Access to finance is one of the key barriers that households face. That's why Rewiring Aotearoa is advocating for low-interest long-term loans for household electrification. This would provide homes with a line of credit backed by government, indexed to inflation, and secured on the property and would enables homeowners (including landlords) to install solar panels, batteries, EV chargers, and replace gas appliances.

This would come at minimal (or zero) cost to government over time because loans would be repaid when the property sells and it would rapidly bring down our emissions, so ask your local MP why this isn't being offered.

We believe there should still be room for electrification grants or subsidies for low-income households. They stand to benefit even more from electrification because low-income households and households with more people living in them spend a greater proportion of their income on energy.

As our recent paper Investing in Tomorrow shows, electrification doesn’t need to be seen as a cost, it's an investment that can save households $29 million per day by 2040 because we are avoiding expensive imported foreign fossil fuels and using more locally generated renewable energy. 

Our goal at Rewiring Aotearoa is to electrify millions of fossil fuel machines by 2040. When the time comes, we want New Zealanders choose the electric option for their household because that opens up a range of financial, health and environmental benefits.

When a community electrifies, that impact can be exponential: lower emissions, cleaner air, a supported local economy and more collective power, and the grassroots movement is crucial.

While many New Zealanders want to install solar and begin their household electrification journey, a key barrier is not knowing where to start and find trustworthy advice. Local community groups can help drive awareness and uptake of electrification, bring the local council to the table to support electrification and show central government it is broadly popular across different demographics.

If you want to start a new group, add your support to an existing group, or you’re an existing group that wants to jump on the electrification bandwagon, check out the groups on the map or get in touch with us.

Every household is different, as is every community, but there are three main areas of focus with these groups:

1) Support communities to electrify

2) Create smart energy users

3) Advocate for community assets and political action, especially around access to finance.

We want our community groups to find out what is most needed by their residents and then find a way to provide it. Some of the things groups are doing include:

• Community surveys and resources
• Induction cooking demonstrations
• Speaker events, educational workshops and information sessions
• Electric vehicle test drives and open days
• In-home advisory services or business partnerships with installers
• Working with councils for infrastructure such as solar on community buildings and EV charging
• Working with councils to incentivise electrification in new buildings or help them create information campaigns for residents
• Bulk buys of solar panels and heat pumps
• Electrification expos and trade shows
• Engagement with local media (including regular columns)

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