FAQs - Energy Efficiency
What is the Marlborough District Council Energy Efficiency Funding Service?
Marlborough District Council is offering funding to all ratepayers to help improve our region’s air quality and to make our region’s homes warmer and healthier.
As a ratepayer you can apply to the Marlborough District Council for funding for home insulation, clean heating, solar power or solar water heating, and repay it via your rates.
What are approved heating and insulation products?
- Clean air approved wood burners.
- Clean air approved pellet fires.
- 4 star AGA-rated flued gas fires. Ask your provider for a list of the gas heaters they supply.
- Energy Star® heat pumps.
Recognised service providers, who have agreed to participate in Council’s Home Clean Heating Scheme, use different products. If you are after a particular product you may need to call a few service providers to see who installs that product.
Marlborough District Council will only issue Building Consents to burners that meet the National Environmental Standards for air quality and are on the authorised wood burner and pellets burner list.
Go to the Ministry for the Environment website to view the list of authorised wood burners including pellet burners and frequently asked questions.
Go to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority for a list of approved insulation products
How much will I repay?
Over nine years you will pay the GST exclusive amount that Marlborough District Council pays to the supplier, as well as interest, an administration charge ($140 incl. GST from 1 July 2019) and also the building consent fee (applicable if ratepayers choose to add this fee to the cost of installation) together with GST on all these costs. The current interest rate is 4% from 1 July 2021. It is reviewed annually and subject to change.
How do I make repayments?
The Marlborough District Council will charge a “targeted rate” on your regular rates invoice over nine years. The targeted rate amount will appear on your rates assessment in early August each year. If you decide to repay the funding early (ie within nine years) an early repayment fee of $115 incl. GST will be charged.
How can I estimate my repayments?
How can I estimate my repayments? The following table can help you to estimate your repayments*
| Marlborough District Council funding service amount, inclusive of associated costs (GST exclusive) | $2,000 | $4,000 | $6,000 | $8,000 | $10,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approximate per annum cost/rate (including GST at 15%) | $324 | $630 | $935 | $1,241 | $1,546 | $1,852 | $2,310 |
| Approximate per week | $6 | $12 | $18 | $24 | $30 | $36 | $44 |
| Approximate nine year total | $2,917 | $5,668 | $8,418 | $11,168 | $13,918 | $16,668 | $20,793 |
* Based on an interest rate of 4%, (which is reviewed annually and subject to change) an administration charge and an installation occurring just before commencement of the first rating year. Interest for the year of installation is added to the amount you repay
How do I know how much I have left to pay?
Please contact the Marlborough District Council for more information.
What happens when I sell my house? Do I have to pay off the outstanding balance?
You must inform the purchaser of the rate. You can agree to clear it or the new owner can continue to repay it. What you both agree on must be written into the sale and purchase agreement. This is a legal requirement in any property sale and in the Marlborough District Council Funding Agreement. The rate will be notified on your property’s LIM report.
What are the product and funding options?
For a list of recognised service providers, see the relevant page listed in the left sidebar or click on the links below:
Go to the Home Insulation page
Go to the Home Clean heating page
Go to the Solar Water Heating page
A service provider will then assess your home for free, recommend a solution that is best for your home and provide a quote. (You may wish to get more than one quote).
The service provider will explain the funding options available to you and will also help you complete the Marlborough District Council application form.
Go to more information on available grants and eligibility to apply
How do I qualify?
To be eligible for this service you must:
- Be a ratepayer; and
- Be up to date with your rate payments; and
- Use a Marlborough District Council recognised service provider; and
- Meet the Marlborough District Council requirements of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003
MDC will estimate the repayments for you and check that this amount is affordable for you.
Go to the list of MDC-recognised Home Clean Heating service providers
Go to the list of MDC-recognised Home Insulation service providers
Go to the list of MDC-recognised solar water heating providers
Can I cancel my application if I change my mind?
Yes. You must inform the Marlborough District Council before the installation starts.
What happens after I submit my application for funding?
- If you choose to apply to Marlborough District Council for assistance with this energy efficiency service, send us your completed Application and Agreement form along with your Service Provider’s quote. (Your Service Provider will supply you with this).
- If you meet all the eligibility criteria we will approve your application and send you confirmation of this.
- We will also notify your selected Service Provider of this confirmation.
- When your installation is completed the Service Provider will invoice the Marlborough District Council for the approved cost of the installation.
- After installation is complete, you will need to sign a confirmation of completion of installation of services. Your installer can forward this to he Council with their invoice.
- The Marlborough District Council will pay the Service Provider for the approved cost.
- After the Marlborough District Council has been invoiced by the Service Provider we will advise you of the final services amount, the annual energy efficiency rate and the total rate payment to Council for the nine year period.
- Marlborough District Council will add your energy efficiency rating information to your property’s Land Information Memorandum (LIM) and also to your rating records.
What can I do if I have a complaint or enquiry?
If you are not satisfied with the installation or the product itself please contact your service provider. See clause 4 'Liability for defective work' in your MDC Energy Efficiency Funding Agreement.
If you have a question or complaint about the funding agreement itself, talk to us.
We are always looking for ways to improve our service to you. If something has gone wrong, we want to know.
Please complete the online form (link below) and tell us what has happened and how we can resolve matters. If you have any documents or correspondence that will help us understand your complaint or question, you will be able to attach them.
When we receive your complaint or enquiry, we will:
- acknowledge your complaint or enquiry immediately and;
- gather and evaluate information about your complaint or enquiry and;
- respond to you within 20 working days.
Complete the online enquiry/complaint form
If you have a complaint and MDC cannot resolve it, you may refer your complaint to Financial Services Complaints Ltd (FSCL) – A Financial Ombudsman Service. FSCL is our independent external ombudsman and dispute resolution service that has been approved by the Minister of Consumer Affairs under the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Act 2008. FSCL’s service is free of charge to you.
You can contact FSCL:
- by calling 0800 347 257
- by emailing complaints@fscl.org.nz
- through FSCL’s website
- in writing to:
- FSCL
- PO Box 5967
- Wellington, 6140
