The province is putting its new Climate Change Strategy into action by investing $100 million from the Ontario Green Investment Fund to take advantage of the economic and job opportunities in clean technologies and to help homeowners reduce their energy bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
In partnership with Enbridge Gas Distribution and Union Gas, the program will help about 37,000 homeowners conduct audits to identify energy-saving opportunities and then complete retrofits, such as replacing furnaces, water heaters and upgrading insulation. It will also help spur innovation and create jobs in clean energy industries. Full program details, including program start date, eligible project details and amounts, will be available in the coming months. This new $100 million investment is expected to save an equivalent of 1.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
Glen Murray, Ontario's Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced the initiative indicating, "Improving energy efficiency in the home is one of the most important actions we can take in the fight against climate change. This investment will help homeowners upgrade their homes and save money, while keeping Ontario on the path toward a low carbon future." Minister Murray will be speaking at the EQ Housing Innovation Forum next week (Feb. 25) in the closing keynote titled, "Conquering Carbon".