As part of the government's Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme, money is available to eligible homeowners (or your landlord if you are renting) to pay for improvements to a home's insulation and heating. It's only for a limited time so if you haven't already applied you better get a wriggle on before it's too late.

The government is focusing on making sure all NZ homes meet certain requirements of insulation and heating because they know warmer New Zealanders are healthier. And that's good for all of us.

Here are a few things you should know about EECA insulation and heating funding:

• Only available for houses built before 1st January 2000.
• Applications for funding must be made by the homeowner (if you are renting, this means you should contact your landlord to apply on your behalf).
• Funding is not available for Housing NZ homes.
• Higher levels of funding are available for Community Services card holders.
• Funding is limited so don't delay or you could miss out.
• Funding is not available for DIYers - The work must be done by an approved installer such as The Insulation Company.

If you're not sure if you're eligible for funding or not, check the EECA website or contact us for a free assessment so we can explain to you in plain English what your options are, and what government funding you're eligible for.