Federal program aimed at lowering household energy bills launches in Manitoba

A federal program offering free energy-efficient retrofits for Manitoba houses launches.

The federal government has launched a new initiative to help low to median-income households reduce their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Canada Greener Homes Affordability Program will deliver nearly $30 million in federal funding, matched by the province, so that 7,000 Manitoba households can access free and efficient retrofits, according to Tim Hodgson, Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

“Canadians should not be feeling like they cannot make choices with their income because their family budgets are stretched too thin on essentials like heating and cooling their homes,” Hodgson said during a Friday news conference in Winnipeg.

Participants of the program will not have to pay out of pocket for the retrofits, which can include insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, windows and other upgrades, due to a direct-installation model.

Manitoba will be the first jurisdiction in the country to implement the program, delivered through the province’s Crown corporation Efficiency Manitoba, though Hodgson is hopeful that other provinces and territories will join the program through partnerships.

Colleen Kuruluk, CEO of Efficiency Manitoba, said nearly 40 per cent of homes in the province will qualify for the program based on income levels.

The program will also be available to tenants and will provide funding to Indigenous governments and Indigenous organizations for energy efficiency programming through existing agreements.

“This helps families reduce their energy bills, one of the biggest household costs, and it makes a real impact in everyday lives,” said Mike Moyes, Manitoba’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Moyes said the program builds on the Affordable Home Energy Program launched by the province in June which supported Manitobans transitioning to energy-efficient heat pumps.

Julie Dabrusin, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, was also in Winnipeg for the announcement and said the program is complementary to the federal Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Program that is already available to Manitobans.

Though eligibility in the program is dependent on household income, Kuruluk noted that Efficiency Manitoba has programs available for all Manitobans to assist with energy efficient retrofits.

Moyes said Manitobans looking to enroll the in latest program should contact Efficiency Manitoba.