Home energy costs have increased in BC, including electricity rates going up by 3.72 per cent over the next two years. In places like the qathet region, folks often see even higher bills, due to inefficient home insulation, thin window panes and the type of home heating used, such as oil and propane.
Ecotrust Canada is a registered charity that works with rural and remote communities and is expanding its Home Energy Savings Program to Powell River, District of Mount Waddington and Prince Rupert, with the intention to help households struggling with high energy bills make their homes more efficient and comfortable.
Ecotrust has partnered with City of Powell River to launch the program with two workshops on Thursday, March 27, at Powell River Recreation Complex.
"The majority of housing stock in all three regions is over 20 years old and would benefit greatly from energy retrofits," said Ecotrust home energy savings program manager Michael-Anthony Lutfy. "Currently, provincial rebates are offered for new windows, upgrading insulation and switching to a heat pump."
Lutfy said the program is a free service that supports households through one-on-one coaching, guides people through the provincial rebate process, and helps connect homeowners with registered contractors to get their energy retrofit completed.
"Our services come at no cost to participants and prioritize renovations that lower energy expenses, enhance home comfort and mitigate pollution stemming from home heating," said Lutfy. "There are knowledge gaps and some misinformation floating around about the cost of making a home more energy efficient."
Lutfy acknowledged that there are also barriers to accessing contractors in rural and remote areas, and believes this program will help lower those barriers.
"The rebates aren't just about heat pumps, but there's also insulation, air sealing windows; those also contribute to the home's comfort and health," said Lutfy. "Of course, in the event of a power outage, having improved insulation and improved windows also extends the amount of time that your home will stay warm and decreases the amount of wood you would have to burn."
Aside from the two workshops at the recreation complex, homeowners can register with the energy savings program if they can't attend.
"The energy renovations are called retrofits, and the retrofits we encourage are ones that are most often covered by the rebate structures," said Lutfy. "Our service is one-on-one coaching, which is the most effective way to help households, because it's not just about information and finding the right rebate.
“There is also a lot of support [from the program], whether it's financial planning, project management, knowing how to speak to contractors or interpreting what the contractor is recommending."
To find out how to register for the Home Energy Savings Program, go to ecotrust.ca/innovation/homeenergysavingsprogram/our-process.
The workshops at the recreation complex begin at 2 and 6:30 pm.
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