Funding announced to help low-income households switch to heat pumps in N.B.
Announcement welcome but lacking support for renters, advocate says
An announcement Friday between the federal and provincial governments means more funding is available for New Brunswickers looking to transition from home heating oil to heat pumps.
Low- to median-income homeowners can now apply on the N.B. Power website to receive up to $15,000 in subsidies.
The grants are meant to fully cover the average cost of a home-heating-oil-to-heat-pump conversion for homeowners who qualify.
Fredericton MP Jenica Atwin, on behalf of Federal Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, said Canadians aren't just interested in climate issues but also ensuring a "strong energy future" amidst tensions with the United States.
"Energy efficiency is a key part of the path forward," Atwin said.
"Now is the time to support low to median income households and accelerate the transition away from oil towards more efficient heating systems."
Atwin mentioned the funding announcement as part of the previous federal heat pump affordability program to help Canadians switch from oil to heat pumps, adding that over 391,000 households have done that so far.
The province's press release said about 25 per cent of households in Atlantic Canada currently heat with oil, compared to about six per cent in the rest of the country.
"We know the challenge facing New Brunswickers with high energy bills and increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather due to climate change," said New Brunswick Energy Minister René Legacy.
N.B. Power CEO Lori Clark said customers have expressed interest in managing home energy use at a time when people have increased energy dependence with working from home or charging electric vehicles.
"Heat pumps are typically two to three times more efficient than other types of electric home heating, translating into both customer savings and less pressure on our own provincial grid," Clark said.
Clark went on to highlight N.B. Power's enhanced energy savings program and the total home energy savings program as additional ways homeowners can find rebates to reduce energy use and fund home efficiency upgrades.
When asked by reporters about program accessibility, Clark said N.B. Power has implemented a navigator program to guide customers in making sure they take advantage of all programs available to them.
"I would say there's significantly more room for improvement in our programs," Clark said.
"We've seen an increased interest in all of our programs, but I would say there's more room for us to continue to educate New Brunswickers and provide information to them."
No support for renters in announcement
Randy Hatfield, executive director of the Saint John Human Development Council, said the announcement was great, but wishes it could help renters as well.
"It's a welcome additional investment for homeowners currently heating with oil, but it's by definition geared toward homeowners," Hatfield said in an interview.
He cited the latest census data that in New Brunswick's three major cities, just under half of the population rents, and therefore would be ineligible for help under this rebate.
"Renters are a tough cohort to reach because really there's no incentive for landlords to invest in energy upgrades and efficiencies because quite often energy is a separate bill for their tenants," Hatfield said.
And renters are also not financially in a position to retrofit their units with a heat pump, he said.
What's missing in New Brunswick is a-low income rebate for power bills, Hatfield said, adding that Ontario already has a similar program.
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