Energy conservation programs, like EnerGuide For Houses and the
One-Tonne Challenge, are being chopped by the new federal
Conservative government.
FedNor and CBC Radio One Sudbury may be next, warns Nickel Belt
MP Ray Bonin.
Bonin believes many federal programs are at risk with the
federal Conservatives and Prime Minister Stephen Harper in
charge.
“EnerGuide For Houses was a very popular program for my
constituents. It made a difference in their heating costs and was
good for the environment. I am raising this issue with the Liberal
caucus, which I chair,” said Bonin.
“If this government ever gets a majority, then just watch what they will do. They will damage the economy, the environment and the social fabric of Canada. They don’t care about Northern Ontario. FedNor will be axed if they get a majority of seats. They already said they would.
Watch out for the local CBC station. They have a big payroll
that contributes to our city’s economy. They could be shut down
too.”
The EnerGuide program, in existence for eight years, encourages
homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient. After
completing a home-energy audit by local energy efficiency companies
and completion of any recommended work, the homeowner can apply for
a grant, which averaged $750 per household.
“We are reviewing all federal programs. That is part of our
election promises to make government more accountable,” said Emma
Welford, director of communications for Natural Resources Minister
Gary Lunn.
“We are winding the EnerGuide For Houses program down because we
think there was not enough uptake by homeowners – only 35 percent
nationally.
“We have been talking with the provinces to take over the
program. So far Quebec and New Brunswick have agreed to continue
the program at their expense. In the fall, we will be announcing a
new program that will better target homeowners’ concerns about
rising energy costs.”
Homeowners who completed the energy audit prior to May 12 can still go ahead with renovations and apply for the grant until March 2007, said Welford.
Chopping EnerGuide will hurt Sudbury’s economy, said Fraser Rees of
Canspec Inspection Services of Sudbury.
“Those federal energy conservation grants have enticed Sudbury
homeowners to spend additional money, totalling $5.5 million in
Sudbury’s economy,” said Rees.
The main part of Canspec’s business is delivering the EnerGuide
For Houses program.
Funding for the $44 million EnerGuide for Houses was axed in the
May 2 federal budget but official notice only occurred last weekend
on the Natural Resources Canada website.
Rees said the Harper government has also ended funding for the One-Tonne Challenge program that local organizations like EarthCare Sudbury and its community partners have championed to curb energy use in Sudbury.
Rees told Northern Life that a communiqué from Natural Resources
Canada on Wednesday tells service providers that “any publications
that refer to the EnerGuide grants or the One-Tonne Challenge
should be recycled. Lawn signs should also be recycled and wooden
stakes discarded.”
Rees anticipates more cuts are coming.
“In fact, we are fearing that the federal Office of Energy Efficiency will be axed as well. They co-ordinate energy efficiency efforts across the country, including the popular Energy Star appliance labelling program. That would be terrible considering the energy crisis we are facing in Ontario,” said Rees.
