Changes in the way energy efficiency grants are provided by the provincial government will provide better results for clients and the environment and make more effective use of existing funds, says Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Paula Biggar.
“Government is committed to helping Islanders become more energy efficient and save energy through conservation measures,” said Minister Biggar in a statement to the Legislative Assembly. “We will continue to work with Islanders to identify opportunities to invest in efficiencies that can save money and reduce our environmental footprint.”
Following a third-party review, a number of changes have been made for residential clients, including a shift from grants to rebates. This means that clients will now submit an application after the work has been completed to better reflect their actual costs. There is also a move to performance-based funding instead of funding based on the cost of material or equipment. This means the more energy is saved, the greater the funding. Incentives will also be provided for home energy audits, enabling homeowners to make better informed decisions.
Specific programming will be offered to low income Islanders to help them save energy costs.
The former Office of Energy Efficiency has been renamed efficiencyPEI. It will be more focussed on information, public awareness and education and engagement.
The changes were effective April 1.
Over the past eight years, the Office of Energy Efficiency has been supporting residents and businesses to reduce their energy costs and become more energy efficient.
- more than $7 million in grants has been provided to over 8,000 residential clients
- $9.4 million has been provided to 1,175 clients through loans repayable from energy savings
- more than 3,500 low-income clients have received funding to weather-proof their homes.
- a total of 500 businesses have received funding to reduce their energy consumption
Prince Edward Island is part of a national dialogue on climate protection and climate change adaptation, and energy is an important factor in this work.
“Government is proud to support Islanders in their efforts to protect our environment,” said Communities, Land and Environment Minister Robert Mitchell. “Today’s announcement of new energy conservation initiatives supports our goal to implement measures that take a proactive step towards mitigating the adverse affects of climate change.”