Energy efficiency rebate program in N.W.T. sees 'massive' spike in interest, runs out of money
CBC
A rebate program that helps N.W.T. residents pay for energy-efficient appliances saw a "massive increase" in applications in the first year of the pandemic — and has already run out of funding for this year.
"In some ways, we're a victim of our own success," Mark Heyck, the executive director of the Arctic Energy Alliance (AEA), told CBC News.
In the last fiscal year, from April 2020 to March 2021, Heyck said the energy efficiency incentive program, which aims to reduce peoples' energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, saw an 88 per cent increase in applications over the previous year.
The organization doled out 2,382 rebates, totalling $540,000, to N.W.T. residents who bought items like Energy Star certified washers and dryers, wood and wood pellet stoves, oil furnaces, LED lighting and programmable thermostats.
"Anything that's coming in now, we're adding to a wait-list," he explained.
Heyck said the AEA had received an extra stream of funding starting in 2018 — the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund — that allowed them to top up several rebate programs for a few years.
What was left of that money, however, ran out this year after the AEA gave out $187,000, and hit its budget wall, according to Heyck.
He attributes the "massive increase" in interest in the program last year to the pandemic, the fact people were spending more money on home improvements, and awareness about greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
"And that's very much carried over to this year as well," said Heyck.
According to the AEA's annual report for 2020-2021, there were 958 rebates given out for LED lighting, making it the most popular energy-efficient product by far.
In a distant second, there were 334 rebates given out for freezers followed by 285 for washers, and 177 for refrigerators.
All of the products the AEA gave rebates for, the report calculates, helped the N.W.T. avoid emitting 810 tonnes of greenhouse gases and 1,400,000 kilowatt hours of electricity consumption per year.
The entire territory produced 1.4 megatonnes (or 1,400,000 tonnes) of greenhouse gases in 2019.
Broken down by region, 1,031 of all the rebates were distributed throughout the North Slave, while the South Slave received 541 and the Beaufort-Delta received 519. The Dehcho and Sahtu regions received 141 and 139 rebates, respectively, while the Tlicho region received just 11.
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Norman Marshall Villeneuve, iconic drummer of the Canadian jazz scene known for his musicality, mentorship and spirited passion, has died. He was 87 years old.
Nineteen years ago, Gary Conway bought a ticket to the Winnipeg Folk Festival to hear singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn.
The City of Edmonton is launching a trial period to expand its transit payment system to include direct credit and debit card transactions.
Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki made headlines last week when he said in an interview with iPolitics that humanity has lost its fight against climate change.
A firestorm of controversy has been brewing in Niagara Falls, Ont., in the weeks since a former Olympian-turned-councillor was charged with domestic assault.
The 32-year-old man who died at the Windsor jail last month is being remembered as a great man who always wanted to help those who needed it.
In one week, Patrick Cully will find out whether his five-year-old daughter Scarlet will be able to continue the life-changing therapy she's relied on for more than a year — or if long waitlists and a lack of funding will halt her progress.
As Conestoga College faces layoffs and program suspensions, the union leaders representing its employees say the toll on the workers is mounting.
Hoping to drive more people downtown and breathe more life into the area, the City of Summerside is now going over a number of recommendations on how to revitalize its downtown and waterfront.
Yukon First Nations are calling on the territorial government to repeal amendments it made in May to mining regulations.
Wanda Resmer says she didn't see the news coming.
Residents along the Toronto West Railpath are frustrated with what they say is a lack of transparency from Metrolinx on end dates for nearby construction projects, their city councillor says.
As officials try to make sense of an alleged multi-year fraud engineered so several people could personally profit from money meant to be spent on keeping London's hospitals running, CBC News dug into the people accused in the scheme.