KCEPT donation boosts Maru Trust's home insulation focus  

26 June 2019

Maru Energy Trust’s commitment to creating warmer, drier and healthier homes in the King Country has been bolstered by generous support from the King Country Electric Power Trust (KCEPT).

KCEPT recently made a $50,000 donation to the trust acknowledging its support for Maru’s vision.

Chairman Adie Doyle says, “KCEPT understands the climate and economy we all live in and is proud to donate to the Maru Energy Trust this year. “We support Maru’s initiatives, particularly the insulation of homes in the King Country region which will benefit not only those homeowners but our communities as a whole.”

Maru Energy Trust was established by The Lines Company (TLC) in August last year, as an independent charitable trust, and receives the bulk of its funding from the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority’s (EECA) Warmer Kiwi Homes programme with the remainder from TLC.

Benefits to locals

TLC chief executive and Maru trustee Sean Horgan says KCEPT’s donation is extremely generous.

“It’s great that other community trusts see how beneficial the Maru programme is to local people, and the positive outcomes home insulation brings for those living in cold, damp conditions. KCEPT’s support will allow us to insulate even more homes than what we had hoped to achieve.”

To date, the Maru Trust has funding to insulate 56 homes in TLC’s network area, and work is ongoing.

“The response to the programme has been overwhelming which shows there is a definite need for home insulation, with enquiries coming from all areas,” says Mr Horgan.

Administrator Jo Meads, who is based in Te Kūiti, says the feedback has been excellent. “People are genuinely very grateful to have the opportunity to go through the eligibility and assessment process, and we’re delighted that some homes have already been insulated.”

KCEPT derives its income from a share portfolio along with profits from its 25% share in King Country Energy. There are approximately 10,000 consumer beneficiaries in the southern King Country who receive an annual distribution from KCEPT through The Lines Company’s billing system.

Photo courtesy Adrian Hodge Photography