$73 million earmarked for retrofitting

Homeowners with rusting furnaces and draughty windows may find some comfort in the new federal climate change package.

Of the $1 billion the government has pledged toward implementing the Kyoto Protocol, $73.4 million was earmarked for subsidies to Canadians who retrofit their homes to make them more energy efficient.

Details of the plan will not be finalized until it is launched this fall, but it will likely be modelled on pilot projects in Toronto and Peterborough.

"It's an excellent step — it should double or triple the number of people participating in the retrofitting program," said Clifford Maynes, executive director of the Green Communities Association, which helps facilitate both pilot projects.

The Toronto Atmospheric Fund currently offers homeowners an average of $850 for building renovations that cut energy use. To get the subsidy, homeowners must have their houses tested on a rating system developed by a program called EnerGuide at Natural Resources Canada.

The inspection costs $150 and provides homeowners with a detailed report that lists problems and suggests repairs. If homeowners go ahead with the renovations, the program helps pay for upgrades that boost energy efficiency, such as better insulation, sealing, weatherstripping, windows, ventilation and heating equipment.

The size of the subsidies, which range between $135 and $2,000, depends on how much energy the renovations save.

"Canadians have been spending $20 to $23 billion a year toward renovating and fixing houses. We're just trying to tap into an activity that people are already engaged in," said Barbara Mullally Pauly of the office of energy efficiency at Natural Resources Canada.

The federal plan will make the subsidies currently offered to Toronto homeowners available nationwide, and will complement existing municipal plans.

"In Toronto, the program has a fairly low profile. This announcement should make more people aware that it exists," said Maynes.

Environmental advocates applauded the government's announcement yesterday, but the small pool of funds allocated to the plan raised some eyebrows.

For more information about the retrofit subsidy program, phone 1-800-387-2000 or see http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/houses-maisons/.

The Toronto Star