Take Action: Federal Energuide Program must not be cut
Sierra Club of Canada - ACTION ALERTMay 15th, 2006
Take Action: Prime Minister Harper Must Reverse the Cuts to Federal Energuide Program
Striking another blow to federal climate change programs, the Harper government on May 12, 2006 ordered immediate termination of the highly effective Energuide for Houses program. Sierra Club of Canada seeks your assistance in bringing back and expanding Energuide for Houses program.
EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Incentive (EGHRI) provides performance-based grants to homeowners who make energy efficiency investments in their homes. EnerGuide for Low Income Households (EGLIH), a new program launched in 2006, pays the full cost of energy efficiency upgrades for qualifying low-income households. Both programs have been cancelled.
The Harper government has said they want to do away with ineffective programs. With this latest cut, they are showing they don’t want demonstrably effective Climate change programs either. 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 savings at current energy prices. Besides saving money, EnerGuide for Houses encourages home improvement investments ($5,000-$7,000 per grant) that create hundreds of jobs and business opportunities, and generate tax revenues for government.
EnerGuide for Houses is a proven energy efficiency program that bolsters our economy, creates jobs and improves our environment. With greenhouse gas emissions now at 30% above 1990 levels, rather than working hard to reduce emissions, the Harper government is undoing much of the progress made in the last fifteen years.
Write to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Environment Minister Rona Ambrose, Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn and remind them of the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tell them that the energuide program should be expanded. Their minority government has no mandate to dismantle our climate change programs.
Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, K1A 0A2
Phone: (613) 992-4211
E-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca
Minister of the Environment
Honourable Rona Ambrose
Room 163 East Block
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 996-9778
E-mail: Ambror@parl.gc.ca
Minister of Natural Resources
Honourable Gary Lunn
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 996-1119
E-mail: PLunnG@parl.gc.ca
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Sierra Club of/du Canada
412-1 Nicholas St., Ottawa, ON, K1N 7B7
phone: 613-241-4611, fax: 613-241-2292
communications@sierraclub.ca .
posted by Annamarie at
10:58 PM
4 comment(s):
Thanks for your comment. That is something to think about for sure. Yes, probably the old program was rife with fraud and corruption. However, many people did use the Energuide properly, as it was intended. I just hope Harper does indeed replace it with something similar that is workable and accountable.
I am just sceptical about governments in general, be they Conservative or Liberal, and think that sadly, corruption seems to be part of the scenario. As a taxpayer and home owner, this makes me very angry, yet I know there is nothing I can do about it.
However, the Sierra Club does some very good things and I don't think they got rich from the grants they received from the Liberals. But then again, what do I really know except that my utilities and taxes keep going up and up at an alarming rate, our environment is getting worse and we are in a mess.
You take care too.
best,
amd
By
Annamarie, at
1:21 AM
Seems to me that hearhere knows an awful lot about the Cons secret plans which makes me think s/he is a hack out to quiet any action on the part of environmentalists.
By
berlynn, at
12:28 PM
LOL.
BTW I read that the provinces will be reinstating the Energuide, or at least their version of it. It is an important program that is good for homeowners and the environment. We have to start somewhere.
I guess Harper just wanted the provinces to look after it, so it seems he's achieved that objective. Who knows, maybe the provinces can do a better job anyway. We pay our taxes to both the feds and our provinces, so as long as the job gets done and programs that are good are available, that's what matters to me.
By
Annamarie, at
12:24 AM
You certainly seem to know what you are talking about. Thank you for the info.
By
Annamarie, at
1:50 AM
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