Support for Energy Education in Communities Programme
The Support for Energy Education in Communities (SEEC) Programme is part of a suite of government initiatives to lift people out of energy hardship.
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The SEEC Programme was established following recommendations to government from the 2019 Electricity Price Review. It complements other initiatives across government, the community and private sector that focus on making homes warmer and more energy efficient.
The SEEC Programme includes funding to build and expand the network of services to support people experiencing energy hardship in achieving warmer, more energy-efficient homes and lowering their energy bills.
SEEC Programme – Support for Energy Education in Communities Programme
Video Transcript
Funding is available to eligible community-level groups, organisations or businesses, and is primarily allocated through a regular open process. The funding contributes to the provision of personalised, specialist advice and education to households in energy hardship, and purchasing low-cost energy-saving equipment and devices.
The SEEC Programme consists of the SEEC Fund and the associated SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund.
SEEC Fund
The SEEC Fund is the Programme’s primary funding pool. Eligible groups, businesses and organisations can apply for funding from the SEEC Fund to expand the capacity of existing energy hardship initiatives, pilot a new scheme, or deliver related training. It is not intended to fund existing initiatives or cover start-up costs for the creation of new organisations.
Examples of initiatives that will be considered for the SEEC Fund are:
- preparing and delivering education material
- hui to provide advice and resources to groups
- training community-level advisors
- providing personalised advice in-home, over the phone or at events.
SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund
The SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund is the secondary, subsequent funding pool that applicants for the SEEC Fund can also apply for. This fund is to help with the cost of low-cost items, such as LED lights, timing switches, and sensors that support energy efficiency advice provided to households experiencing energy hardship.
Applicants wishing to seek funding from the SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund must do so as part of their application to the SEEC Fund.
Applications seeking funding only from the SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund will not be considered.
A successful application to the SEEC Fund does not mean funding for the SEEC Equipment and Devices Fund will also be granted.
Latest news
21 projects have been allocated funding in the 2023/2024 funding round, which was announced in June 2024.
Up to $2.72 million is available for this funding round, and eligible community-level groups, organisations and businesses could apply for up to $200,000 per project, per year.
MBIE statistics released in June 2023, which found that Māori and Pacific peoples are more likely to experience energy hardship, were used to inform the funding round and support more projects that help Māori and Pacific households.
Some funding was also available to pilot longer-term projects that may run over multiple years. Two organisations, that had previously received SEEC funding, received funding for longer-term projects that will run for two years. The purpose of piloting longer-term funding is to provide the resources and funding security required to reach more households and maximise impact. This limited pilot may inform future design changes of the Programme.
Map of SEEC 2023/2024 providers
Quick facts on the SEEC Programme
- 4 funding rounds and a boost round since 2021
- $7.9m funding across 41 projects (including the boost round)
- 28,516 households reached8600 home energy assessments performed
- 160,000+ low-cost energy-saving devices delivered
- 240+ staff trained to deliver energy education
- 630+ community events
Round 1
A total of $1.26 million was allocated to 9 projects in the first funding round, announced in May 2021.
Funding for round 1 focused on pilots that could be implemented to deliver results by winter 2021, and that had the potential to scale.
Support for Energy Education in Communities Programme funding recipients – Round 1
Government gives households extra help to reduce their power bills(external link) — Beehive.govt.nz
Round 2
A total of $1.65 million was allocated to 15 projects in the second funding round, announced in November 2021.
Funding for round 2 focused on pilots that have potential to scale and can be substantially delivered within 12 months.
Priority was given to initiatives that filled gaps in terms of location, type and who the initiative targets, to build on the projects funded in the first round.
Support for Energy Education in Communities Programme funding recipients - Round 2
More energy saving advice to hit home thanks to government funding(external link) — Beehive.govt.nz
Funding Boost (2022)
In April 2022, MBIE brought forward $350,000 of SEEC funding to be made available to existing SEEC-funded projects that could be restarted or extended to deliver further energy education and support through autumn and winter 2022.
This was in response to the growing cost of living, which was likely to be exacerbated as winter increased households’ energy needs.
It drew on the opportunity to provide more immediate support to households in need by enabling existing SEEC providers to maintain momentum, using existing staff and delivery capability.
Earlier recipients of SEEC Programme funding were invited to apply for a funding boost to restart or extend their SEEC-funded pilot.
In May 2022, 5 existing SEEC projects were selected to receive a funding boost.
Support for Energy Education in Communities (SEEC) Programme - Funding Boost recipients
Round 3
A total of $1.7 million was allocated to 17 projects around the country in the third funding round, announced in November 2022.
The funding focus for round 3 was on pilot projects that:
- filled gaps in the projects funded to date in terms of the type of project, location, and the people and communities they target, and/or
- built on the success of SEEC-funded projects to date, and
- had the potential to scale.
Support for Energy Education in Communities Programme funding recipients – Round 3
Government supports more energy-saving projects to help more Kiwis save money(external link) — beehive.govt.nz
Funding round 2023/24
A total of $2.72m was allocated across 21 projects, the largest funding round to date. This funding round aimed to support more projects that targeted Māori and Pacific households.
For the first time, some funding was allocated to pilot two longer-term projects that run over 2 years. This gives these previous SEEC providers the funding security needed to reach more households and maximise the impact. This limited pilot may inform future design changes of the Programme.
Progress reporting
Data and insights from completed projects funded in rounds 1, 2 and 3.
More information
To receive updates about the SEEC Programme, including information on future funding rounds and other energy hardship initiatives, please sign up to the MBIE Energy Use e-newsletter.
You can also email the SEEC Programme team at: