Manitoba Hydro Announces Energy Conservation Programs

WINNIPEG -- (UPI) -- Manitoba Hydro is introducing a series of new energy conservation initiatives under its Power Smart(r) Program to help alleviate the impact of rising natural gas costs, Greg Selinger, minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, and Bob Brennan, president and CEO of Manitoba Hydro, announced today.

"It has been 10 years since Manitobans have had access to a comprehensive loan and energy audit program that will help homeowners make the improvements needed to reduce the amount of energy they consume," Selinger said. "I would like to congratulate Manitoba Hydro on its efforts to help Manitobans address the rising cost of home heating."

The initiatives--which include assisting homeowners conduct home audits and providing low-interest financing for those interested in retrofitting their homes--are designed to provide residential and commercial customers with the information, expertise, and financial support needed to reduce their energy costs through conservation.

"Through our Power Smart Program, we've proven time and time again that conservation is a powerful tool for lowering energy costs. Now, we're proud to use this program to offer Manitobans some exciting new ways to reduce their energy consumption and consequently, their energy bills", said Bob Brennan, President and CEO of Manitoba Hydro.

Brennan added that he expects one of the most popular of the new initiatives will be a convenient, low-interest financing program for residential customers. Under this initiative, customers will be eligible to receive a $5,000 loan toward renovation projects undertaken to increase the energy efficiency of their homes. These loans will be provided at an interest rate of 8.5% and will be repayable on their Hydro bill over a five year term. Loans will be available to homeowners wanting to perform their own renovations and those who wish to hire a contractor to complete their retrofitting projects.

Another initiative which is certain to prove popular offers an array of three home energy audit options. Customers wishing to perform their own audits will be provided with a free energy checklist to help them determine what measures they can take to improve their home's energy efficiency.

Customers wanting to undertake a more detailed audit can take advantage of a low-cost, on-line audit. Through the on-line audit, household data obtained from customers will be reviewed by Manitoba Hydro energy efficiency experts who will, in turn, provide a report outlining recommendations for retrofitting, along with the costs and savings related to those recommendations.

Finally, customers who would prefer a detailed and personalized home energy report will be able to arrange for an in-home audit to be conducted by Manitoba Hydro specialists at a nominal $100 fee. After conducting a comprehensive audit, these specialists will provide a detailed retrofit plan designed specifically for the customer's home.

Another initiative to be introduced especially with the homeowner and residential contractors in mind is an information line which will handle requests for energy efficiency resource materials, provide simple energy tips and allow customers with specific or complicated questions to access energy experts. Energy efficiency resource materials to be made available include comprehensive booklets on a variety of energy saving topics and specialized topic expert sheets. The number to call is 1-888-MBHYDRO.

Commercial customers too, will benefit from these new initiatives, through Manitoba Hydro's Power Smart Energy Manager Program. Under this program, dedicated Energy Managers will provide commercial customers with innovative solutions for integrating continuous energy efficiency improvements in their businesses, to reduce their energy consumption and to maximize the use of their energy dollars.