Canada announces new Energy Savings Rebate program to help Ontarians save money and fight climate change

TORONTO, Aug. 27, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is investing in climate solutions that help Canadians reduce emissions and save money all while creating good middle-class jobs. Canadians see the impacts of climate change every day, and the Government of Canada is helping them do their part to take action.

Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, announced the launch of the Energy Savings Rebate program to help make climate action affordable for Ontarians. Through this program, a total of $200 million of support over two years will be provided to Ontario retailers to offer up to 25 percent off the purchase price of specific energy-saving products. These products can help Ontarians reduce their energy use by up to 60 percent more than using the standard models.

Ontario families or businesses looking to install electric-vehicle chargers or purchase new energy-efficient appliances—like washers, dryers, dishwashers, and refrigerators—can save up to $500 per item and up to $1,000 on water heaters and heat pumps, through this initiative. Retailers include RONA, Lowe's, Canadian Tire, Best Buy Canada, Tepperman's, and scores of others, big and small, in communities across the province.

Ontario residents can take advantage of this program, in-store or online, through any eligible retailer, available here: Energy Savings Rebate program (please check back regularly as more will be added).

The Energy Savings Rebate program is funded from a portion of Ontario's Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund allocation. The Government of Canada is reinvesting Ontario's allocation in programs that encourage energy efficiency, fight climate change, and leave Ontarians with more money in their pockets.

Quotes

"The Energy Savings Rebate program will make sure Ontarians can fight climate change in an affordable way, saving them up to $1000 on energy-efficient home equipment from water heaters to fridges and stoves—the kind of products we use every day—and ultimately saving people money on energy costs, too. When Ontario cancelled our jointly funded climate programs last year, we made sure to reinvest the money in projects that help Ontarians continue to be a part of the solution to climate change. Our investments will make sure Canada is a leader in the clean economy of the future so our children and grandchildren have good jobs, clean air, clean water, and a healthy future."
– Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"At Lowe's Canada, we understand that we have a role to play in improving the environmental performance of the construction and home-improvement industry in Canada. This is why offering our customers a range of products with a smaller environmental footprint is one of the three pillars of our corporate responsibility approach. A year and a half ago, we rolled out our ECO products program in all our corporate and participating affiliated RONA, Lowe's, and Réno-Dépôt stores across the country. Today, we are extremely proud to be part of the new Energy Savings Rebate program and to give our customers in Ontario the opportunity to make significant savings on hundreds of eligible energy-efficient products across our network."
– Carol Crystal, Merchandising Vice-President, Lowe's Canada

Quick facts

• All of the money invested by the federal government will be used to provide Ontarians with point-of-sale rebates: Retailers are not compensated for administering the program.
• A full list of eligible products can be found here: Energy Savings Rebate program
• Through the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund, a total of $1.4 billion was allocated to provinces and territories that signed on to the Pan-Canadian Framework. Through the Fund, the federal government has helped provinces and territories support programs that have planted trees, improved energy efficiency to help families save money, enabled public housing reduce energy waste, and helped community centres get off fossil fuels.
• According to Clean Energy Canada, the energy-efficiency measures in Canada's climate plan will help improve Canada's economy and environment—between now and 2030—by creating 118,000 new jobs, boosting our GDP by $356 billion, and saving Canadian households an average of $114 a year.

Related products

• Energy Savings Rebate program (Backgrounder)

Associated links

• The Low Carbon Economy Fund
• Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change
• Energy Savings Rebate program
• Canada is supporting Ontarian solutions to tackle climate change and save money in Ontario
• Government of Canada to support energy efficiency and climate action in Ontario

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Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada