May 7th, 2022
Horwath announces grants and zero-interest financing for energy efficient home retrofits
BOWMANVILLE – If elected, Andrea Horwath and the NDP will launch a program to provide grants and zero-interest loans that will lower families’ energy bills, create jobs, and help Ontario cut its emissions.
“We can lower utility bills, and that’s going to help everyday families afford everyday life, and help fight the climate crisis,” said Horwath.
“Parents and grandparents want to give the next generation a cleaner, safer future — and they should be rewarded with lower bills, not stuck with the tab. This plan delivers lower costs, a greener future, and thousands of jobs.”
With Horwath’s plan:
- Families will be able to get grants of $7,000 to $11,000 for energy efficient upgrades on their home.
- For costs over the amount of the grant, Ontario will offer zero-interest financing. It’s a stress-free, on-bill, zero interest financing program, so people pay it off over time through their hydro bill.
- Qualifying upgrades include things like heat pumps, high-efficiency electric water heaters, efficient windows, insulation, deep energy retrofits and energy efficiency assessments by authorized professionals.
Electricity bills skyrocketed under the Wynne and Del Duca Liberals, who sold off Hydro One. Doug Ford claimed he would lower them, but he actually hiked them 4.5 per cent higher than Wynne’s electricity bills.
Canada is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world with fires, floods and tornadoes already threatening Ontario. The buildings sector is Ontario’s third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to 24 per cent of all emissions.
Horwath said the NDP’s climate plan includes one of the world’s largest retrofit programs, with the goal of retrofitting at least five per cent of Ontario buildings per year to be more energy efficient, ensuring new buildings meet international energy efficiency standards, and supporting 175,000 families every year to do cost-saving green retrofits on their own home.
The retrofit program for public, commercial and residential buildings will create 100,000 new, good-paying jobs and add more than $15.2 billion in economic activity by 2030. Estimates say that every $1 invested in energy conservation generates $4 in economic activity.
Background
- Climate. Jobs. Justice. The Green New Democratic Deal ensures Ontario will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030, and reach net-zero no later than 2050.
- It includes a world-leading building retrofit program to improve energy efficiency, retrofitting five per cent of Ontario buildings per year. By 2030, all newly built public, residential and commercial buildings will conform to net-zero standards. By investing in retrofits, between 2022 and 2030 Ontario could see more than $15.2 billion added to annual GDP, and 100,000 good permanent jobs created.
- For just heating energy consumption alone, a new heat pump system can reduce home heating energy consumption by 61 percent on average, and up to 87 per cent.
- For overall home energy usage, with retrofit measures and heat pump systems, Ontario households can reduce their energy consumption by 29 per cent on average, and up to 37 per cent.
- The NDP will invest $40 billion over four years in plans like the retrofit program, electrifying transit and launching Ontario’s first-ever electric vehicle strategy.
- The Doug Ford government weakened Ontario’s greenhouse gas reduction targets. Ontario’s Auditor General reported Ontario will not meet even a quarter of these weakened targets.
- Ford paid extra to rip electric vehicle charging stations out of the ground, and he gutted Conservation Authorities and flood prevention.
