Sustainability Trust
Sustainability Trust is a Wellington, New Zealand-based charitable trust founded in 2003 that delivers home energy efficiency installations, zero waste services, and community support programmes to Wellington region residents, with all profits reinvested into community programmes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sustainability Trust does
Sustainability Trust is a Wellington-based charitable trust (registration CC35964) founded in 2003 that operates as a community-led social enterprise delivering energy efficiency, zero waste, and healthy housing programmes across the Wellington region (Te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui) of New Zealand. The Trust has insulated over 15,000 homes since inception and visited 7,500+ homes in the most recent financial year for home energy assessments and installations.
The Trust's core offerings are organised across three pillars. Energy efficient homes comprise heat pumps (single-room and ducted central heating), ceiling and underfloor insulation, hot water heat pumps, ventilation, LED lighting, and EV charging installations using standard industry products (Pink Batts, Mammoth, Daikin, Rinnai, Thundergrid). Zero waste services include Te Aro Zero Waste, Otaihanga Zero Waste, RepairED repair cafes, FillGood reusable serviceware, and the Circular Wellington map. Community support programmes include the Wellington Curtain Bank (2,400+ free curtains annually for Community Services Card holders), Well Homes support, and housing advocacy. The Trust also operates Toast Electric, a wholly-owned not-for-profit electricity retail subsidiary, and runs the EcoCentre venue at 2 Forresters Lane, Wellington.
Revenue is generated through hardware sales of energy efficiency installations (typically $1,000-$4,000 unsubsidised for insulation, $12,000-$22,000+ for ducted heat pumps), government-subsidised contracts under Warmer Kiwi Homes (administered by EECA and Wellington City Council) that reduce customer out-of-pocket cost, professional services for zero waste and venue hire, and Toast Electric retail energy revenue. All profits are reinvested into community programmes. Pricing is partially subsidised: eligible low-income households pay $50-$500 for insulation and receive up to 90% off heat pumps capped at $3,000. The Trust serves Wellington homeowners and renters (primary), low-income households via subsidised programmes (primary), zero waste community participants, and landlords seeking Healthy Homes Standards compliance. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via freephone, online quote requests, in-home assessments, and physical zero waste drop-off centres.
Sustainability Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sustainability Trust
- Legal name
- Sustainability Trust
- Website
- https://sustaintrust.org.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sustainability Trust is a Wellington, New Zealand-based charitable trust founded in 2003 that delivers home energy efficiency installations, zero waste services, and community support programmes to Wellington region residents, with all profits reinvested into community programmes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sustainability Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Home Energy Efficiency Services
- NAICS
- Community Housing Services (62422), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), Refuse Systems (4953)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Renewable Energy & Clean Tech Access (Off-grid, Energy Poverty Solutions) (BPAGALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK), Residential Green / High-Performance Home Construction (Net-Zero, Passive House) (IMAFABAH), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)
Keywords
Where Sustainability Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sustainability Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Energy efficient home installations: Supply and installation of heat pumps, central heating, insulation, ventilation, LED lighting, and EV chargers for homeowners. Revenue is generated from paid installations supplemented by government subsidies (Warmer Kiwi Homes) that reduce customer costs. All profits are reinvested into community programmes.
- Government-funded subsidy programmes: Delivery of Warmer Kiwi Homes insulation subsidies (up to 100% for eligible low-income households) under contract with Wellington City Council and EECA. The programme ended 1 July 2024 for free assessments but continues for subsidised installations.
- Zero waste services: Resource recovery, reuse and recycling services at zero waste centres including Te Aro Zero Waste, Otaihanga Zero Waste, RepairED (repair cafe), and FillGood (reusable serviceware for events). Revenue model not fully disclosed but likely includes service fees and council contracts.
- Venue hire: The EcoCentre facility at 2 Forresters Lane is used as a community venue, with the site functioning as a polling booth during elections.
- Toast Electric: Sustainability Trust's not-for-profit electricity retail subsidiary, Toast Electric, sells electricity to households. Profits from Toast Electric support community programmes. Cost per charge at the Thundergrid EV charger is 0.45 c/kWh with all profits going to the Wellington Curtain Bank.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Warmer Kiwi Homes subsidy – eligible low-income households receive up to 100% coverage of insulation costs |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Heat pump subsidy under Warmer Kiwi Homes – up to 90% off, capped at $3,000 incl. GST |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ceiling and underfloor insulation – full installation cost without subsidy |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Ducted heat pump system – supply and installation |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Thundergrid EV charging – public charging at 2 Forresters Lane |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Sustainability Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sustainability Trust is a registered charitable social enterprise that supplies and installs home energy efficiency products (heat pumps, ducted central heating, ceiling and underfloor insulation, hot water heat pumps, ventilation systems, LED lighting, and EV chargers) and operates zero waste programmes (repair cafes, zero waste resource recovery centres, and reusable event serviceware) in the Wellington region. The Trust also runs community support programmes including the Wellington Curtain Bank, Well Homes housing advocacy, and free home energy assessments for low-income households, with all profits reinvested into community services.
