Province Offers Additional Energy Efficiency Rebates, Promotes Solar Energy

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Homeowners looking to save energy costs by making homes more energy efficient can now receive rebates from both the provincial and federal government.

Under the federal government's new ecoEnergy retrofit program, and the provincial government's Nova Scotia EnerGuide for Houses program, homeowners can get a maximum of $6,500 in rebates. The maximum provincial rebate is $1,500. Based on previous energy-efficiency programs, the combined federal and provincial average grant is expected to be $1,600. Actual amounts depend on the type of work completed on the home.

Energy-efficiency programs can cut about 30 per cent of energy costs permanently and remove about seven tonnes of greenhouse-gas emissions annually per household. Efficiency improvements pay for themselves through energy savings within two to five years, on average.

"Helping Nova Scotians improve the energy performance of their homes is an initiative that makes economic and environmental sense," said Bill Dooks, Minister responsible for Conserve Nova Scotia. "By working with the federal government, we expect even more Nova Scotians to take part in our programs, improve the comfort of their homes, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions."

The ecoEnergy program is based on a home-energy evaluation. Under the program, a certified energy evaluator measures the energy performance of the home and assigns it a rating. The homeowner has 18 months to complete energy efficient upgrades before a secondary energy evaluation. Rebates are applied to work that has been carried out. The cost to participate in the program is $450, however, the provincial government is subsidizing two-thirds of the home evaluation costs. Homeowners pay $150 plus tax to participate in the program. Some service providers may charge additional recovery fees for travel.

The province will rebate the entire cost of the audit for low-income participants. To qualify, homeowners must have a net single income of less than $25,000 or a net family income of less than $40,000. Participants will also receive a $400 grant from Conserve Nova Scotia.

Three organizations in Nova Scotia offer the evaluation service:
-- Sustainable Housing,(provincewide, including Halifax Regional Municipality) 1-877-722-2842
-- Clean Nova Scotia,(Halifax Regional Municipality) 1-800-665-5377
-- Atlantic Coastal Action Program,(Cape Breton Regional Municipality) 902-567-1628.

The new ecoEnergy program identifies a specific federal rebate amount for each energy retrofit measure. The provincial government is matching select federal rebates through the Nova Scotia EnerGuide for Houses program. Matching rebates are available to homeowners for attic, exterior wall, basement and crawl-space insulation. Rebates for insulation range from $200 to $1,500. A provincial rebate of $150 is also available for air sealing.

Homeowners who install ENERGY STAR qualified doors, windows, and skylights can get a matching provincial rebate of $30 per unit replaced.

The province is offering a $250 rebate for indirect hot water heaters installed with a low water mass oil or gas boiler.

Homeowners that install a domestic solar hot water system can get a provincial rebate of $500. A 10 per cent rebate for installing solar commercial and industrial hot water systems is unchanged. To help encourage more business to convert to solar hot water heating, the Department of Energy is providing $40,000 to the Ecology Action Centre's Solar Gain Project.

The investment in the Solar Gain Project means up to 500 new panels could be installed in Nova Scotia during the next two years.

"Now is the time to take advantage of solar energy," said Wayne Groszko, Solar Gain Project Co-ordinator. "Incentives are available, solar panels save fuel costs and reduce emissions, and they provide a green marketing edge for your business."

The Solar Gain Project will target laundromats, motels, hotels, apartment buildings and other major hot-water users.

Information on the ecoEnergy program and the matching Nova Scotia EnerGuide for Houses rebates is available on www.conservens.ca or by calling 1-800-670-4636. Information on the Solar Gain Project is available at http://www.solargain.ca or by calling 902-442-0199.

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FOR BROADCAST USE:

     If you're considering making your home more energy

efficient, the provincial and federal government is making it

more attractive to your pocket book.

     Minister responsible for Conserve Nova Scotia Bill Dooks

announced new and matching rebates today (April 2nd) that

complement the federal ecoEnergy Retrofit program.

     Under the new program, homeowners can get up to six-

thousand-five-hundred dollars in federal and provincial rebates.

The average rebate is expected to be one-thousand-six-hundred

dollars.

     Program information is available on the web at w-w-w dot

conserve n-s dot c-a or by calling 1-800-670-4636. Information on

the Solar Gain Project is available at w-w-w dot solar gain dot

c-a or by calling 902-442-0199.


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Media Contact: John Muir
              Conserve Nova Scotia
              902-424-6260
              E-mail: muirja@gov.ns.ca

              Matthew Lumley
              Department of Energy
              902-424-0794
              E-mail: lumleymw@gov.ns.ca