Group protests cancellation of energy program

QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC - A coalition of community and consumers groups is denouncing the governmentÂ’s decision to cancel a program that helps low-income families improve their energy efficiency.

The Éconologis program, which has been in place for a decade, helps 15,000 families a year at an annual cost of about $4 million, said Charles Tanguay of the Union des Consommateurs.

"You can have an electronic thermostat," said Tanguay. "You can have a shower device to reduce your water consumption and you have also basic advices that can help for the future for those households to reduce their energy bill."

The governmentÂ’s Energy Efficiency Agency has requested permission from the provinceÂ’s Energy Board to cancel the program effective April 1.

But the decision is no joke, said the groups.

The Econologis program has been effective in helping low income families reduce their energy consumption at a time when energy costs are rising, the groups said.

The program is also good for the environment since low-income families often have old inefficient appliances and live in poorly insulted buildings, the group said.

The new program will also apply only to property owners, leaving renters out in the cold, the groups said.