NDP introduces motion to save popular home retrofit program

With Conservatives, Canada is falling behind on clean energy investments

OTTAWA – The ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes program was so popular with Canadians—reducing heating bills, helping the environment, and creating clean energy jobs—that the NDP wants Parliament to review its cancellation by the Conservative government.

“Let’s hear firsthand about the positive impact this program was having and consider making the home retrofit program permanent,” said New Democrat Natural Resources critic Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt) as he filed his motion to be considered at the Natural Resources Committee on Thursday.

“While the Conservatives chase every pipeline project, here’s a proven success story for our economy and our environment that they ended prematurely in January, cut without warning and for the second time in two years.”

A quarter of a million Canadians used the program, with the government’s own numbers showing that households that participated saved, on average, $700 per year per $2000 spent on utilities; they also reduced energy consumption by over 20 per cent and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 3 tonnes per house.

“Roughly 1,000 businesses that specialize in energy efficiency might have to close their doors if the program is not renewed,” said New Democrat MP Anne-Marie Day (Charlesbourg-Haute Saint-Charles), also on the Natural Resources Committee. “Thousands of households will not be entitled to these subsidies. With no work done, there are no jobs and no energy savings.”

The Save EcoENERGY Coalition, noting the billions being spent on oil sands and fossil fuels, want the government to focus too on energy savings and energy efficiency.