Good progress made on Chimney Replacement Programme

Good progress is being made in the implementation of a programme to allow Cantabrians whose chimneys have been significantly damaged by the recent earthquake to replace their old log burners or open fires with a new, efficient heater, with the cost covered by their claim to the EQC, Earthquake recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) is working with the EQC in the delivery of the programme.

So far, 17,000 claims for chimney damage have been referred to EECA by the EQC. Around 7,500 of these relate to houses where there is some chimney damage but no other, or minor, damage to the house.

EECA is looking to complete work on these houses first while the technical requirements for repairing houses with greater damage are developed.

"This is a great opportunity to fix old, inefficient heaters that contribute to Christchurch's air quality issues", says Mr Brownlee.

"I want to stress that this is a voluntary programme. Homeowners are entitled to have their chimneys fixed if they don't wish to participate in the scheme - however I expect it will prove popular with many Cantabrians whose houses suffered chimney damage in the earthquake."

Staff at EECA have begun calling households where there is some chimney damage but no other, or minor, damage to the house to tell them about the programme, with a number agreeing to be part of the scheme already. Households will also receive an information pack in the mail setting out the options.

EECA's delivery providers began assessments of chimney damage in these houses today. Many will be on the ground within the next 14 days.

Only providers registered with EECA will be able to deliver the programme and claim EQC funding on behalf of the house-owner.

Delivery providers for the scheme are likely to be contracted Master Builders and Certified Builders. The registration process will be streamlined and fast.

A range of clean-heating devices are being approved for the scheme, including ECAN approved wood burners and pellet fires, ENERGYSTAR® heat pumps, and 4-star AGA rated flued gas appliances.

EECA is currently contacting heating manufacturers and suppliers to agree on set prices for products purchased for the chimney replacement programme. EECA has spoken to some major heat pump suppliers which have confirmed that prices will not rise in Canterbury as a result of the earthquake.

Background - Delivery Model for the Chimney Replacement Programme

EQC is receiving calls from claimants indicating damage sustained in the Canterbury Earthquake. Claimants with chimney damage and little or no other damage are referred to EECA. If the house owner chooses not to participate (i.e. they wish to repair and not decommission a chimney), then they will be referred back to the EQC and it may take a little longer to have the work completed.

EECA takes the claim and calls the household via a dedicated call centre. Households are informed about the programme and the four heating options are set out. The house owner is asked to consider their heating options and confirm their participation in the programme.

Once participation is confirmed, the claim will be allocated to a chimney replacement programme provider. The provider is likely to be a Master or Certified Builder. The allocation will be based on geography (ideally by neighbourhood) and capacity.

The provider will assess the house for chimney damage. If the damage exceeds the level envisaged for the programme (ie if there is structural or significant roof damage) then the claim will be referred back to the EQC for management.

If the provider accepts the job, then the builder will provide a quote for the repair job and heating installation and provide it to EECA for pre-approval.

EECA has developed a range of building scenarios and is developing heating scenarios to assess whether the costs are reasonable.

Once approved, the work is completed by the provider and signed-off by the house owner. The house owner will need to pay an EQC excess of $200 but the remainder of the costs are covered by EQC funding.

Claims are made to EECA and audits will be assigned to 10 percent of claims.