold a Community Services Card or SuperGold Combo card, but their home sits in a qualifying area on the programme map. Because it is a middle-income area, they qualify for insulation at the 50% rate but not for the heat pump grant.
Insulation:
Heating:
The Nguyens still get real help with insulation, but at half the cost rather than 90%, and no heat pump grant, because their area is assessed as middle-income. Eligibility and rate depend on where the home sits on the map, not just on owning the home.
Situation: Sione owns a rental in Porirua that he does not live in. He hoped to use a Warmer Kiwi Homes grant to upgrade it. Because it is a rental, he is not eligible for the grant at all. He still has legal duties under the Healthy Homes standards and pays for them himself.
Warmer Kiwi Homes:
Healthy Homes work Sione must fund:
All private rentals have had to meet the Healthy Homes standards since 1 July 2025, with ceiling and underfloor insulation compulsory since 1 July 2019. Sione cannot use Warmer Kiwi Homes for the work, and he cannot pass the cost to his tenant. This is why the grant and the standards are two separate systems.
Situation: The Rangis own and live in a larger 1990s home in Whangarei and hold a SuperGold Combo card, so they qualify for the 90% rate on both insulation and heating. This example works through their co-payment in full.
Insulation:
Heat pump:
Total co-payment:
Related Tools
These calculators help you plan the numbers around a warmer home:
- Heat pump savings calculator
- Insulation savings calculator
- Healthy Homes heating capacity calculator
- Power bill estimator calculator
Sources
This guide was checked on 24 July 2026 against the following official pages:
- EECA, Warmer Kiwi Homes programme information: eeca.govt.nz/co-funding-and-support/products/warmer-kiwi-homes-programme/information/
- EECA, Warmer Kiwi Homes eligibility: eeca.govt.nz/co-funding-and-support/products/warmer-kiwi-homes-programme/check-eligibility/
- Warmer Kiwi Homes: warmerkiwihomes.govt.nz (redirects to the EECA programme page)
- Tenancy Services, Healthy Homes compliance and the 1 July 2025 deadline: tenancy.govt.nz/healthy-homes/
Grant rates, caps and eligibility rules are set by EECA and change over time. Confirm the current settings with the eligibility checker or an approved service provider before you plan an upgrade.
๐ฏ Test Your Knowledge
Complete this 10-question quiz to check what you know about Warmer Kiwi Homes grants
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