Harper budget eliminates national ecoENERGY Retrofit-Homes Program, devastates energy savings industry; Ontario hardest hit by cuts

Mar 29th, 2012 12:07 PM

Media Release (Vancouver, BC, March 29, 2012) In Budget 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper eliminated the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit - Homes program. This will result in immediate job losses in every Canadian community. Ontario is now the only Canadian province without an active home energy retrofit incentive program. Prime Minister Harper’s cut means that Ontario’s energy savings industry has no support whatsoever, as the Ontario Home Energy Savings Program was eliminated in last year’s Ontario budget. By failing to reinstate a provincial retrofit program in his Ontario 2012 Budget, Premier McGuinty has colluded with Prime Minister Harper to decimate the energy savings industry in the country’s most populous province. “Hundreds of Ontario energy savings companies will be forced to downsize, lay off staff, or shut down altogether,” says Jeff Murdock, vice-president of Building Insight Technologies, an energy audit company in Ontario and British Columbia and a supporter of Canada’s Save ecoENERGY Coalition. “Ontario’s energy savings industry will be devastated by long-term job losses.” “With Canada poised to invest billions in new energy projects like oil sands, nuclear and wind farms, the one-two punch of Harper’s actions and Premier McGuinty’s failure to reinstate support for Ontario’s energy savings industry is disastrous,” stated Murdock. “Just because Canada is blessed with energy, doesn’t mean we should waste it.” Murdock stated, "I am shocked by Premier McGuinty’s lack of support for conservation. After all, energy conservation is very closely related to the green energy initiatives and policies he has promoted.” Public support for retrofit incentive programs is strong. According to a recent Ipsos Reid poll undertaken for the Ontario Real Estate Association, 92 per cent of Ontario homeowners think government should create more incentives for homeowners to make environmentally friendly and energy efficient renovations to their homes. Energy efficiency should be at the top of Canada’s energy and jobs agenda, not the bottom. Learn more about the Save ecoENERGY Coalition at SaveEnergyFirst.ca.
-30-
For more information, or to schedule interviews, contact: Jeff Murdock, 604-785-9109, jmurdock@buildinginsight.com