Are EECA grants and the warmer-kiwi-homes scheme worth chasing for solar?

There is a persistent rumour that 'the government will pay for half your solar panels'. It is not true, has never been true in NZ, and chasing it costs people weeks of fruitless paperwork. Here is what is actually available, and what is worth pursuing.

EECA — what they fund

EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) does not fund residential solar panel installations directly. Their consumer-facing GenLess platform is an excellent resource for guidance and case studies, but it is not a grant programme. EECA's funded programmes are weighted toward commercial energy-efficiency, public-sector retrofits, and the Warmer Kiwi Homes insulation/heating scheme. Solar is not part of Warmer Kiwi Homes.

Local council schemes

A handful of councils — including parts of the Auckland Council Retrofit Your Home programme and the Nelson City Healthy Homes loan — offer rates-funded loans that can be applied to solar installs. These are loans, not grants: you borrow the install cost from the council and repay it through your rates over 9–15 years, usually at modest interest. They are useful for cash-flow rather than for reducing the cost.

• Auckland Council Retrofit Your Home — solar eligible alongside insulation, heating and ventilation. 9-year repayment via rates.
• Nelson City Council Healthy Homes loan — similar structure, smaller cap.
• Hutt City and a few smaller councils — schemes come and go; check current eligibility direct with the council before assuming.

Bank green-loan add-ons

Several major banks (BNZ, ASB, Westpac, ANZ) offer 'green' or 'sustainable home' loan add-ons of up to $80,000 at preferential interest rates — typically 1.0–1.5% below standard mortgage rates — for energy-efficiency upgrades including solar. If you have a mortgage, this is generally the cheapest way to finance an install. The interest gap over a 5-year fixed term can save more than a council rates-loan would, with simpler paperwork.

What's actually worth chasing

• Bank green-loan add-on if you already have a mortgage — clear win.
• Council rates-loan if you don't have mortgage borrowing capacity but want to install — useful but more expensive overall.
• EECA GenLess website for unbiased guidance — not a grant, but the best free resource on what to ask installers.
• Retailer buyback rates — switch to a retailer paying the higher buyback rate (Octopus, Flick) if your generation profile suits — that earns more per year than any grant ever would.

What's not worth chasing

• Direct EECA grants for residential solar — they don't exist for homeowners.
• Warmer Kiwi Homes funding for solar — it covers insulation and heating, not solar.
• 'Government rebate' programmes advertised by some installers — usually misrepresenting either a council loan scheme or a bank product.