Ottawa defrays cost of curbing energy waste

- This coming year, an estimated 55,000 Canadians will use free money from Ottawa to find out how to save big bucks on their monthly heating and air-conditioning bills.

They join the 78,000 who have already taken advantage of subsidies from the $73-million federal Energuide for Houses Retrofit Incentive program since its 1998 launch.

Under the program, Ottawa pays half of the $300 cost of a home energy evaluation until the program expires in spring, 2007. The result is a checklist of what homeowners can do to make their residences more energy-efficient.

The federal government's largesse does not end there, however. About a third of those homeowners will cash in on federal grants for following through on the energy-efficiency evaluations Ottawa subsidizes, say federal spokespeople. The grant part of the program was announced last Oct. 15. If homeowners do the evaluation, then make the changes needed to save fuel oil, natural gas or electricity, they can qualify for up to $3,348 in retrofit grants. As of Jan. 1, about 300 homeowners had already applied. "As you can see by the numbers, the program is proving very popular across Canada," says Barbara Mullally-Pauly, chief of the housing program in Natural Resources Canada's office of energy efficiency.

"We estimate that the average household will save four metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year by taking advantage of the program. We also think the homes will average savings of between 32 per cent and 38 per cent a year on energy bills by making some or all of the changes the evaluations call for."

The goal of Energuide is really two-fold. The first is to reduce a growing demand for limited energy resources. The second is to help Canada meet its obligations under agreements like the Kyoto Accord.

Along the way, homeowners can get back some of the money they pay in taxes to make both these happen.

The rules are simple, Ms. Mullally-Pauly says. First comes the energy evaluation. Families living in owner- occupied, low-rise housing can either call a toll-free number (1-800-387-2000) or go to Energuide's Web site (http://www.energuideforhouses.ca) to get details of the program. They then select an approved energy evaluation provider from companies that have bid on and won contracts from Ottawa to carry out evaluations.

The homeowner makes an appointment for an in-house inspection, a process that can take up to two hours, Ms. Mullally-Pauley says."Part of it is installing a giant blower in the house, pulling the air out and identifying places where the air rushes in from outside to replace it," she explains.

The evaluator creates an extensive checklist of everything the homeowner can do to improve heating and cooling efficiency, from caulking around windows to replacing an aging furnace. The list is arranged in order of priority and each upgrade is given a point value. The homeowner is given a written report, complete with checklist, for changes and how to carry them out. The evaluator sends an electronic copy of the document to Ms. Mullally-Pauly's office.

The cost is $150 to the homeowner; Ottawa picks up the balance of the $300 fee, paying the evaluation company directly.

If the homeowner makes some or all of the changes on the evaluation checklist within 18 months, he or she calls the evaluation company back for a second inspection. Improvement in efficiency is measured and each change is given a point value. The inspector subtracts the old point value from the new one and gives the homeowner a written scorecard.

The final step is for the homeowner to fill in and sign the inspector's final report and mail it to Natural Resources Canada. The evaluation company sends its copy electronically. When Energuide staff members receive both copies, they translate the gain in scoring points into a dollar figure and process the grant cheque.

"It really is a good deal for everyone," she says. The subsidy makes the inspection cost affordable and gives homeowners an accurate idea of what they must do to save money on heating bills.

Following through on some or all of the changes means both significantly reduced monthly energy bills over the long term and part of the cost shifted to Ottawa in the short-term. "Homeowners can choose to do some of the improvements themselves. There probably isn't a house in Canada that couldn't benefit from a good caulking job. Getting grants need not require using professionals."