Product overview
Sustainability Trust operates as a social enterprise offering a comprehensive suite of energy efficiency products and community sustainability programs in the Wellington region. Their core product portfolio includes heat pumps (single-room and ducted central heating systems), insulation (ceiling and underfloor), hot water heat pumps, LED lighting, and EV charging stations—all installed by trained professionals. These energy-efficient home products are complemented by zero waste services including Te Aro Zero Waste, RepairED, Repair Cafe, FillGood (reusable serviceware), and Otaihanga Zero Waste. Community support programs include the Wellington Curtain Bank (free curtains for low-income households), Well Homes housing support, and home energy assessments. The organization also operates Toast Electric, a not-for-profit electricity company. All profits from commercial services are reinvested into award-winning community programs. The Trust positions itself as a one-stop provider for home energy efficiency, offering everything from expert advice through to full supply and installation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Heat Pumps Supply and installation of single-room wall-mounted and ducted heat pump systems (Fujitsu, Daikin, Hitachi, Mitsubishi) for residential heating and cooling in Wellington homes. Heat pump subsidies of up to 90% (capped at $3,000 incl. GST) are available under Warmer Kiwi Homes for eligible owner-occupiers.
- Central Heating Ducted heat pump system design, supply and installation providing whole-home heating and cooling through discreet ceiling or floor vents. Typical installations for a 3-bedroom 100m² Wellington home range $12,000-$22,000+ incl. GST.
- Insulation Ceiling and underfloor insulation supply and installation using Pink Batts (fibreglass) and Mammoth (polyester) products, including insulation top-ups and ground vapour barriers. Full installation typically costs $3,000-$8,000 without subsidy; under Warmer Kiwi Homes eligible low-income households pay $50-$500.
- Hot Water Heat Pumps
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 15,000 homes insulated since 2003
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Sustainability Trust
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sustainability Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sustainability Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Toast ElectriccoreToast Electric is Sustainability Trust's own not-for-profit electricity retailer operating in New Zealand. It makes a difference by selling electricity with profits reinvested into Sustainability Trust community programmes. Referenced prominently on the Sustainability Trust homepage.
- ThundergridcoreThundergrid provides the smart EV charging network platform at 2 Forresters Lane. It is a network of EV stations designed to maximise renewable energy use and protect the national power grid through load management. Sustainability Trust installed the first AC Thundergrid EV charger in Wellington CBD.
- Genesis EnergyminorGenesis is a GenTailer energy company and long-time sponsor of the Wellington Curtain Bank (more than ten years of support). Became the first company in its field to become Living Wage Accredited in April 2020. Shared interview about living wage accreditation journey.
- Garage ProjectminorSustainability Trust worked with Garage Project on a Sustainability In Brewing project to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Garage Project is Living Wage Accredited and passionate about sustainability of all kinds.
- Nocar CargominorNocar Cargo is a Living Wage Accredited no-emission cycle courier service in Wellington. Sustainability Trust interviewed Nocar Cargo about paying the living wage as part of its Living Wage campaign.
- Hopper-RefillcoreJoint delivery of the inaugural RepairED repair cafe on International Repair Day. Hopper-Refill staffed the repair café and fixed approximately 45 items including clothing, accessories, toys, kitchen items and tools. Partnership for waste reduction and repair education.
- Waste Free WellycoreSustainability Trust is part of Waste Free Welly, an open collaborative group of individuals and organisations working towards zero waste in Wellington Region. The collective submitted recommendations to Wellington City Council on strategic waste review and residual disposal options.
- ConsumerNZminorConsumerNZ held repair demonstrations at the RepairED event for common household products. Provided information on Right to Repair. Sustainability Trust blog references Consumer's advice on gas prices and home energy matters.
- Community Energy Network (CEN)coreSustainability Trust is part of the Community Energy Network, dedicated to delivering effective energy-efficient solutions for warmer homes, job creation and healthier communities. CEN is a key partner network for home energy programmes.
- Fab Lab Wellington, Massey UniversityminorFab Lab Wellington (Massey University) participated in RepairED, hacking an 80s knitting machine and demonstrating how old tech can become new tech. Part of the interactive stands at the inaugural repair cafe.
- Para KoreminorPara Kore is part of the Waste Free Welly collective. An iwi-led zero waste programme that works with marae and Māori organisations to minimise waste. Listed as a collaborator in the waste-free future advocacy work.
- Rewiring AotearoaminorRewiring Aotearoa is cited extensively by Sustainability Trust's CEO as a key resource for home electrification planning. Their research shows 31% of domestic economy emissions relate to household energy. Proposes Ratepayers Assistance Scheme for financing electrification.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sustainability Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sustainability Trust social profiles
Digital presenceSustainability Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sustainability Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Sustainability Trust subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Sustainability Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sustainability Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sustainability Trust
What does Sustainability Trust do?
Sustainability Trust is a registered charitable social enterprise that supplies and installs home energy efficiency products (heat pumps, ducted central heating, ceiling and underfloor insulation, hot water heat pumps, ventilation systems, LED lighting, and EV chargers) and operates zero waste programmes (repair cafes, zero waste resource recovery centres, and reusable event serviceware) in the Wellington region. The Trust also runs community support programmes including the Wellington Curtain Bank, Well Homes housing advocacy, and free home energy assessments for low-income households, with all profits reinvested into community services.
Is Sustainability Trust a public or private company?
Sustainability Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sustainability Trust founded?
Sustainability Trust was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sustainability Trust based?
Sustainability Trust is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Sustainability Trust make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Energy efficient home installations are the primary driver. The others are government-funded subsidy programmes, zero waste services, venue hire and toast Electric.
Does Sustainability Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sustainability Trust.
What industry is Sustainability Trust in?
Sustainability Trust's product category is Home Energy Efficiency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAE, Renewable Energy & Clean Tech Access (Off-grid, Energy Poverty Solutions), with a secondary code of BPABALAK, Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site). Its NAICS code is 62422 and its SIC code is 8300.