New Energy Program for Homeowners or Renters

OUT with ecoENERGY - IN with a NEW Weatherization Program

It's official, the ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program has now expired.  What a shame.  And with the expiration of the program comes another election.

Do you remember the hype a couple of years ago about the recession in Canada?  The ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program was just one of the ways that the Harper government was trying to generate money back into our economy.  It was a great idea, because not only did it employ thousands of Certified Energy Advisors (CEA's) all across Canada, but it also employed local contractors, and businesses selling building materials.  Your money was going right back into your local economy.  Not to mention, it saved homeowners money in the long run by making efficient improvements to their homes and saving energy costs.  It was a win-win situation.

Do you remember the Kyoto agreement that Canada has pretty much given up on?  Well, the ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program also contributed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.  By making energy efficient retrofits to your home, you were rewarded with grants.  It was an incentive program.  The Harper government hardly had to do anything, except give a little money back to the homeowner, while we're saving them greenhouse gas emissions to meet their Kyoto targets.  What's $300 million dollars to them over the course of 4 years?  Peanuts!

I really hope that when the election arrives on May 2nd, the party/parties that wins will re-instate another energy effiency program.  It's just makes a lot of cents.. get it?



In the meantime, there is an Enbridge Home Weatherization Program for Enbridge gas customers.  You and your home could be eligible to have Enbridge pay for the cost of the weatherization improvements.  This would include insulating, weatherstripping, and air sealing.

We are looking for houses that:

• are more than 20-25 years old
• are cold and drafty in the winter, and hot in the summer
• have high gas bills
• are owned or rented

If your house fits into that group or you know of someone else's house that would fit into that group, then please pass the information along to them.

How do you qualify?
1) Do you live in the City and County of Peterborough or the City of Kawartha Lakes?
2) Is your home heated by natural gas?
3) Are you a customer of Enbridge Gas Distribution?
4) Do you pay your own natural gas bill?

On top of that, you qualify if you receive government assistance, or if your household income is no more that the amounts on the chart on the Home Weatherization Retrofit Program website.  Don't be discouraged, the maximum gross annual income is rather large.  If you think you wouldn't qualify, please take a moment to view the chart.  You may be surprised.

For more information, please call Peterborough Green-Up at 705-745-3238 ext 202.