Ratepayers are being given a chance by local authorities in Nelson, Canterbury and Hawke's Bay to pay off energy efficiency improvements through their rates.

It was put forth by Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee that among the first councils to sign up for the Government's insulation initiative were the Environment Canterbury and Nelson City Council. In May's budget, the government announced $323 million over four years in order to retrofit 180,000 homes with insulation and clean-heating devices.

Mr Brownlee specified, "These councils are in the process of rolling out schemes suited to their areas, which will allow ratepayers to pay off insulation and, in some cases, clean heating via their rates bills."

He added: "This makes the cost of investing in energy efficiency much more manageable for ratepayers, so they can enjoy the benefits of a warmer, drier home that causes less air pollution."

He concluded that other councils were also looking at implementing the scheme.