In less than three years 5400 Western Bay of Plenty homes have been insulated as part of the Government's ‘Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart' scheme.

The programme, which covers a third of the cost of installing insulation up to $1300, has been running for almost three years.

The coloured areas show parts of the Bay of Plenty where there has been a strong uptake in the Government's insulation scheme. Photo supplied.

A total of 4250 houses have been insulated under the scheme in the Tauranga council area and 1150 in the Western Bay district area.

Of the 5400 homes insulated, 1200 also had grants of up to $500 each towards the cost of installing a clean, effective heater.

On Wednesday, Energy Minister Phil Heatley trumpeted the programme's success after it reached the milestone of 150,000 homes insulated nationwide.

The scheme aims to retrofit a total of at least 188,500 New Zealand homes over four years. The grants are only available to homes built before 2000.

'Each of those 150,000 homes now insulated represents an average of between two and three New Zealanders, so we can be confident that around 450,000 New Zealanders are now better off.

'Insulated homes are easier and cheaper to heat to healthy temperatures. Warmer homes mean fewer visits to the doctor, and greater productivity with less need to take time off work or school.

The Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart scheme is run by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). For more information go to www.energywise.govt.nz