An extra 41,000 New Zealand homes will be warmer, drier and healthier, thanks to the extension of the Government's Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme.

The insulation programme has been extended in Budget 2012 to insulate a total of 230,000 homes.

"Up to another 120,000 New Zealanders will be better off from the health and energy efficiency benefits provided by an insulated home," Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley says.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority will deliver its energy efficiency programmes in 2012/2013 with up to $13 million from the electricity levy, the same funding cap as in 2011/2012.

Read the submissions made as part of the consultation process.

Programmes funded through the electricity levy will focus on reducing electricity use mainly in the business sector.

Two councils have netted top awards at the 2012 EECA Awards - one for excellence in reducing its own energy use and one for making local homes more energy-efficient.

New Plymouth District Council was last night (subs: Weds 23 May) named co-winner of the Public Sector Award for a rigorous energy management programme that has shaved $200,000 off its annual energy bill.

Whangarei's Golden Bay Cement has been hailed as an industry leader for its use of bioenergy to reduce CO2 emissions, winning the Renewable Energy category in the 2012 EECA Awards tonight (subs: Wed 23 May).

The company has cut CO2 emissions by a huge 58,000 tonnes per year and is saving $3m every year in energy costs, as a result of substituting nearly a third of the coal burned in its kiln for wood fuel, sourced from demolition and construction waste.

An ingenious plant expansion that is saving $500,000 a year in energy costs, has won a national award for Dominion Salt and engineers Aurecon New Zealand.

Both companies were last night (subs: Weds 23 May) named Innovation award winners in the 2012 EECA Awards for the project that boosted capacity at Dominion Salt's Mt Maunganui plant by 63%, while improving plant efficiency by 48%.

Two of New Zealand's major retail banks have been recognised in the 2012 EECA Awards for cutting energy use and CO2 emissions.

ASB won the Large Business Award for a programme that has cut electricity use by 23%, saving $850,000 a year in energy costs. And NZ Post Group - which includes Kiwibank - won both the Public Sector and Energy Management awards for its success in reducing CO2 emissions by 9.5%, avoiding $5.6 million in energy costs to date.