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.
