National is promising low-interest loans for home solar and batteries, and sweeping planning changes to make small-scale renewable energy easier to install, if re-elected.
Under the proposed Home Energy Fund, homeowners could borrow to install solar panels, battery storage, heat pumps, insulation and other energy upgrades, with repayments attached to their rates rather than paid upfront.
The fund would be supported by central government and participating councils, with the Crown taking a 20% shareholding via a one-off $7 million equity investment, and the balance funded by participating councils and the Local Government Funding Agency.
Because loans would be secured against the property and backed by Crown and local government balance sheets, National said they can be offered at competitive interest rates.
Homeowners would need at least 20% equity in their property to be eligible. Council participation would be voluntary, though National says it expects strong uptake based on advocacy from Local Government NZ.
Energy spokesperson Simeon Brown says just 3% of New Zealand households currently have solar, compared with about 9% in the United States and one in three in Australia.
"In a more volatile world and with more severe weather events, supporting households to have greater control over their power will help more families store affordable energy when prices spike, and keep the lights on during outages."
National said the fund was modelled on a scheme called for by Local Government New Zealand and Rewiring Aotearoa.
"We know that the biggest barrier to solar, batteries and other home energy upgrades is the significant upfront cost," said local government spokesperson Simon Watts.
"This will give Kiwis more control over their power bills rather than leaving them exposed to rising electricity costs."
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Alongside the fund, National was also promising to overhaul planning rules it says have made small-scale generation unnecessarily difficult.
RMA Reform spokesperson Chris Bishop cited a case where a council required a water discharge consent for ground-mounted solar because rain could run off the panels.
"That’s the kind of nonsense we’ll end," he said.
Under changes to the Resource Management system, National said it would make rooftop solar, ground-mounted farm solar, small battery storage and small micro-hydro installations permitted as of right.
"Together, our Home Energy Fund and consent changes will make it easier for Kiwis to use natural resources on their own land, with as little red tape as possible, making energy more affordable and building a more resilient New Zealand," Bishop said.
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