Small businesses in the four provinces with a national carbon price will share $1.4 billion over the next four years to help them reduce their energy use but business-owners say they are getting the short end of the rebate stick.

Environment Minister Catherine McKenna unveiled two carbon-tax rebate programs for small business Thursday morning in Ottawa, nearly two months after the new carbon price began being applied in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick.

“It took a while, to be honest, to get the details right,” McKenna said.

She said she wanted to make sure the program will be workable and easy for businesses to use, promising quick turnaround time for a direct rebate program to offset up to half the costs for small businesses to buy more energy efficient equipment or appliances.

It’s expected the rebates will be worth $44 million this year. The maximum rebate for any individual business will be $20,000.

More details on what equipment or retrofits will be eligible for what level of rebate won’t be available until regulations are delivered after the Liberal government’s budget-implementation bill passes in Parliament. McKenna said the idea is to include things like refrigerators, dishwashers and anti-idling devices for vehicles to help everyone from farmers to convenience-store owners and restaurateurs.

“We wanted very practical things that will help small businesses save money,” she said.

A separate program will give rebates for retrofits that make their businesses use less energy. That program, which is to cost about $106 million this year, will be for projects of up to $1 million.

Article courtesy Global News.