City of Waterloo Asks Federal Government to Reinstate Funding to EnerGuide

A regular meeting of the Council of The Corporation of the City of Waterloo was held on May 29, 2006 at 3:05 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 100 Regina Street South, Waterloo, Ontario.

DELEGATIONS

b) Mary Jane Patterson, Residential Energy Efficiency Project
Re: EnerGuide for Houses Program

Mary Jane Patterson, Manager, Residential Energy Efficiency Project (REEP), advised that the Federal government cancelled the EnerGuide for Houses program effective May 13, 2006, and requested Council to urge the Federal Government to re-instate the program as soon as possible.

Tom Bird spoke in support of the EnerGuide for Houses Program and noted the home evaluations include a list of customized steps to make homes more comfortable and energy efficient. Mr. Bird voiced his concern that the Federal funding cuts will make the program inaccessible to homeowners.

Shannon Pennington advised of her concern with the cancellation of the program by the Federal Government. Ms. Pennington advised that the EnerGuide for Houses program is an effective, relatively inexpensive, well-used, highly regarded, made-in-Canada plan to reduce residential energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and requested Council’s support in urging the Federal Government to continue funding the program.

Moved by Councillor Bolger, seconded by Councillor McLean:

“WHEREAS there is an ongoing commitment by all levels of government, across Canada, to encourage energy conservation and the reduction of green house gas emissions in both the public and private sectors, including;

• The Federation of Canadian Municipalities aim for a reduction of 20% in Greenhouse Gases within 10 years.

• The Partners for Climate Protection Program refer to a 20%-25% reduction in emissions from a 2004 baseline by 2012.

• A number of municipalities within Ontario have set targets for their reduction in energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions ranging from 5% to 25% by 2012.

• The City of Waterloo will attempt to reduce energy use and greenhouse emission intensity by 20% by 2012 using 2004 levels as a baseline.

AND WHEREAS Canadian homes, including those within the Region of Waterloo, are an important focus for emission reduction targets, given that the housing sector is responsible for 17 per cent of total secondary energy consumed in Canada. EnerGuide for Houses (EGH) provides a practical and proven tool with which to help individuals make energy efficiency gains, thus furthering Canada’s emission reduction achievements;

AND WHEREAS Waterloo Region has some of the worst air quality in the province, and decreasing energy use in the residential sector will reduce airborne emissions, helping to minimize smog days and improve air quality. The Region’s young, elderly and sufferers of asthma, heart and respiratory disease will benefit.

AND WHEREAS EnerGuide for Houses, Canada’s energy efficiency advice and rating system has been widely acclaimed, internationally, as the most successful among Kyoto-influenced energy conservation initiatives. It is a “made in Canada”, science based, audit tool; delivered by certified advisors, that includes air leakage diagnostics, along with computerized energy modeling. As part of the program there is also a Retrofit Incentive benefits program available. The incentive is not a “rebate,” nor is it tied to amount spent – it’s a reward for results achieved. The grant generates greatly increased participation, and gets participants to take action, to act quickly, and to complete deeper retrofits than otherwise may have been done. The result is bill savings, and enhanced economic and environmental impacts. For the period from Oct. 2003 to Mar. 2006 as a follow up to the original assessment, under the EnerGuide for Houses program, there were over 52,000 retrofit incentive grant recipients:

• Participants in the EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Incentive save an average of 28 per cent on their energy bills. That’s $750 a year – or $18,750 in lifetime (25 year) savings at current energy prices. In addition to cost savings, participants who make energy saving improvements based on EGH recommendations improve indoor air quality and home comfort, and reduce their personal greenhouse gas emissions by 2 to 4 tonnes per year. As fuel prices continue to rise, the value of homes that are energy efficient will also rise, providing a further benefit to individuals.

• Besides saving money, EnerGuide for Houses also leverages home improvement investments ($5,000-$7,000 per grant) that create hundreds of jobs and business opportunities (usually in the local community) and generate tax revenues for government. Business stimulus due to retrofit spending by grant recipients to date total $260 million. It is estimated that over $3,000,000 has been spent in Waterloo Region to date by REEP customers retrofitting their homes. The continuation of the EnerGuide for Houses program is vital to support the industry needed to make energy efficiency happen.

• The federal subsidy, for the EnerGuide for Houses program makes the service more accessible and affordable, and increases participation.

AND WHEREAS Over 300,000 EnerGuide for Houses evaluations have been performed across Canada, more than a third of them in 2005-06. In Waterloo Region, REEP, a not-for-profit initiative founded by the University of Waterloo and the Elora Centre for Environmental Excellence has performed over 7,500 evaluations to date. Since 2003, REEP’s customers have reduced harmful C02 emissions by 2,374 tonnes and have received a corresponding $535,656 in federal grants to reward them for energy saving home improvements. In addition, REEP has attended countless community events, delivering public education on energy and environment issues to local residents. REEP has also maintained a strong research component, studying attitudes and behavior with respect to home energy use. Over 80 co-op jobs and nine current full-time positions have been created by REEP in this community.

AND WHEREAS hundreds of Canadian businesses and organizations have invested heavily in making EGH a success, explaining the service to homeowners, forming countless partnerships to help with delivery, and training and equipping an army of certified energy advisors. Provincial governments and utilities have created numerous programs that piggy-back on the federal EnerGuide program. In this Region, valued supporters include the Region of Waterloo, the Cities of Kitchener and Cambridge, Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro, Kitchener Utilities, Cambridge and North Dumfries Hydro and Waterloo North Hydro.

AND WHEREAS the City of Waterloo is vitally interested in its citizens having the widest possible access to the growing number of government programs and services to further community education, to improve air quality and encourage energy conservation and benefit the environment, economic vitality along with the health and well being of all our citizens;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1) the Council of The Corporation of the City of Waterloo understands the value and significance of the EnerGuide for Houses program, and its role in our community, and calls on the Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of the Environment and the Minister of Natural Resources to:

a) reinstate, immediately, the EnerGuide for Houses program and the EnerGuide for Low income Houses program, including the Retrofit Incentive program across Canada as a vital resource that works across sectors to meet the demands of the new knowledge-based, environmentally responsible and energy wise economy, and supports the future health and prosperity of Ontario and all of Canada;

b) ensure that any, future, changes or enhancements to this program will retain the intent and integrity of this, quantifiably, successful program; and

2) that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Prime Minister of Canada, the Minister of the Environment of Canada and the Minister of Natural Resources of Canada, the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Energy of Ontario, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and all area municipalities and local members of Provincial and Federal Parliament so that the Province of Ontario or other Municipalities might consider passing their own resolution, and

3) that REEP, as the local representative of the EnerGuide for Houses program, be requested to circulate this resolution to all EnerGuide for Houses representatives, across the Country, requesting support for this resolution.”

Carried
4 Voting in Favour
1 Voting in Opposition
(COUNCILLOR D’AILLY)