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Harper Government Stops Support for Energy Efficient Housing. Program would have saved over $1 billion.

May 10, 2005

The Government of Canada has reportedly cancelled the five-year $500 million national low-income energy efficiency program, known as EnerGuide for Low-Income Households (EGLIH).

Energy retrofits can save a quarter to a third of energy bills – estimated at $500 annually. Cancellation of EGLIH will deprive 130,000 low-income Canadian households of the benefits of significantly lower energy bills through reduced consumption.

Total net savings from EGLIH would exceed $1 Billion. In effect, the government has cancelled a program that would make Canadians $1 Billion richer.

Last November, the Conservatives under Stephen Harper voted unanimously for Bill C-66, which approved five-year funding for EGLIH. Now, just as delivery is getting underway in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, PEI and the Yukon, EGLIH has been cancelled.

No alternative is in place to achieve bill savings in Canada’s low-income housing, which is generally older and less efficient than average. Cancellation of EGLIH also means an end to other program co-benefits, including: job creation and business opportunities in completing home energy retrofits, environmental gains, including reduction in emissions of atmospheric pollutants. (Average CO2 reduction per house: 3.4 tonnes/year.)

Related Information

Ottawa should reconsider cuts to popular EnerGuide for Houses programs /
EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Incentive (EGHRI) factsheet

EnerGuide for Low Income Houses factsheet (EGLIH)

Programs that piggyback onto NRCan’s housing programs

Contact information for communicating with the federal government

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
pm@pm.gc.ca
Prime Minister's Office
Langevin Block 80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2
Telephone: (613) 992-4211
fax: (613) 941-6900

Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn
Gary.Lunn@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca
580 Booth Street, 21st Floor, Room: C7-1
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E4
Telephone: (613) 996-2007
Fax: (613) 996-4516

Diane Finley, Minister Responsible for CMHC
diane.finley@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0J9
Telephone: (819) 994-2482
Fax: (819) 994-0448

Environment Minister Rona Ambrose
Ambrose.R@parl.gc.ca
Environment Canada
Minister's Office (Parliament Hill)
East Block, Room 163
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 996-9778
Fax: (613) 996-0785

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty
Flaherty.J@parl.gc.ca
House of Commons
Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-6344
Fax: (613) 992-8320